[color=deepskyblue]well, i graduated in may and have been working as a cna for 4 years on the floor i am working on now as a rn (ortho/neuro). i was in hospital orientation in a classroom for the past week and yesterday i finally got to work on the floor!!! it was very exciting for me! it felt kinda weird to say to the patient, "i am one of your nurses today"! i had a good day, we had a surgical and an er admit plus all the other patients. i got to pull two drains (a jp and a orthopat), i also got to cath a male (which i had never done before), give iv meds, set up the iv pump, set up three pca's, take an admission history, and *gasp* call my first doctor! he was really nice (a neurosurgery resident)! all in all, it was a good day! i actually had fun! i am very excited about my new position and i want to hear about all of your first days and firsts!!!
[color=deepskyblue][color=cyan]i just wanted to update everyone. i am currently up to taking two patients. at what point do you get comfortable with yourself and your skills as a nurse? i still feel like a student. i am sure that i will for a while to come, but it's scary. there is still so much i don't know. i have still been having fun. it's a good feeling to be working as a rn. the patient i was caring for the past couple a days had surgery on my first day of this week (anterior cervical discectomy) and then i had him the second day as well. he was only in the hosptial overnight. just before he left, he gave me a big hug and thanked me for being his nurse. it brought tears to my eyes! he was a wonderful man. i am getting more comfortable calling the docs now. i have had to do it 3 or 4 times now. it's all getting better. thank you all for listening! i am sure it will make more sense as i keep on going. i still have 4 more weeks of orientation (more if i feel i need it)!
My first day on the floor was yesterday and I was so confused as to how the ward was runned that I felt so incompetent to be in this particular specialty area. You come out of uni trying to remember the theory of procedures (so that you can try to use with each interventions and procedures) and then you are trying to remember what to do for each patient by the wards standards. THere was no flow, confusion, kaos etc
I did feel a little teary and emotional about the day, feeling so incompetent about why I am at this reputable high standard hospital and why I ever considered being an RN. I want to be an RN because I care for patients. HOwever feel so weird about giving out meds, the idea of when its time to take out CVL's, cardiac drains, icc drains, pacing wires etc I feel so out of my league in this specialty ward and I did feel like wanting to quit the job.
Yesterday was based on getting familiarised with the ward, and helping out the other RN. Yes I am beating myself up but I feel that I should also prove that I am competent to fulfil the role and it didnt happen.
I was reassured by other staff members that Fridays are the worst days and to be put up on the ward whereas there are other student nurses, patients coming back from ICU and discharges that it wasnt an easy day. So I accepted that reason but next week I hope is a better week, this time finding more about the unit from the clinical facilitator who I think is an Angel who loves to educate newbies to the ward: such as policy and procedures, care pathways and how to use those bed monitors.
So yah that is my first day. It was very weird to give out medications and give out dangerous drugs lol. Its a lot to get used to I pray everyday that I can cope and get there.
Congrats Sabrina's Mommy for first graduating and second for passing your boards and sucessfully now working as an RN. :balloons: I have seen your posts in the nursing student's section, of which I am still one, and I am so encouraged by your post, I hopefully graduate May 2007.
:balloons: I have seen your posts in the nursing student's section, of which I am still one, and I am so encouraged by your post, I hopefully graduate May 2007.
mariedoreen
819 Posts
It's actually reassuring to hear how nervous everyone is, I know I'm not alone! I start tomorrow and worry I'm going to be totally inept...