As a nurse, do you ever......

12leakec · Nov 8, 2011

Well I can't really say about the experience part. But I know what you mean by you get there and don't know what to do :) :)

beckster_01, BSN, RN · Nov 8, 2011

I still feel weird when I meet someone new outside of work and, when asked about occupation or school I say "I'm a Nurse." When did I become a grown-up? Oh yeah...over a year ago. You'd think I would be used to it by now. But I kind of love the feeling of not knowing what to expect :)

AnonRNC · Nov 8, 2011

I felt like a fraud for several years, mostly in the area of physical assessment. Lung sounds are tricky. Are these bowel tones normal, hypo or hyper? It's all so subjective. And I was terrified of missing something on assessment.

It's better now. :)

maelstrom143 · Nov 8, 2011

Without the adorable scrubs, but yes to the pockets full of goodies I never know if I am going to walk in on an infiltrated IV site w/IVF running or a PB that is beeping like mad, so make sure I have red caps, flushes, and even the occasional blue cap to fix the pump someone else might have been too lazy to find on whatever shift left that syringe protecting the open end there...

Two pens, one of them the cheap kind you don't mind losing to a patient, a red pen so to mark things I have seen for easy referral, always steth on neck. Too often, docs and others suddenly need a stethoscope and none handy or I walk into a room and patient not sounding so good, so quick listen without having to go find my equipment. Penlight always in pocket. Oh, and small amt of cash so I can run and grab something to eat if and when I get a chance

As to walking in to something I am unsure about...there is always that chance. That is why I try to arrive a few minutes early and review info before shift change. It gives me a chance to ask questions. I do work with awesome charge nurses and more experienced nurses who are always available to answer questions and lend a hand as needed, as well as ancillary services who are always willing to answer questions I may have regarding meds, treatments, procedures. And always, always, always say a quick prayer on way to work for safety of my patients and a good day for all. Then, I take a deep breath, dive in, and hope for the best.

I used to be terrified of missing things, not being good enough, but my more experienced colleagues have taught me to accept my limitations (more or less...lol) and come ask for help when needed.

rngolfer53 · Nov 8, 2011

Do you ever come to work wearing the most adorable scrubs with a stethoscope around your neck, LVN or RN badge clipped to your lab coat, pen in hand ready to take notes, numerous medical supplies and devices in your pockets, and think to yourself, "I don't know what the heck I am doing!!!!"? For nurses with many years of experience, did you feel this way as a young nurse and did that feeling go away with time and experience?

I've found that it decreases with time and experience, but doesn't go away entirely. When you find yourself faced with a train wreck of a Pt and/or family--what charge nurses like to call "challenging assignments":lol2:--you can end up feeling like everyone else has a shirt on that says, "I'm with Stupid!"

The good and bad news: I've felt that way in the other jobs I was in before I ever thought about nursing.

Do your best, stay calm as you can, keep learning thru life, and leave the emotions of the job in the parking lot as best you can. Tomorrow will be different, and probably better.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Nov 8, 2011

Felt like it was Halloween,, and I was dressed up as a nurse... for about 2 years.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Nov 8, 2011

i've told this story before-- a hunnert years or so ago i was a newish nurse, out of school about 18 months, and got a great job in a world-class icu. wonderful docs, terrific nurses, the best manager i ever worked for then or since, terrific opportunities for learning...i almost wish i were 23 so i could go do it again. and of course, i was thinner and prettier too.

so one day i get into the lounge before report and there's only one nurse there, sarah, who has been there for seven years and can do everything, is always cool, knows everything, takes the sickest people with nary a qualm, and i respect her more than i can express. and i asked her, "sarah, how long was it before you weren't nervous during report?" and she said, "every day i work i get a little tingle of fear, for just a second. then it goes away and i get to work. but when i stop feeling it, that's when i have to quit, because you have to feel alert all the time, and that's what does it." she was absolutely right.

it took me about four years to be able to handle absolutely anything that came through the doors. i learned new things every day for a year or so, then a couple of new things every week, then a new thing every month or so (which is still true, more or less, all these years later). you will too.

mama_d, BSN, RN · Nov 9, 2011

Do you ever come to work wearing the most adorable scrubs with a stethoscope around your neck, LVN or RN badge clipped to your lab coat, pen in hand ready to take notes, numerous medical supplies and devices in your pockets, and think to yourself, "I don't know what the heck I am doing!!!!"? For nurses with many years of experience, did you feel this way as a young nurse and did that feeling go away with time and experience?

No to most of that...can only wear blue or white, no lab coat, and no pocket full of supplies.

The "what the heck?!?!" feeling does abate as you get more experience under your belt. I'm fairly comfortable jumping in with RRT and code situations, with the caveat that there's always help on the way from the ICU in those situations. It also helps that the "new" nurses on my shift have been there for over a year, with several of us who have been working together for five plus years, so if a situation does develop we each jump in and work smoothly together...it's a lot easier to be comfortable with that kind of thing when you have co-workers you can trust and count on.

Looking back, it's amazing the things I've gotten comfortable with. I started out in gero-psych and was anxious when I made the transition to med-surg b/c it felt too acute, and now I'm comfortable floating to step-down. Not that I still don't get the "oh fudge" reaction when stuff starts going down, I don't think that will ever go away, but I'm not afraid of getting in there anymore.

FlyingScot, RN · Nov 9, 2011

"Adorable" flight suit, multiple pockets filled with assorted junk including survival gear, jump boots, helmet, cool wrap-around shades (sunglasses), bad-ass spiky blonde hair, wings on my chest, a really cool ride and a case of "swamp-ass" every time I walked into a pediatric code. EVERY TIME and that was my job!!! Can't think of one situation with a really sick kid that I didn't have a *** moment where I wondered if I actually had the chops to pull it off. But at that moment you just have to shut off the voices in your head telling you you aren't smart enough and prove to yourself that you really are. So you do the stuff and deal with your knocking knees and damp undies later. Overall it does get easier but then you have that situation that comes out of nowhere and knocks you out of your comfort zone. The good news is that each and every time you go through it you learn something new about nursing, diseases, the resiliency of human beings but most of all...about yourself.

Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN · Nov 9, 2011

There are still days when the thought crosses my mind that I've got them all fooled...they think I actually know what I am doing. I think it is just inherant to nursing because you never stop learning (or at least you shouldn't stop), and because there is always something different. Some days you come across situations that you have previously mastered, and you feel confident. Other days you come across new situations or utter chaos and you feel like a brand new nurse all over again. For me, the knowing that at any minute a relatively calm day can turn hectic keeps me on my toes, and I find that when the spit does hit the fan, instinct kicks in for the most part. We do the best we can do with out training and resources and pray for the best. It's all we can do.