After a long hard day do you...............

gwenith, BSN, RN · Oct 19, 2003

Accept. Many days it is fine as long as you did your best. No-one expects you to be a miracle worker (except of course managment who want us to look after half a city during a diahorrea epidemic) Could you have done more? No then that is all anyone can expect.

orca1 · Oct 19, 2003

gwenith

Thank you so much...I was able to convinvce myself that I did everything I could and that it was okay.

Lisa

suehp · Oct 19, 2003

Originally posted by orca1
Hi Everyone,
My name is Lisa and I have been working as a new grad in an ER. According to management and my coworkers "I am doing fine" Tonight I feel like crud. I had an extremely difficult patient and am doubting everything I did....even though at the time it felt like the right thing. She received her meds and proper care but I wanted to do more and wished I had.

So, with that said. How many of you come home from work and go over each and every step of your day wondering if you messed up? If so, what do you do to stop it?

It is midnight, I have been up since 5 in the morning and I can not sleep.

Lisa

Lisa, I have been nursing 14 yrs and STILL have days when I think"could I have done more" and have the odd sleepless nights...

All you can do is the best you can and learn from each experience..

HTH

zambezi, BSN, RN · Oct 19, 2003

As long as your did your best there is nothing else you can do at the time other than learn from your experience so you can do better (again your best) the next time. I was new (still am...) just over a year ago and I did the exact same thing for the first couple of months...when I did finally fall asleep, I dreamed about work. Now, If i have a difficult patient or a rough day, i still go home and think about it....but it is not like it used to be. I think that it is just our minds way of processing what happened it gives us an opportunity to learn and do better next time-it just means that you care...

So hang in there, it gets better as you feel more comfortable, all you can do is your best with what you know and learn the rest as you go--try and find a mentor that you can unwind with after a busy shift, that also helped me.

USA987, MSN, RN, NP · Oct 19, 2003

I'm a new grad in the ICU and I wonder sometimes too. Then I try and remind myself of a very important phrase I've read here on allnurses.com..."Nursing is a 24-hr day job...you can't do it all in your 12-hr shift"...................

Sending (((((((happy))))))) thoughts your way.

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Oct 20, 2003

I dont work ER but I think it is in the growing process we go through after graduation. We go over step by step, especially the ones who we feel didnt go well or something unusual went on with.

I have been off orientation just over a year now and i still come home and have to call back sometimes just to check on something, or to make sure ive passed something along that i think i have forgotten. But if thats what i have to do to get my brain to gear down i do it. I have gotten up at midnight on occasions after working a 12 and called back to make sure ive done or passed along this or that. Then i can sleep. It will get better with time and gaining confidence.

orca1 · Oct 20, 2003

Oh my gosh....you guys are the ABSOLUTE BEST!!!! THANK YOU so much for your positive words and advice. I will read them daily.

Lisa

CarolinaGrl · Oct 24, 2003

Just have to say thank you for posting this. I have sleepless nights worrying about the same thing. This is my 3rd week of working as a new grad in an ICU and find that on my days off I go through my last shift and make mental lists of things that I want to do better next time I work. I know my husband is tired of me taking about it but I just can't help worry about how I am doing taking care of my patients. Good luck to all the new grads out there starting new jobs!!

Rapheal · Oct 24, 2003

Lisa,

I think the fact that you review your performance at the end of the day shows that you really care and are looking for ways to improve. Nobody is perfect and no situation is perfect. I have been nursing for less than a year and I still review my performance after each shift. I have become much easier on myself in the fact that I do not beat myself up on what I found lacking. I tended to do this the first 5 months. Good luck in your new career. Now go get some sleep. lol

rncopper · Oct 24, 2003

I know this was posted in the Graduate Nurse forum, I since I WAS a Graduate Nurse a little while ago :roll - 10 years ago - I figured I could answer!!!

I STILL go home after a long hard day and go over my day: what didn't I do, what did I forget to tell in report, how could I have handled a situation better!

I still remember times I have woken up in the middle of my sleep (could be day OR night:p ) and say: Oh, I forgot to do that!!!

Well, figured that if they hadn't found out about it by then and they didn't call to find out about it, it must not have been that important!!!!

This might be called a job hazard!!!

orca1 · Oct 24, 2003

Thank you so much for the advice. I have since went to work and was told by the nurse I reported off too that she saw the patient once and then she was sent upstairs. All I could think of was you saw her once....I at least go in and check my patients several times :) Anyway..thanks again..

Lisa