First Day on my own!

Nurses New Nurse

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My first day on my own will be this Saturday! I am a nervous wreck! I know it's impossible to get 100% of all scenarios in orientation, but I just still feel so incompetent. I accepted a position as an RN on a intermediate/medical surgical unit. I was previously an LPN in a doctors office. This is a HUGE change! This is what I wanted, but I just get so nervous the night before work it's hard to sleep! My last day of orientation I was told by our on boarding specialist that everyone said I was doing great and thought I was going to make a great addition to the unit. I just have to work on my confidence! I am blessed to have supportive co-workers and a job! I am just missing the comfort of my old job of not having the nerves and losing sleep. I just keep trying to remind myself why I went back to school and why I chose to change positions. I eventually want to be able to teach and want to learn new skills and make a difference in my work. It's just hard to remind myself of this on the way to work when I feel like I want to puke and the night before when I cant sleep lol! It's got to get better. I watch the other nurses and it's amazing how they just know how to react in situations and watch them do procedures with ease! I can't wait until I can do this. I would love to be a preceptor and have a nursing student. I know to be able to do this I have to learn and pay my dues. I just wish I could fast forward this first year lol:yes: Thanks for listening.

Specializes in Psychiatry, Oncology.

Tomorrow is my first night shift on my own. And I have three in a row. Will definitely post how it went on Sunday.

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Hang in there! You got this! I am 2 weeks out of orientation now. It's still scary, but I manage. I work days on the weekends. Its crazy busy. I got report from a nurse that basically dumped on me. I was behind from the word go! She didn't offer to stay and help or anything. She handed over 5 patients all with SEVERAL very important things left undone. I went to my charge nurse for help because I had no idea where to begin! The charge nurse saw some if the things left and I thought I saw smoke coming out of her ears. She went to fund the nurse and she had already clocked out. So needless to say she was reported to our unit manager. Which is freaking me out because I am new! I don't want to be the new nurse that runs and tells on everyone! That wasn't my intention! The charge nurse that day happened to be one of my preceptors so I felt comfortable going to her for help. I didn't know the result could potentially mean trouble for the other nurse!!! I felt horrible and asked her not to submitted anything to the manager and she assured me that I wasn't the only one that this particular nurse has done this to! BUT I don't want to be put in the situation of getting her in trouble with me being so new. I know I can't let people walk all over me to. Now I'm just going to feel weird the next time I see her :-(

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Oncology.

Don't worry about it. Getting her in trouble was not your intention. Your intention was to get your patients what they need safely and as soon as possible. You did the right thing (in my.humble new nurse opinion). Everything else was beyond your control. And I think if that was the first time it happened she probably wouldn't have been reported - just my guess.

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Oh LabyrinthRN, I could've practically wrote your original post! I was an LPN before, but in a very different setting. I don't mention my previous LPN experience because I don't want that "you should know this already" feeling from others hanging over me. Last night was my first night on my own on a busy Med-Surg floor. Just so happens ALL the nurses got slammed last night. I got report late because day shift was crazy too, and honestly, got less than great reports. I started the shift playing catch up and putting out fires.

Thankfully the nurses I worked with were amazing. Two of them precepted me, but I felt comfortable asking any of them for help. The night charge checked on me several times and asked how things were going and how I was feeling. I just kept telling myself what one of my nursing professors told us: "You'll never be as new as you are today." One of the biggest issues I can see are the day shift nurse managers. Both of them are quite nasty--I've seen and heard things. One got snarky with me over a patient issue that I'd discussed and decided with BOTH the house sup who introduced herself to me and my night manager. I wanted to say geez it was not a life/death issue and I'm new--lay off me!

I'm feeling so defeated because I left my first job after 3 months (it was waaaay unsafe), and now I'm feeling like I'm starting again and that I'm going to be in trouble all the time. As an LPN I loved being a nurse sooo much. I knew being an RN was a big change, but I never imagined I'd hate being a nurse. Im encouraged reading both your and INN_777 experiences. At least I'm not alone :-).

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I go back in Saturday. I can already feel the anxious feelings creeping up :-(

It's just getting used to the not knowing what your going to walk into. My old job as an LPN was very predictable, which was boring and nice! But with each day I'm learning and growing! I was actually able to jump in and help some other nurses catch up on med pass. That felt good! I try to help out when I can because I'm really needy myself right now, so I try and return the favor even if its just Grabbing a call light or picking up supplies.

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Mostlysunny, we worked hard to become RN's. We can do this, we have come to far! We just need to find our place as RN's and when we do, we will thrive again! Every time I start to panic and think negative about my current job. I push those thoughts out with positive ones. If I fail, I will fail with a smile on my face lol

Good luck!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

I'm feeling so defeated because I left my first job after 3 months (it was waaaay unsafe), and now I'm feeling like I'm starting again and that I'm going to be in trouble all the time. As an LPN I loved being a nurse sooo much. I knew being an RN was a big change, but I never imagined I'd hate being a nurse.

The curve for transitioning from LPN to RN is a huge growing pain; I had two years of frowning pains.

As I approach my third year, I found my niche and a healthy educational environment and a place that fits for me. it's been two weeks that I have been "on my own"; and I'm still learning. What helps me is learning it's one shift at a time, and I learn to self correct and self study, and ask questions because I want to be a sponge...I have even taken to making notecards in the past to use as reminders... I hope that my notes will be useful when I precept someday.

Just remember-one shift at a time.

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Thanks for your kind words LabyrinthRN & Ladyfree28. I've been trying to focus on what I did right the other night and what I can improve on before my next shift. The reminder to take it one shift at a time is so pertinent, because I think ahead about all the "what ifs" scenarios and freak myself out lol.

I know I can do this and I'm encouraged by the positive feedback from all of my coworkers and several of the nurse managers, including the director as well as senior manager. I just hate being new and not knowing my job well, if that makes sense. I do look forward to being able to teach and precept one day. I hope I never forget what it feels like to be a new nurse.

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Oncology.

Hey Labyrinth (and other newbies off orientation), how goes it?

At this point I have survived 2 weeks on my own, all nights. My first couple nights started with two, different mind you, patients who needed restraints and Haldol. Now while AMS is common on our unit, restraints and Haldol are not, so other nurses were learning with me:) Needless to say this freaked me out at the time and threw of my timing for the shift, at least for half of it. Had a few other acute events which for some reason ALWAYS happen after 5:30am, just when you think you have made it:)

Phew... And I realize nights are so much more paced than days. Next week I start on days. Bracing myself. Bracing. Another new grad who started a couple weeks before me already had a few days when she cried and was ready to quit. Where to get the stamina...

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