Ever Feel Inadequate?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi Everyone,

I have worked in various departments and facilities as a nurse with five years of experience. I was also an ER Tech before becoming a nurse. I am in a new department, a Med/Surg Tele. My background has been mostly float pool and in ER, ICU, SNF.

In my new setting and reflecting back on my career, I often feel like a complete failure. On my commute home, all I can think about is what I should have done, could have done, and did not do right. I do realize hindsight is 20/20 and I have never broken any rules or hurt a patient. I think I just beat myself up constantly for not being good enough. I look at all my coworkers and I always think about how much better of a nurse they are, compared to how I feel about myself.

I find that I am personally better with things outside of direct patient care and that is my future goal, but I do really want to learn more about floor nursing before going into another role.

Do you ever feel this way? Any tips? I would just like to leave work every now and then and think to myself, "Wow you did an awesome job today". Rather then, "Wow how did I survive today" or "Wow I suck".

Thank you!

Specializes in Float Pool - A Little Bit of Everything.
Just wait until you have a night where you realize that the only thing you could have done better or differently was to call out...:D

Oh man, that is a bad night! LOL

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Specializes in Float Pool - A Little Bit of Everything.
Is it possible that these nurses you are comparing yourself too could maybe feel the same way about you? You don't know how they think or feel, maybe they wish they could be better like you. Try not to compare though, you'll always feel let down. If you like the way another nurse does something, try it their way. If it works it works. Everyone has a different way of nursing. And like you said, you haven't hurt anyone or broken any rules. Are you managing your time well? De-stressing when you go home? There's always room for improvement for everybody. But try looking at it more positively! You're great but every day you are getting better!

Very true! I definitely need to work on my time management where charting is concerned. I wish I could figure out a way to type the same thing in 100 different required forms, at the same time! ;-)

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Very true! I definitely need to work on my time management where charting is concerned. I wish I could figure out a way to type the same thing in 100 different required forms, at the same time! ;-)

I have begun writing lists of things to do which includes when to chart. We still use paper and it takes forever!! I try to chart as soon as I walk out of the patients room. It doesn't always end up that way, and I do spend some time after shift finishing up. But it helps to have a specific routine going :)

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Specializes in Float Pool - A Little Bit of Everything.
I have begun writing lists of things to do which includes when to chart. We still use paper and it takes forever!! I try to chart as soon as I walk out of the patients room. It doesn't always end up that way, and I do spend some time after shift finishing up. But it helps to have a specific routine going :)

My preceptor told me to do that too, to make sure I chart at least my assessment right away. So I keep trying to do it right after seeing a patient in the am, but crud ALWAYS hits the fan for me in the am. I think I am a bad luck charm. Electronics don't function, IV's blow.... if there is a problem to be had, it will surely be my team and first thing in the am. I also have to work on when to ask for help, I hate asking for help and I don't like not doing everything on my own. I have to delegate more otherwise I will always be behind!

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My preceptor told me to do that too, to make sure I chart at least my assessment right away. So I keep trying to do it right after seeing a patient in the am, but crud ALWAYS hits the fan for me in the am. I think I am a bad luck charm. Electronics don't function, IV's blow.... if there is a problem to be had, it will surely be my team and first thing in the am. I also have to work on when to ask for help, I hate asking for help and I don't like not doing everything on my own. I have to delegate more otherwise I will always be behind!

it sounds like you are very mature and you have a lot of potential, you just need to work on those things about asking for help and managing time, and also your confidence. I also have problems asking for help and delegating. I don't always ask the CNAs to help when I should. We are works in progress. All of us are in one aspect or another. What's importan is that you are striving to improve and you will. You have a great attitude!

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Specializes in Hospice, LTC.

Knowing when and how to delegate well is definitely a skill that can be learned and improved, NOT a sign of weakness.

Might help to mention to your charge nurse or CNAs something like "hey guys, I really appreciate your help when I get in the weeds. I'm working on getting better at prioritizing and anticipating my patients needs, so I may ask for help sooner, before things get so crazy."

If people see you're trying, most will want to help you be successful. For CNAs, I have found that by sharing the bigger impact of their help and making them feel like a part of the team, they are much more likely to do those extra things that make your life so much easier.

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Specializes in Float Pool - A Little Bit of Everything.
it sounds like you are very mature and you have a lot of potential, you just need to work on those things about asking for help and managing time, and also your confidence. I also have problems asking for help and delegating. I don't always ask the CNAs to help when I should. We are works in progress. All of us are in one aspect or another. What's importan is that you are striving to improve and you will. You have a great attitude!

Thank you very much! I hate asking for help, it makes me nervous just to think of it. I remember when I was an ER tech, certain nurses rode me like a horse ALL. Day. Long. I just hate to be perceived that way and I probably view asking for help as a sign of weakness, when I really shouldn't. I was in the military in a male dominated field and I think that molded how I feel about asking for help. I need to get over that. I will continue to work on it and I am happy you can relate in how uncomfortable it can be to delegate. Thanks again :-)

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Specializes in Float Pool - A Little Bit of Everything.
Knowing when and how to delegate well is definitely a skill that can be learned and improved, NOT a sign of weakness.

Might help to mention to your charge nurse or CNAs something like "hey guys, I really appreciate your help when I get in the weeds. I'm working on getting better at prioritizing and anticipating my patients needs, so I may ask for help sooner, before things get so crazy."

If people see you're trying, most will want to help you be successful. For CNAs, I have found that by sharing the bigger impact of their help and making them feel like a part of the team, they are much more likely to do those extra things that make your life so much easier.

Thank you so much. This is certainly an area I need to improve in and I like to see that other people do not view it as a sign of weakness to ask for help. During my last shift, I called the charge RN and said I am drowning, please help me. She came right over. I think it took a chunk out of my ego and that was completely irrational for me to feel that way. I just get so caught up in not wanting people to think I am a bother or incapable. I had a crummy experience many years ago in the military and I think that what happened when I asked for help then, shapes the way I perceive asking for help now. I always try to tell my aides "Thank you so much", the other day I told one "I would not have survived today if not for you". I hope that makes them feel good about their work!

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Specializes in Adult Psych.
Sure I did, all the time. Then instead of beating myself up, I decided to really watch closely what those nurses I admired were doing, and incorporated their practice into my own. It took me a long time to feel like, "you know what, I'm a GOOD nurse," but I got there.:)

THIS! I did this exact thing when I was a new grad and it worked! I took stuff from my hero-nurses and bettered myself and built up my confidence. I think more nurses than you think are hyper critical of themselves. It seems like the culture of the profession fosters this, "nurses should know everything, and be perfect at every skill/procedure," which is not true and i think impossible.

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Specializes in Registered Nurse.

I think of myself as a sort of superwoman for getting 90% of what I wanted to get done, actually done. ha. The assignments are, on average, too much of a load....and the employers KNOW it...which is terrible. Don't beat yourself...just try to do the best you can.

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Specializes in Float Pool - A Little Bit of Everything.
THIS! I did this exact thing when I was a new grad and it worked! I took stuff from my hero-nurses and bettered myself and built up my confidence. I think more nurses than you think are hyper critical of themselves. It seems like the culture of the profession fosters this, "nurses should know everything, and be perfect at every skill/procedure," which is not true and i think impossible.

You hit the nail on the head. Nurses are always expected to know the answers, right off the top of their head, what to do, how to fix this, how to get that done, etc. Doctors, patients, society, our own profession.... They all expect super human abilities from us on a daily basis!

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Specializes in Float Pool - A Little Bit of Everything.
I think of myself as a sort of superwoman for getting 90% of what I wanted to get done, actually done. ha. The assignments are, on average, too much of a load....and the employers KNOW it...which is terrible. Don't beat yourself...just try to do the best you can.

I agree, one day we might be able to get safe, acuity based ratios.

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