Does anyone ever feel like..

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Does anyone ever feel like mabye this was the wrong choice to be a nurse. Mabye I cant handle it, Im scared that I am going to miss something or do something wrong or forget something and end up in trouble or killing someone. Do you think it might be better to get a desk job because I seem to be worrying ALL the time about this?

Asking for help is a great, but... what scares me is that I don't know what I don't know, know what I mean?

There have been times that I truly thought I knew what I was doing; it didn't even occur to me to ask, and I thought wrong.

Nothing serious, but it's still extremely stressful to think of how easy it is to completely unknowingly make a mistake.

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:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeatI personally feel like as nurses we should never stop questioning and I feel like to an extent there should always be that uneasy feeling that will keep us on our toes and constantly thinking. .because when things get too routine or when you don't stop to question what is being done or use rationale for what your doing a mistake could be made. On the flip side too much uneasiness and questioning of yourself could be a mistake. Being a nurse you walk fine lines everyday. We would all LOVE to say we don't make mistakes. . but everybody makes mistakes (ours are just magnified because our actions have an impact on anothers life) A good nurse will catch her mistake. . .own up to it. . .correct it. . and learn from it. You will be a great nurse. . .just give yourself time. I think people expect that they should be prepared once they graduate and pass the boards. . .and that just is not possible. . .no book can truly prepare you for the real deal, you just need to learn through experience. . .and continue to learn throughout your entire career. GOOD LUCK. . .HAVE FAITH IN YOURSELF :heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat

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Thanks so much for this thread. I have a year left until I graduate, and everyday I sit here and stress out about how in 11 months I'll be a real-live nurse (God willing). How will I ever be able to do it all by myself!?! It scares me to death...and I've got a year left of school! I'm glad to know that I'm definitely not alone in feeling this way!! :D

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Specializes in LTC, Alzheimers unit.

In Med/Surg you still have sick patients and you will still question things. Like it was said in prior posts nursing is a profession where you question yourself daily and sometimes things make you nervous but that is the career we have chosen and it does get better.

I am a new grad and I just found out I passed my boards yesterday. I worked on a Med/Surg floor for 4 years as a ward clerk and even nurses with 30 years experience still felt that way on a Med/Surg floor. As patients continue to get sicker nurse will be expected to do more but it only makes you a stronger, better and more efficient nurse. Just grin and bear it you will get through it...

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Hang in there!! I am pretty sure every new nurse feels overwhelmed by the fear of harming patients. Being a nurse is an incredible responsibility and when you first start and realize how big this is it can be very frightening! I just started in February and I already feel a million times better. Although at times l am still jealous of the unit secretaries, people with office jobs, waitresses, etc., etc., it is getting better! Don't get me wrong, I still am nervous about things, but I am not as paralyzed by it because I know that I WILL ask questions when I am unsure about something, even if I am afraid it will make me look stupid. I have found that almost all nurses are happy to help and often times may not know the answer themselves. Just knowing you have support and will (hopefully) have help when you need it really helps. You worked so hard to get where you are now and you owe it to yourself to give it a shot. At least stick it out a year (not sure how long you have been working!). Nursing is an incredibly rewarding career and hopefully sticking it out will be worth it.

About working in critical care, I am not sure as I work on gen med floor. I can tell you that sometimes I wish my patients were monitored as closely as ICU/CCU pts, as I get worried that I will miss the signs that a patient is starting to go downhill. Trust yourself-I'm sure you are doing a great job

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I get worried that I will miss the signs that a patient is starting to go downhill.

That is exactly my problem also I am worried that I wont know when a person is going down hill. I had a patient and I didnt even know he was really really going down hill until another nurse BROUGHT THE CRASH CART INTO THE ROOM. What happens when its just me that notices certain things and my patient crashes? I dont think im equiped to handle it~

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Specializes in Cardiac Nursing.

I feel like this all the time at work. I keep wondering if I'm forgetting something, and that feeling persists until I get home and I'm still wondering "did I give everything, chart everything, pass on everything in report". Now that I'm becoming an RN I think it will get worse for awhile, and this after being an LPN for 13 years. Keeps you honest I'm thinking :-)

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Specializes in NICU Level III.

i feel like that most every night!

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