First week of work down as a GN and I am struggling!

[1Jessie86]

I just completed my first week working on a medical surgical floor at a hospital as a GN, fresh out of school and I feel like a complete idiot. I'm currently being precepted. I have 15 more weeks of preceptorship.

I struggled with everything it seems:

~Giving hand off reports

~PICC cap changes

~Tying the disease process together

~Patient teaching...

Will it get better or is this a sign that I need to pursue a different direction? Can you share your experiences as a new nurse?

[SmilingBluEyes]

EVERY new job is a STEEP learning curve for a graduate nurse. I recommend you relax about the process and just learn and ask questions as needed. GO EASY ON YOURSELF or your frustration will get you making more mistakes and mishaps than if you were working with a cooler head.

[iPink, BSN, RN]

Week 1 and Week 15 will be different. Not being able to change PICC caps won't make you a horrible nurse. Breathe. You are new and you need to give yourself time to learn. However, what you are experiencing is pretty common for GNs. Write things down! Carry a small notebook, and jot things down so when you go home, you look it up. I started in critical care and created a binder full of info to review at home. They included all my brain sheets (I removed any patient information and discarded in the shredder) so I could review the disease process. I needed to understand why patient was on these meds, why did MD order these lab/procedures to be done. Because there was a good chance, I may get a similar patient and could tie everything together. I could anticipate what would be ordered or better yet, you impress your preceptor by already letting him/her know what you expect the interventions to be.

Hang in there, be proactive with learning outside of work. Don't be shy in asking questions too.

[firstinfamily, RN]

It has been way too long since I was a grad nurse to really remember what it was like. All I can say is that you have to ask questions and try to find the answer yourself, use those critical thinking skills, then go to your preceptor if you cannot find the answer. Learn to recognize emergent situations----active bleeding, changes in vital signs, low SPO2, low urine output etc. Learn to look at your labs and the clinical picture and start putting things like that together. It does take time and practice to learn skills. You most likely did not take more than 2 patients in nursing school, so now you have triple the amount to look out for and do. It takes a huge adjustment, and the reality shock of real nursing from clinical school nursing. Find some other grad nurses who can help you with this transition, they are going through the same things. Hang in there, it will get better. No one and I do mean no one had it all down by one week. Keep a clear head, be proactive and ask questions. You will do fine.