3 days orientation & now this new grad is on her own. So nervous!

Nurses New Nurse

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I am a new grad RN with no medical background except for nursing school. I've had 3 days orientation to my new job at a LTC facility. Tonight will be my first shift alone, on a shift I've never worked, as charge nurse over about 20 patients (just me and 2 techs on my hall).

I feel if anything goes wrong, I have no clue what to do (my orientation days have been a breeze, nothing happening at all.) I do not feel ready for tonight at all. I'm scared to death, honestly! I feel like I'm on the verge of an anxiety attack whenever I think about my shift tonight. :barf02:

Any advice or words of encouragement are appreciated!

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Honestly I feel for you. That is never a good position to be in .. New, inexperienced and on your own. I would for sure have the number of a supervisor/on call manager/don whoever you need to go to if things go wrong. Also i would be voicing my concerns to upper management, letting them know you don't feel ready to take that on yet. Make sure you know where emergency equipment is (aed, crash cart, extra O2, etc).. Try to keep calm if anything does go wrong.. Think it through and seek help from whoever is around..

Are you on night shift and that's why there's only you?

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Specializes in Geriatrics, dementia, hospice.

Hi KKahn!

I don't want to sound discouraging but, in my opinion, three days is definitely not enough orientation time! I assume there will be other nurses in the building, though. So, I encourage you to ask for help whenever you feel you need it. Hopefully, the supervising nurse is helpful and a good resource.

I too am a new grad working in a LTC facility. Though I worked there as an aide while in school, I've only been a nurse for one month. I'll be on my own starting next week and I still don't feel completely ready. Nevertheless, I do feel reasonably comfortable and certainly don't feel like I've been thrown to the wolves.

I know how scary it is being responsible for the well-being of a group of people and hope you have a good night. Best wishes!

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I think tonight will be my last night there. They had me doing things I did not feel comfortable doing and I am terrified I am going to cause a patient harm or lose my license. I know that's a "new grad worry," losing my license, but a bunch of the things I am required to do goes against everything I was taught in nursing school. I told them twice I did not feel ready to be on my own, on a shift I haven't been oriented on, but they made me anyways. I don't know where a crash cart is it even which patient is DNR! There is a bunch more going on than all that, too.

I feel this is a bad spot for me to be in.

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I absolutely feel your pain. It's really scary, especially with only the 3 days orientation.

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