Completed my first few shifts in the unit!

Published Sep 23, 2007

739 Posts

Specializes in OBGYN, Neonatal.

I'm getting ready to start week three of orientation, and week two of in unit shifts. I'm going to admit that I'm nervous as heck...but mostly b/c of the various odds and ends not necessarily the patient care.

We have a progressive orientation where we have classroom days then shifts and then classroom days, about one a week I think. Anyway, we started off with a day of observation but since my externship was done in a NICU (one level lower than this one) I didn't observe the whole shift, just the first round, then after that I participated in the care b/c they were fairly stable patients and I had done much of the basic care before.

The next time I came in I had one stable feed/grow to myself. I think I did pretty well, made a mistake but caught it and discussed it with my preceptor, it was not a bad one but a mistake is still a mistake so I'm glad I realized it :)!

I am trying to get used to 12 hour shifts, I'm not used to that one LOL and I don't like being away from my son and hubby that long but the trade off is having more days off so I know that it will work out.

The things that I get confused on (for now at least) are keeping the papers straight, knowing what to sign off on, where to find everything, what to do with the ringing phones, who the doctors are and how to answer questions, etc. LOL!!!!

I assume that in time it will come to me and I will feel like a good solid nurse!