"minimally competent" and minimally confident

[woodcarver]

new graduate and new registered nurse here, beginning on my first nursing job! Looking for feedback on the competency and confidence kick-- when will it set in, it seems all through nursing school you're praying to "get it" and it finally comes together, just enough to be at the tip of your tongue, but then you have a hard time acting on it! In some ways i feel totally competent to handle unexpected situations and questions from patients and families, and then again, a lot of times, it's just a big BLANK (revisiting junior year in nursing school all over again!). Any words of advice or any chiming in?

[tinyhands4Him]

All during nursing school they told us that it takes about a yr. to get that feeling where you can manage it all and that you feel really comfortable. This was also confirmed by the alum that graduated the yr before us when they came back to visit. I definately know what you are talking about though cause I'm starting out in the NICU...we didn't really learn anything about it at all in nursing school and we only did a few days shadowing during our OB rotation so I definately don't know what I am doing. I know it will just take time.

[palesarah]

lol, I asked the nurses on my floor that question last week. The general consensus on my LDRP floor is 2 years before anyone felt really competent all around (we train on mother/baby, L&D and Level-2 nursery)

[fourbirds4me]

I am soooo there with you. I know the idea of school is to give us a good background to build future knowledge on and critical thinking... blah blah. But I just wish Ihad some more clinical skills. I want not to be embarrassed when I can't get an IV or have NO idea where the bubbles in the chest tube are coming from!! LOL

But I guess almost every other nurse in the universe has been where we are right now.