First job

I am a new grad also (Aug 2010). I am working on a med/surg floor that I was also a patient care tech on. I feel like a complete idiot! You've been there 12 days, I have been orienting for like 6 weeks! I have been using our computer system for a year as a pct but as soon as the RN system was opened for me I got completely lost! Don't give up! From every nurse I have spoken to they all said they felt like they learned nothing in school as soon as they got on the floor. You can't know everything and at least you are smart enough to ask, some would just go do the task and HOPE they did it correctly. The way I figure it, I am going to be completely clueless for the first few months and my time management will suck for the first year if not more. Don't be discouraged, just use everything as a learning experience. (Also, it may not be you, school can only teach us so much and each facility uses different techniques and products so you can't know it all) Don't give up on nursing, who knows maybe long term care isn't for you or maybe the floor isn't a good fit. It's too early to count yourself out!

Don't let ANYBODY make you feel like you're stupid!!!!! You went through years of nursing school, passed many exams, and sat for and PASSED that dreaded exam, the NCLEX!!!!!! If you passed all that, you can't be stupid!!!!! Some nurses have seem to forgotten their first days, weeks and months as a new grad!!!!! Your preceptor was there one day, too; she has just learned so much that she feels as though she needs to make you feel the way her preceptor may have made her feel. I have been a nurse for 6 months now and I STILL ask questions; I feel it's better to ask a question and let someone think whatever they want to think about me than to be afraid to ask a question and walk into a situation blindly and end up losing my hard earned license because of it!!!!! It will get better as time passes......you're not the only one who feels this way. Just continue to keep your head up and doing what you love--caring for your patients. At the end of the day, that's what matters!!!!! Leaving work and having all your patients begging you to be their nurse the next day and having them thank you at the end of your shift beats having a cocky preceptor ANYDAY!!!!!!!

I'm also a newer grad and my first job out of school was a long-term care facility working on the rehab unit and I absolutely hated it. I was miserable and finally came to the conclusion that long-term care is not what I want to be in (it was the only job offer I had so I blindly took it- bad idea). I was used to the fast-paced world of big hospitals and such, maybe you are too and just don't realize yet that long-term care isn't what you want to be in? Just a thought! Also, don't feel stupid, every single nurse feels the same way when they start working after being done with school!

Yes, I felt stupid for about 6 months because I did not have a preceptor who helped me. I had to learn pretty well everything on my own. There is still some paperwork I have difficulties with. Things will get better with time.

Yep, I feel the same way and I am a few months in. It is very discouraging. I keep wondering why I left my former career to put myself through this torture. People keep telling me to just suck it up til I hit the year mark, but I am so miserable I dont know if I will make it.

Hang in there, we are in this together! What you are feeling seems to be the norm these days unfortunately.

Oh, I know this feeling well. I'm in my 5th month and still feel like I'm drowning half the time. There was a point when I at least stopped being scared to go to work. I'm starting to actually enjoy my time off instead of worrying about my patients. I do seem to be crying a lot less. Well look at that, things are getting better!

It does get easier but the growing pains hurt! There is light at the end of the tunnel and most new nurses have gone through this too (though some preceptors forget that they were new once!)

We worked our butts off in school and when they do start hiring all the new grads they are going to need - we will be the experienced ones!! Don't give up.

You're definitely not alone. Don't be discouraged! You are smart! I barely knew how to push a wheelchair when I graduated (never worked as a CNA)! LOL. Wait it out for a year... you'll feel much more confident. You'll learn something new every day for the rest of your nursing career. :-) Don't be afraid to ask questions even if it makes you feel stupid. No question is stupid... especially when people's lives are in your hands.

I feel the exact same way! I'm so glad I came across this website. I did my senior rotation on a Medical unit here in Nova Scotia, Canada and hated pretty much every second of it. Once I graduated, it was the only place that offered me a job- permanent full time at that (but I only signed on for a year). I took the job, even though I knew I absolutely hated it and now I regret it. Now, here I am about to start my second set of orientation and I feel like I don't know a thing! The paper work is overwhelming and I can never remember all the processes for admissions, transfers, calling this person and faxing that. And my leadership/assertiveness, well it's not me.

I spend most of my spare time worrying about when I'll be on my own and wondering how the heck I'll do it! I have yet to ever call a doctor and I have barely even spoke to one during clinicals (I'm shy if you haven't noticed haha). As unfortunate it is that we feel this way, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who feels this way and that it does get better. A year seems like a long ways away. Right now, I'm just aiming for 6 months on the unit and if it's still torturous, then I'll go elsewhere.

All the best :)

To all you new grads,don't ever let anyone tell you or try to make you feel stupid. You are NEW nurses. Your preceptors felt that wayy too. That bugs me when more experienced nurses seem to forget what it was like to be new. Ask questions, instructors should like it when you do ask rather than think you know it all and screw up and potentially hurt a patient or yourself. You guys will do great. Keep going to work everyday ready to learn. The documentation/and learning thecomputers come with time too :)

congrats on the new jobs!

" i have been a nurse for 6 months now and i still ask questions..."

i have been a nurse for almost forty years and i still ask questions. the day you stop learning is the day you stop being a professional. never apologize for asking-- we worry a lot more about new grads who think they know it all (or think they are making us think that:smokin:)

now, if you find yourself asking the same questions at 6 months that you asked at 6 days, well, we might have to chat. but you are pretty much where you're supposed to be.

i believe it'd be much more helpful, if the preceptors were there because they wanted to be...

making the newbie's preceptorship much more fluid.

a preceptor's resent, will roll downhill.

hang tough, jot down notes, and don't make any decisions at this stage...way too early.

you'll get there.

leslie