New nurse feeling overwhelmed!!!

[Biglos94]

I am a recent graduate of Nursing and I have started working at a local hospital on a med-surg floor. I am feeling overwhelmed and its so busy I feel so down because working I feel like I know nothing about nursing and its intimidating me. I listen to the experienced nurses as they give report and I think to myself what are they talking about. I done well in school but its a different ball game when u r on that floor! Is it common to feel like a dummy when u start working as a new grad!!! Some1 PLEASE HELP!!!

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Moving to Nursing: The First Year of Licensure. It can be overwhelming. Do you have a mentor or someone you feel comfortable with to talk to?

[talltool1]

I'm going to say, yes, it is normal to feel that way. I say this because I am in the same exact position as yourself. I only have two more days of a short 5 week orientationa and I'm trying really hard not to let the stress of being alone eat me alive. I feel school did not prepare me at all for work. I'm just going to try and be positive and learn as I go. It's a very uneasy feeling to not know the ropes and what to do, but this is how the process works. Good luck to you! I hope it gets better for the both of us. Keep your head up!

[Biglos94]

Thanks. Good luck to you as well. I will take your advice and stay positive because I to will be on my own in one week but I'm gonna try to take it one step at a time.

[LaceyRN12]

I feel the same as you. I feel so dumb... and I graduated nursing school with honors. Learning how to apply nursing on the actual floor is like a whole other nursing school. Every time patients ask me questions, I feel like I don't know the answer and I have to go get my preceptor. And I feel like all of these other experienced nurses have the sharpest memories... they spit out all this information. It's like they've known the patient for years or something. I have a bad memory; I have to work really really hard to remember something. And I'm slow at things. It seems like all of the nurses are so carefree and happy; I feel the complete opposite. I'm trying to do chart checks, document, pass out meds, etc. I don't even have much time to talk to patients. It makes me feel like a bad nurse. But I'm trying to learn and do so many things all at once. It's overwhelming!!!!

All I can say is don't ruin your days off by dreading the next work day. Take it one day at a time.

[talltool1]

You could not have said it better LaceyRN12. I am on my own on Saturday after a short 5 weeks of orientation. I was bounced around from person to person. I was with a total of at the LEAST nine different people and three nights of sitting in front of a computer reviewing policies and procedures. I'm not even scheduled to be working with my original preceptor when I'm on my own. I'm so overwhelmed right now. I am on a medsurge floor with things I have never seen nor heard of. The flex nurses don't even like floating there because it is so challenging. I just don't see how this is going to go well.