Do the first year blues go away?

Bre14 · Jan 6, 2010

I hope so. I was not lucky enough to get into a hospital. Im working at a SNF..and most days I feel like I don't want to be a nurse anymore and that I worked really hard towards something I'm not good at and don't seem to enjoy now. I have found alot of my fellow nurses to be catty and backstabbing. There is more than this right?

Sashakins · Jan 8, 2010

It will get better. My first year I was the same way. I'm now 1 1/2 years into my nursing career. It gets much better. Just take it one day at a time. Remeber, it's always good to learn 1 new thing each day. Keep asking questions if you're not sure.

Much luck to you!

stelarRN · Jan 10, 2010

I hope so. I was not lucky enough to get into a hospital. Im working at a SNF..and most days I feel like I don't want to be a nurse anymore and that I worked really hard towards something I'm not good at and don't seem to enjoy now. I have found alot of my fellow nurses to be catty and backstabbing. There is more than this right?

i am also in this same situation. i'm trying to get out, but it doesn't look like it will happen for quite some time.

NurseThis21, BSN, RN · Jan 15, 2010

I will say that the blues will probably remain somewhere in your psyche for the rest of your life. This is only stop #1 on this roller coaster so there will always be a fair share of good/bad/indifferent/ugly days. However, don't let that get the best of you. I always bring myself back and remember that last I heard, I was also HUMAN like everybody else and nursing should not be seen as a stress-inducing career. It shouldn't make me afraid to do what I love.

Time has a way of making us forget certain things eventually and with that, this too shall pass. I've also been a nurse for less that 4 months, but I don't let that ruin my mood for the day just because I know that some mistakes may be made. We'll all become much better at our work, though we'll never be experts since no one's perfect, and we will look back on these "baby steps" experiences and laugh. As long as you have confidence within yourself to be the best nurse to that patient then everything else will fall into place.

Good Luck to you and I hope that everything will all make sense ... eventually!

NurseThis21, RN, BSN :nurse:

UIC Alumna

xstarsfallingx · Jan 27, 2010

I'm feeling much the same way. My preceptors have been nothing but positive. They have told me that those of us who are new on the floor are a pretty competent and high-caliber group of new grads. That's always nice to hear...

Yet, I still worry. Always. I still quadruple check my meds. I still stand there staring at the IV pumps hoping I keyed in the rates correctly. I have one more week on orientation before I am on my own, and all these little things worry me. I can handle "normal" just fine. I can handle a predictable shift just fine. It is all those little problems that arise that get me agitated.

Also, I worry about stupid little things like needing to turn on a light at 3am. Checking IV sites every hour in the dark. Not waking up patients during assessments. Giving oral meds to a baby and constantly worrying about emesis and choking. Teaching still intimidates me, since I feel like I'm still learning a lot of this information myself.

A new-ish nurse (1yr) on my floor made an amazing point a few weeks ago. I don't even think she was aware of how profound it was and how much it reassured me. She simply said, "The great thing about nursing is that much of the time, you don't necessarily need to know WHAT is wrong, as long as you know it isn't right." That really helped me, because my brain works in such a way that I feel pressured to know why something is happening to my patient...when really as long as I can intervene in that moment (keep that airway clear, the kid breathing, and circulating), and contact more senior nurses and/or doctors, I have done the right thing. :)

qaqueen · Jan 27, 2010

Oh my stars, I hope the blues go away! Although, I suspect that there will always be an opportunity for them to slide back in.

I was fortunate enough to get into a hospital in this less than optimal economy. I am a bad enough person to admit that I do not like where I work, but I need the job. Mostly, my blues are related to my work place and my lack of skills. I know that my skills will (should) improve. I do not believe that my work place will. I feel like what I learned in school was not enough. I know that textbook and real life are different, but, experience with my preceptors has led me to believe that few, if any, of the nurses in my facility keep up with evidence based practice.

I also know that you take your hell with you wherever you go, so I have to improve that which I have control over. I can tell you that 6 months is a lot more comfortable than 2 months, but there are always days that make you second guess yourself.

Stand firm, believe in yourself, and do what you love!

Blessed Be

FieryPsychRN, BSN · Feb 3, 2010

i have been an rn for almost 8 months now. i definitely have had my share of the "first year blues." i can say it has gotten better. i have learned to take it one day at a time. i have learned so much working on the floor.

first of all, being a new grad/brand new rn means proving yourself to everyone you come in contact with!! once you have shown them that you are serious about your job they tend to come around and not make your life a living hell!! sad to say nurses do eat their young...but maybe that can be used as a learning experience?? you definitely learn who you can rely on for help, who you can trust, and you will definitely learn who you can't trust and who is not willing to help you!! i learned that one very quickly!!

you will also learn about the doctors you work with. their personalities, moods, likes, dislikes, etc. i have had to overcome some negative situations with a few of the doctors i work with. i understand that our jobs as healthcare providers is very stressful at times, so i have just written these situations off as learning experiences as well. doctors are humans, and they are not perfect, and they have bad days like we do. some will bark demands, some will be nice...you just have to take them as they are. i have found out that if you have everything in front of you that you need about the patient when calling them it's much easier. they don't have time for you to put them on hold, and they will hang up on you! don't take it personally!

patients are all different. some are very sweet and appreciative, and some are mean and demanding! i treat each of my patients with respect and i care for them like they are my extended family. some of them have hurt my feelings, made me mad, and then there are those who i have been blessed with and given the honor to be their nurse! each one is a learning experience! most of them don't even know i am brand new until i tell them, and i usually don't tell them unless they ask!! i have had some of them question my knowledge and ability to perform my task, but i answer them with confidence even though at times i have been scared to death!!

my "blue" days have been few and far between; i still have one every now and then, but it just reminds me that i am human. i am not a supernurse. i give myself time to think about what went wrong, how i could have handled it differently and then i move on. i could beat myself up about it, but it doesn't do me any good!! then at the beginning of the next shift i hold my head up high and focus on my patients and their needs! ultimately it is about the patients anyway, right? i was called to be a nurse, i feel that in my heart...i was called to provide care to my patients...and when i hold someone's hand and look into their eyes and see their smile, or see their eyes light up when i come into their room, my blues disappear!

i hope this helps and i hope that as each shift goes by you learn from your mistakes as well! don't let the little things get you down! hold your head up high and be the best nurse you can be!! :nurse:

missjennmb · Feb 7, 2010

I'm in my first year of nursing... Started my first job just under 3 years ago, and I love it. I don't work in a hospital or a nursing home, but at a community health clinic that caters to homeless/uninsured/underinsured people in our community. We even have a twice a week clinic at the homeless shelter that only caters to homeless. I have to say its truly amazing. I cant speak about hospital work, but I really love what I do, and perhaps there is room somewhere better suited to those of you who are not into hospital work. Granted the pay is less, but the hours are great (8:30-5:30 mostly mon-fri) and I feel like I am doing what I was meant to do with my life, for the first time ever. I was one who dreaded getting a job after school was over and couldnt imagine doing some of the jobs that I had seen nurses do during clinicals and I now cant believe I waited so long.

I will say though that I am absolutely exhausted these days, even with good hours and great support. There is sooo much to learn and its mentally exhausting no matter how great the job is or isnt. Make sure you are getting enough rest outside of work. That increase in exhaustion alone can throw most of us over the edge.

fiveofpeep · Feb 8, 2010

Hey mellowish

Im a little late to respond but I hope it's getting better for you. Im starting in the ICU as a new grad too and havent been able to start d/t licensure delays, but I was thinking that at the very least, maybe you could review some content on your days off to help boost your confidence. I feel like I forgot so much too so Ive been reviewing. I really like "The ICU Book" by Marino and others on the CC boards here recommend "Fast Facts for Critical Care" by Kathy White. Maybe if you arm yourself with extra information you will feel more confident.

I cant give much more advice since Im not in your shoes yet, but I want you to know that your feelings are normal. So many people on this board have verbalized feeling this way. You will get through this. Dont be afraid to ask for help if you feel like something isnt right but you cant identify the cause. Remember that this is temporary and with time you will grow more confident and worry less.

Good luck to you :)

fiveofpeep · Feb 8, 2010

oh and this made me think of you: https://allnurses.com/micu-sicu-nursing/how-long-icu-302996.html

mamaames · Feb 9, 2010

I am right there with you. I describe my job (new grad position, started 4 months ago) to my family and friends as "20% tolerable, and 80% miserable". I love nursing, but hate the floor I work on. I am beginning to understand that this is a very common problem. I hope that enough of us newbies will start to see the pattern and maybe we can put pressure on the hospitals we work in to ease the misery.

I think there are two issues here. One is whether or not you really enjoy "nursing", and the other is whether or not you are in a good fit in the job you have. I can say for certain, that I do not fit well with my job - but I'm hanging in there. And you will too! Try to remember that this is a stepping stone, and you will move on from this position - so try to learn what you can, don't beat yourself up too much, and be ready to jump on the next opportunity to move on as soon as it appears.

I can say, despite my hatred of my job, after a couple months now I really do feel stronger as a nurse, and I am starting to trust my "nursing instinct" more and more - so yes, I hope the first year blues will depart soon too.

Hang in there!