Feeling clueless

[BLUESCLUES191980]

I passed boards in July and have been off orientation on med-surg floor for about 3 months. Is it normal to feel like I remember nothing from school and find myself looking stuff up throughout my shift? I feel overwhelmed and clueless many times throughout my work week. Should I take a refresher coorifice or what?

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Perfectly normal. The thing is that it takes about a full year to feel comfortable and competent. Nursing school prepares you for the minimal competency level; gaining more competence comes with experience.

[tsm007]

Well, I was hesitant to vote because I feel the same exact way! I hate it. I keep thinking I need to redo school, but the thing is I *DO* remember what I learned in school for the most part. It's just there are sooooo many things I don't remember ever learning about or only learning a tiny amount about. So many drugs I have never even heard of. I feel like all my friends are just breezing through and I did better grade wise in school than any of them so I don't know. I am guessing it's a fairly normal feeling.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

This is an absolutely normal feeling. School doesn't so much teach you to be a nurse as it teaches you how to learn to be a nurse. There are just so many variables in nursing practice that it is impossible to teach everything so really only the basics are learned before you are out in the world as an employed nurse. The vast majority of what you need to know you will learn on the job.

For most new nurses the timeline seems to be about 6 months before you stop feeling like an absolute idiot that knows nothing and about a year or even longer for intense specialties to start to feel comfortable. It will get better!

[BLUESCLUES191980]

Thank u