dumbest nurse in the industry.

[sarahg88]

I feel like a dumb nurse. I've been out of school since April. Started working in June so i am just about 5 months in. I feel like I possess the poorest critical thinking skills. The simpiliest things don't occur to me, but when brought to my attention they make sense. I've made 8 medication errors since I have begun. Charge nurses get mad at me because I ask "stupid questions" about things I should know by now and i always make stupid mistakes and beat myself up for it. I loved nursing but now I just hate it. I feel like I'm never gonna get better at it and I can feel people getting annoyed with me. I'm afraid one day I'm going to show up at work and be told I'm fired for being incompetent. Is it just me or does every nurse go through this? I feel like i'm too far into the game now to be asking questions and making errors I feel like a failure and that everything is falling apart. My work suffers because I'm anxious about how bad I am at the actual work. I failed to see a new order that was written in a patient's chart and I felt horrible about it. How often should I be checking the chart? A patient's pulse was about 120 and I didn't know what it meant or what to do. I feel like I don't know the littlest things I don't know a lot of pathophysiology. Half the things I see in acute care are things I've never ever seen before. Are there any courses recommended I could take to improve? I'm just so lost.. please help!

[Dove87]

I can relate to what you are feeling. I am a new grad myself and I have found the learning curve and the added responsibilites to be both great and also anxiety provoking. Some days I feel like the stupidest person on the floor - I'm thinking things like - "I should know this...." "Should I do this, do that?" "Where do I find this?" "Who do I call"...and how many times have I been stumped and have no idea what the next appropriate action should be. The list goes on.

But I have found that surrounding myself with nurses who are willing to answer my so called "stupid questions" has gone a long way. Afterall, if you tell me something once, I will probably know what to do when a similar situation comes up. I think that seasoned nurses need to realize that so called routine ward policies that everyone supossebly knows, aren't always so routine for everyone. It all takes time, I can't wait for the day when I feel like the seasoned nurses do!!!

hang in there :)

[tech1000]

8 med errors is a LOT. I've made one in five months- I gave 1mg of Dilaudid and not 0.5mg. The pt tolerated it well and honestly, 1mg would have probably made more sense to order on this lady anyway. BUT- what are your errors? Is it the wrong pt? Wrong med? Wrong dose? You have to check and double check. After that one error, I sit down and look at the computer right before I walk into the room to check the name and check the meds and doses. If I'm giving something I don't usually give, I check right before I pull it up and sit down to check again to make sure I have exactly what I need to give in my hand.

You are definitely not too far in to be asking questions! You've been a nurse for FIVE months! Find a handful of nurses and explain to them how you feel and tell them you'd really like them to help you understand things. I'm lucky because I've had one preceptor for the last 4 months and she is AWESOME! I get my heart meds mixed up with beta blockers and CCB and reducing preload and afterload and blah blah blahhhhh... I still have to ask a lot, "Okay, I'm giving Lopressor- this is the BP and this is the HR- is this okay?" since those meds just don't stick in my head and I don't want to bottom out my patients. I know which nurses at work I can ask questions to and not feel like an idiot. ASK ASK ASK. It's how you learn.

By now, you probably should understand what it means if the HR is 120. But you have a lot of years ahead of you so if you don't, you just need to ask and learn. When a nurse explains it, ask some more questions so you know exactly what's going on. I even sometimes preface my questions with, "I know I've learned this, but I get confused sometimes. Can we just go over this again?"

[FazzDazzle]

I am still a student and am in my preceptorship in an ICU. I recently came upon a keyring for small flashcards. I keep it with me at all times and I know I will keep it on me as long as I am a nurse. I keep all my lab values/IV drug values that are important. I also keep basic "drug cards" on there. If its a med i'm not familiar with or not too sure about it makes for a great personal reference about whether a drug is a bb, ccb, ppi, etc and has the values that i need to check before i give (hr, bp, cr, bun, ast, alt, pt, ptt, inr, ect.) I cut down and hole-punch flashcards as needed. It's less bulkier than a the "RN Notes" (highly recommend).

The hospital that i am at has an iv compatibility program on the comps but if yours did not than i'd also keep a couple of the cards in there for common meds just to have as a reference. It's less bulkier than a the "RN Notes" (highly recommend).

I'd also suggest doing nclex questions for the type of unit you are working on. Just because you may be able to identify with situations and see rationals. This may help you in the critical thinking area.