Anyone else freak out their first day without a preceptor?

SNIXRN · Mar 20, 2011

I am on my own in April and I am starting to get nervous. If I were told that I had to float to the ER I would probably have a panic attack :)

NewAggieGrad09 · Mar 20, 2011

I panicked....it's common. LOL Hell, sometimes I still panic, but definitely not as much as when I first started. I have been on this unit for a year and 3 months...and I have greatly seen an improvement in my panic level.

teeniebert, LPN · Mar 20, 2011

My first shift on my own in LTC was horrid...it was on a rehab unit which has 2 nurses on days and evenings, so I was told all through orientation, 'don't worry, you can always ask the other nurse for help if you need to.' The other nurse on that first night not only didn't help me, she demanded to work MY end of the hall because, 'I have some loose ends to tie up from yesterday.' So I was nervous as all get out, taking care of people I'd never met, working with aides I didn't know, still unsure of where to find things...I think I was there about 12.5 hours. It turned out the other nurse worked 16 hours on Friday and Saturday nights (3pm - 7am) on rehab, then 8 hours (3pm-11pm) on Sunday night on a long-term unit. The 'loose ends' she had to tie up? She came down to rehab at about 8:30 Sunday night, loaded up a cart with charts, and took them back to long-term to do ALL her charting from Friday and Saturday.

watermeloncandy · Mar 20, 2011

I'm a new grad as well and worried about my first shift......Any tips to get through the 1st day nicely if I don't have a preceptor?

mkblakley07 · Mar 21, 2011

Just make sure you're organized. No one is going to expect you to be perfect on your first day, but it's nice if you have a routine to follow to get things done. I usually get my assignment, take report and look at my charts then get my morning meds out. This keeps me from having to wait in a long line at the pyxis. Then I go and introduce myself to each patient and lay eyes on each one, just so I know what their status is and I let them know I'll be back with their morning meds in a bit. Then I go give my meds and do my physical assessments while I'm in the room so that I can go chart them when I'm done. Then I go do my chart checks again to make sure there are no new orders to implement. From then on I'm usually pretty busy making sure everything gets done. (My full time job is on a tele monitored adult obs unit, so patients are constantly going to and from procedures and getting consults and new meds and new orders. The max stay is about 48 hours, so we have a high turnover rate. For instance, I started out with three, discharged one and admitted two today and that's completely normal.) I just make sure that every hour or so I make time to sit down and document on my patients. I like to be thorough and it's hard for me to remember exactly when things happened hours after they occurred. Was that helpful?

solneeshka, BSN, RN · Mar 21, 2011

I was *thrilled* to be off orientation. I had one day-time preceptor for my first 4 weeks on the job and then another for the next 4 weeks on the night shift (I was hired for nights). Both of them hated me and made my life miserable. Could not *wait* to be off! It was glorious to have the freedom to do things my own way and on my own pace without the constant criticism. There are benefits!

Valhalla_Pure · Mar 23, 2011

I have been an RN for 7 months now, and I remember when my orientation was over how nervous I was for my first set of shifts on my own! My first shift on my own was a night, and I actually think that helped a lot, as the pace was slower. I found my hands shaking at the med cart as I was preparing 2200 medications!! It was just nerves, and as the shift progressed I was fine. It's perfectly normal to be nervous :)

Also remember, you are never alone. Ask for help if you need it! No one expects you to be perfect right off the bat.

jar05e · Jun 25, 2012

Thanks for your replies. I've been out of school for a year, but new to ICU and have my first shift on my own tonight. I feel prepared after my orientation, but definitely nervous. Reading your responses help!