Feeling rough

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I'm feeling a little self-fulfilling prophecy. I work in an ED as a new grad and just finished week 4. Right now we are 3:1 with our preceptor and will go down to 2:1 and then 1:1. I've been between 1 and 2 patients (call it 1.5) for the past 2 weeks. Sometimes I think things are going well and then sometimes I just want to throw my hands up.

I had a dream last week (before week 4 started) that I got fired. And this week has been ROUGH. I know I need to get out of my own head but I've made some very stupid mistakes this week and I just need to vent. My preceptor has been receptive and given good feedback but I also think she is frustrated with me. I need to let it go and move forward and learn from my mistakes I just have so much anxiety about it not working out.

Ps I do love working there so I want it to work out.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Hey, there. We have decided to move your thread to the Emergency Nursing forum with the goal of attracting more responses. We wish you the best of luck!

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Specializes in NICU, ER.

I just got out of orientation not too long ago and I felt like you describe often. Actually I find with good thoughtful nurses, that we are much harder on ourselves then others are. I felt like I was doing awful, but all my feedback was encouraging. People understand that you are new! They will have understanding for you. You are learning! you shouldn't expect to be perfect. :) I feel like orientation is a big hill and towards the top you feel like it is getting so hard that you can't continue, and then you make it, and things suddenly get a bit easier as you travel down the other side for awhile. I found be off orientation is also like this, It gets so tough, and then it starts getting easier again. Keep your head up! Prayers coming your way :)

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

ER is tough. It takes 10-12 months to feel comfortable.

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I keep telling myself that. I appreciate all the good thoughts! I really do.

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A lot of things in the Ed are muscle memory. Once you don't have to think about everything you're doing, and make multiple trips to a room to do something that takes 4 minutes (and you just spent 6 walking around cuz there was no pump and you were going to hang a drip) you get a lot more time to do some better charting, or cleaning someone up, or cleaning that room so it can get a pt again etc. That extra time at the beginning is a killer.

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Thanks for the support. This week has gone better than last for sure! *fingers crossed* I'm not jinxing myself!

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