Almost out of orientation, YIKES!

Nurses New Nurse

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Hello. I am one week from being off orientation. I have had a wonderful preceptor, she is very knowledgeable, teaches me alot, etc. She has said that I am very organized, that I do a good job and am doing great. I, on the other hand, don't feel very confident at all. I am always asking her opinion about what I should do first or next, etc. When will I be able to make those decisions on my own? I do feel like a robot at times. I get report, do my assessments, chart, get my meds, chart, and when I remember, I check labs and check doc orders. I get that. But then, there are all the other things that happen during the day that I try to be up on and try to know when to call the doc, if to call the doc, etc. I know it will come, but I feel totally stupid at times. I have had a lot of discharges, but only one admission and I had alot of help with it as it came at shift change. I don't feel confident about that at all. I worry all the time that I am going to forget something, that I will miss some critical piece, or that I will make an error. When will I feel "good" about my decisions and interventions?? I did so well in school, learned alot, but being a new nurse, I feel dumb as can be.

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rnlisa, I have been off orientation for about 2 weeks now. I miss having a preceptor, Not that they were much help but felt a little more confident. I orientated on days and now am working the night shift 7pm-7am what a difference, during the day it was very hectic, people off the floor for tests, doctors coming in, orders, labs, test results, discharges, admits etc. at night it is a slower pace people in their room, no doctors (which can be bad especially if you need to call them at 12 at night) no vistors! It is a different kind of busy, I really don't like the hours though, i am truly a day person so this takes time to get use to, I will eventually go to days once i get my organization skill down pat. During the day it is very hard to get everything done and as a new grad it was even more difficult. At night the nurses only have each other and rely on one another something I really didn't get during the day, as everyone else was to busy. Nights have their positives also. I can't wait for a year to go by as most seasoned nurses say it takes about a year to feel confident. Good luck

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.
I orientated on days and now am working the night shift 7pm-7am ... I really don't like the hours though, i am truly a day person so this takes time to get use to, I will eventually go to days once i get my organization skill down pat.

I have to confess a little twinge of bewilderment at the number of similar comments I've been reading in this forum. I can't understand how it's possible to go through nursing school without realizing that there will be night shifts coming at the end of it. There are a number of other health care professions that don't work nights (or holidays), like physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, pharmacy, health care administration and dietetics that pay as well or better... why choose nursing if you aren't able to contemplate working nights? To me it's like someone joining the navy then freaking out when they have to go to sea.

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I am a student graduating in June (hooray!). I think we all know that we will have to work nights, but the reality is we may not enjoy working nights as much as the other shifts, or vice versa. I've heard some nurses say they LOVE night shifts and really do not like working days. I'm a 43 y old mom of 6 (ages 4,7,13,16,20,21 :)) and I know some nurse moms who choose to work nights and sleep while their children are at school and they wouldn't want it any other way.

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Specializes in Day Surgery/Infusion/ED.
I have to confess a little twinge of bewilderment at the number of similar comments I've been reading in this forum. I can't understand how it's possible to go through nursing school without realizing that there will be night shifts coming at the end of it. There are a number of other health care professions that don't work nights (or holidays), like physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, pharmacy, health care administration and dietetics that pay as well or better... why choose nursing if you aren't able to contemplate working nights? To me it's like someone joining the navy then freaking out when they have to go to sea.

I know you didn't exactly mean this to be funny, but the Navy comment did make me laugh.

I think many new nurses/students have the impression that because there's a "shortage," they will be able to have their pick of specialties and shifts. Some seem almost indignant to find out that nursing requires off-shifts, holidays and weekends.

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how did this thread change from being off orientation to working night shift?? LOL I think I'd rather work nights, and once my husband is on 2nd shift next year, I may put in a request to works nights. But, my point to this thread was to get some advice about when will I begin to feel confident about my job and duties?

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Specializes in Clinical exp in OB, psy, med-surg, peds.

Wow RNLisa, nice to know that you are coming along fine, well for me I have not oriented as yet, all the best to you.

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That's not really a fair statement. Some nurses never work night shift; some do and love it. If someone doesn't want to work night shift, that doesn't mean he or she shouldn't become a nurse...there's room enough for everyone.

I have to confess a little twinge of bewilderment at the number of similar comments I've been reading in this forum. I can't understand how it's possible to go through nursing school without realizing that there will be night shifts coming at the end of it. There are a number of other health care professions that don't work nights (or holidays), like physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, pharmacy, health care administration and dietetics that pay as well or better... why choose nursing if you aren't able to contemplate working nights? To me it's like someone joining the navy then freaking out when they have to go to sea.
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I have to confess a little twinge of bewilderment at the number of similar comments I've been reading in this forum. I can't understand how it's possible to go through nursing school without realizing that there will be night shifts coming at the end of it. There are a number of other health care professions that don't work nights (or holidays), like physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, pharmacy, health care administration and dietetics that pay as well or better... why choose nursing if you aren't able to contemplate working nights? To me it's like someone joining the navy then freaking out when they have to go to sea.

You sound like your from the old school of nursing. I will have you know that many of us new grads walked right into the day shift we requested. This is the beauty of nursing the FLEXIBILITY. The old theory that "once out of school you must do nights first" is just that an OLD Theory!!!!!!! I walked into my interview and basically said dont offer me a job if it is not days and I got the job. I knew that I would travel to the MANY different hospitals until I got days. Now I work 12 hour days and could not be happier. So for all you new grads dont worry about freaking out you can go to sea during the day and not wait for nighfall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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how did this thread change from being off orientation to working night shift?? LOL I think I'd rather work nights, and once my husband is on 2nd shift next year, I may put in a request to works nights. But, my point to this thread was to get some advice about when will I begin to feel confident about my job and duties?

I wanted to respond to your original post as well. I am 9 months into my job and everyone said at 6 months you will feel better and at one year even better. I swear at 6 months I wasnt sweating in the elevator waiting to get to my floor. I still ask a lot of questions, but I truly felt better at 6 months and I look forward to feeling even more comfortable. Im sorry we are all responding the old time nurse commenting about the night thing. But she seems a bit bitter toward the newer generation of nurses. Good Luck to you and keep posting so we can all support each other.:nurse:

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I would like to encourage all the new nurses coming off orientation. I am a new nurse what will be on my own tomorrow. I have mixed emotions about what will go on tomorrow.

One of our nurses told me "You will be just fine - try to have as much confidence in what you know than what you do not know."

That statement has helped me so much. I have tried to take the positive from whom ever and put it into my pot of soup!

I think it is sad that there is so much negativity towards new nurses or RN vs. LPN. I just hope that nurses can get back to just loving what they do!

I have chosen to be on the night shift and I just love it! I am on a Women's surgical unit and we are busy!

I just thank God for the opportunity to be a good nurse and just help people. :wink2:

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