DESPERATELY Need your HELP & ADVICE 3weeks on the job really hard time

[pixiegirl]

Hello Everyone - started a new residency program and it's become a nightmare of nightmares for me. My first 2 days with my preceptor I thought things went smoothly only to my surprise I was called into the Med-surg directors office on the 3rd day and questioned as to why my school never taught me the 12hr/24hr charting functions and how is it that I could have graduated! I was shocked - I had told the preceptor I was unfamiliar with the chart check and could she explain it to me - wow - also I was asked if I needed glasses! - WHY? because I had mentioned to the preceptor that the insulin needle sheeth that they used for the safety needle was a hazy plastic that made the numbers harder to see and I had never seen this design before and was surprised since insulin was such a critical value. Now the preceptor never said a word to me on this and in fact said good job each day so I was like ol bo peep thinking life was good. So it wasn't and at the end of my first week I was deemed as "stupid" and sent to spend the following week with the unit secretary for 24hours and learn in the ins/outs of the orders. NOW don't get me wrong I'm not complaining that I learned the process, however, it set me back and things have only gotten worse - for when I had the preceptor again - a week later, she again was complaining about me to the director/educator that my time management was too slow - then 2 days later I have a new preceptor and it was even worse.

She wrote me up for asking her for an IV pump/pole (said I had no initiatve), wow, we were told we could ask for help if we needed it and at that moment I really needed it, wrote me up because I didn't add the computer questions to the screen - she showed the residents 1x in a 10 min session during the 1st week and I didn't recall were they were located, of course time management, that's valid my time management can use improvement - it starts off great as the day progresses it breaks down ugh, but some of the other things were down right petty and of course again this was with management and this is my 3rd week - in the program and they are acting like im totally incompetent - and I'm totally horrified. Everyday I get called into the office and asked "how do you think you are doing"?!? wow, it's obvious it's not good if I'm being called in and yet they can't just talk to you on the floor and help you? I have only had 5 12 hour shifts with patients and I really need some help and advice from you seasoned nurses because this is not at all what I thought a residency program would be and I need to know what to do so I can survive and be successful. I am constantly being told to go here and do this or that for patients that are not mine but it comes back to bite me in the end so ANY ADVICE.......PLEASE..........I AM DESPERATE to SURVIVE..........I have to again meet with the director next week to discuss my incompetence......and I'm horrified by this whole situation and they already expect that I should have 4 patients by the end of week 4.

Please any advice thank you.

[EMTtoRNinVA, MSN, RN]

Are you in the acute care setting? Have they set up an "action plan" or some sort of task list for you that outlines what they expect and in what time frame? If not, then at your next meeting I'd have my concerns written down and ask for some sort of direction with concrete items/skills and timeframes. How many weeks is your residency?

I myself am in an intense Internship and one thing that I do every shift is make a goal for myself and share it with my preceptor of the day. As an example, I wanted to do a full admission assessment and all of the associated paperwork all by myself, but with the preceptor handy in case I got off track. I'm in an ICU and we only have 2 patients, so my preceptor is usually pretty close by or one of the other resource nurses anyway.

Just remember to put on your big girl panties, don't whine, be constructive, and try to keep a list of things you are unclear on. Refer to your P&P manual for stuff too! Try to find a "mentor" on your unit you mesh with and can bounce ideas off of or ask for help or whatever. Keep your head up! It will all come together.

[pixiegirl]

Thank you I will try that - no they haven't -yes it's acute care, med-surg/tele and they have not set up any task list/outline as you speak of except for 4 patients by the end of 4 weeks, lol. Of course my time management is not great - I start to lose minutes here and there and get bogged down half way through my day with the differant things that come up with my patients, I don't know how these ladies pull it off! I'm so discouraged and I will try and get the outline/timeline from them.

Thank you for your advice, I'm just getting so rattled having the daily talks I think if I could just have a few weeks to try and get my stride I would do much better but will try and endure and not let it rattle me. Trying to figure out things that will help me streamline so as to not lose time also.

Appreciate you taking the time out to reply!! Made my day :)

[DutchRN09]

Do you have a skills list that you have to complete? If not, you might ask for one so you know what you need to know, Did you keep any text books? If so, look up skills that you are unfamiliar with, or look on youtube. Be positive and pro-active, try to stay enthused about the job. Good luck.

[pixiegirl]

Thanks Dutch - I will do that, it's more about time management - trying to not get bogged down when I go into the patients room and deal with the various things - sometimes I find myself having butter fingers getting the meds open grr, I know sounds lame but those packages are stubborn or they have things they need and it just all adds up! Then a new admit shows up or they d/c and before you know it, time is flying away from me, I honestly don't know how y'all do it:uhoh3: But I have to somehow get this pace down and get it now cause it's expected or I will be exterminated and that's not something I need.

I study every day I'm off and try to do it every night after work, figure out how to make the day better but I think anxiety is starting to get the best of me at this point also cause of the pressure.

Thanks for your reply I appreciate it.