First Day Blues

[susanlwins]

I've been a CNA for a year and a half in LTC, and have been orienting to my new hospital job on the Neuro/Tele unit for the last 2 weeks. Today was my first day on my own, post-orientation, and it was a very rude awakening. Short staffed, 14 patients, 5 Q2 turns, 2 1:1 feeds, 6 bed alarms, and 2 ladies who are semi-independent but on the call light EVERY 3 minutes. At my hospital we are expected to document rounds on every patient every hour. Needless to say, that did not happen today, my Q2s were more like Q3s, I took one 5 minute break where I scarfed down a muffin, and the HUC was calling me ALL afternoon berating me for not answering my call lights, when she and everyone else knew there were only 2 CNA's on the floor. A couple of the nurses I worked with today were great, but one in particular I think was deliberately trying to make life harder on me to see if I would fold. Needless to say, discouraged x 3 right now. I know the day would have gone differently if our 3rd CNA hadn't been pulled off the floor to sit, but the fact that this seems to happen often is not all that encouraging to me. Any advice out there for how to deal, be nicer to myself, better time management, balance expectations with reality?