Day 2 and feeling pretty blue

[Brooke13-RN]

Hi everyone,

I just started my first nursing job on a busy post surg/oncology floor, graduated in May. I had the normal week long hospital orientation where I learned about the computer systems and the HR stuff. After getting my schedaul I saw that I was going to start on the floor this past Monday for a 7 week floor orientation. I was so excited. I thought finally I was going to get to watch how the nurses do it. They would teach me all the tricks.

So, Monday I get to work and meet my preceptor, nice but stern. We listen to report and then we head out onto the floor. I started to follow her into her room, and she said I think I'm going to have you do the assessments on the last two rooms. I thought, sure I can handle this, then we would have more time to do nursing stuff together. Well, those two assessments turned into hanging IV meds. Then I was doing IV pushes, and changing fluid bags. None of which I was bothered with good experience. Luckily I had had a clinical in the same hospital, so I knew my way around the MAR.

About lunch though is when things started changing. First I hung blood on 2 different patients. She was shocked that I had never done this before, but we can't do it in nursing school. She did the check with me and then just left me to do the rest. Then she gave me a phone and said you have to go call the surgeon and get orders on for this pt. This was kind of scary, because it was my first time getting orders and she gave me no more advice then your going to be fine. Then the phone started ringing non-stop and I was getting calls from the different units to take report on transfer pts. It was all just so overwhelming. At the end of the day I was hoping for maybe a hey you made it, but all I got was I hope you know that this was an easy day.

Today was my second day and I thought well this is going better. I had called a couple of Docs for orders and things were going fine. I still haven't quite figured out how to keep everything organized, but I was feeling better. That was my motto today, better. Then about 4 hours after I got home I got a call from the unit to find out if I had hung an antibiotic. I had but just forgot to cross it off in the MAR. I felt so stupid and my day was cast in a whole new light.

So, now what I whined and vented, I want to let you know that I appreciate you taking the time to read it. I know that everything I do is valuble experience, but I was just hoping for one day on the floor where I could follow a nurse to see how my unit flowed.

[eyeball]

Brooke- Good luck, I have been in orientation for over 6 weeks now. I have had over 4 preceptors. Ugh, I started with 2 patients and am now up to 4. Next week five. It has been a horrible orientation, My preceptors have also had charge nurse responsiblities which makes them unavailable to me to answer pertinent questions. Feel like I am just wading thru with a thin floatation mat and could drown any minute. Have discussed this with manager about assigning me to people who are not in charge but nothing has changed. Very depressed and feel really left out in the cold. They give me a half of day learning the computer charting and expect me to know how everything works, Not good. I work on a med-surg/pulmonary/renal/tele floor and most of the times patients need total care and with 4 it is very tough. One day at a time is my mantra. I am orientating on days and will be going to nights in oct. Thank God. - tired of the rush on days doctors orders, people going down for tests, admits, discharges, audit checks it is so overwhelming! I just got off 12.5 hours with only a 20 minute break can you tell? Sorry for the vent but really how much can we take?

I am in orientation and could have written this. The other day I had a patient go south very quickly and we called a RRT (Rapid response). I felt so completely over my head and got yelled at by a cardiologist in front of about ten people, I keep wondering if I bear responsibility for the patient's decline. (The paptient was stabilized.) I was assured that I was not but I'm really scared that my responsibility completely exceeds my skills and I keep having to run around to ask for help at the same time that I am being told "Pick up the pace, faster, faster ,faster!"

[Up2nogood RN, RN]

Well it sounds like your preceptor doesn't want to precept or perhaps just wants the extra pay. Whatever the reason may be it's good to know that you wont be stuck with her the whole time. If you are going to be working nights just a heads up that it's totally different and usually much calmer and better teamwork.

I oriented 2 weeks on days and it was absolute chaos with a different preceptor everyday. Then on nights for 2 weeks my preceptor was charge nurse every single shift I worked. My first shift on my own our unit was closed due to low census so I had to float to our sister unit med onc. They did give me our surgical pts but it felt pretty hairy at times.

You sound like you're doing great for your time so far and it just takes time to feel comfortable talking with docs and figuring out who each of them are and what they do.

ETA: oops just realized this is an OLD thread.

[Sara RN]

wow hang in there it will get better. i'm a brand new nurse still working with my preceptor. i hope that you got a chance to speak with your nursing educator. this experience is for you to learn how to do your job. i'm lucky to have a really great preceptor that i'm working with but sometimes i still feel like she is not clear about her expectations of me. best of luck!