First month off orientation...

[HeartNurse007]

I've really been struggling since coming off orientation. I work on a busy Tele/PCU unit. I thought that it would be a good challenge out of nursing school since I really wanted to be an ICU nurse. It has definitely been challenging. I dread going into work most days....it's so depressing and I am getting so discouraged. Too many pt's and not enough time. Most days if I start off with 4/5 pts and they are staying the night(I come in and work 3p-3a) then I am fine. It's when like ,3 are discharging and I'm getting a new admission and a pt is extremely hypertensive, and I have cath checks that I just can't get all that needs to done completed. I asked for help from charge but they said they were unable help at that time. So I did the best I could but I know that I couldn't have been fair to all my pt's I just didn't have enough me to spread around! I did great in nursing school, good in orientation, and now it seems like once I'm alone it all falls apart!!! I really try to do my best, sometimes there is not enough time to do what needs to be done. I'm worried I didn't chart something important and that it will come back and bite me. I attempt to chart things when I do them but sometimes it just doesn't seem possible. I know in school they thought us about 'reality shock' but I didn't think that it would be so difficult. I know that say it gets better, just to give it a year. It just doesn't seem like the day will come soon enough. Any good tips, advice, organizational ideas on tele or for your first year of nursing?!?