What are you struggling with?

Nurses New Nurse

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Specializes in Pain Management, RN experience was in ER.

I'm just curious to see what all the new graduates out there are struggling with? I've been an LVN for a year, a tech for a year, and a CNA for nearly a year. However, now I've accepted a new job in the SICU and my brain hurts! It's a completely different world from the ER where meds are due as soon as they're placed in the nursing rack and not on a schedule, where the med dispenser has nearly everything and you don't have to fax a slip to pharmacy an hour before it's due... where you didn't schedule your day around procedures, and doctors, and family, etc etc.

I would just like to see what everyone else struggles with. It's hard to know what's "just me" or is something lots of peopel struggle with that comes with time.

Thanks in advance for all the responses!

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Moved thread to the "First Year After Nursing Licensure" forum, where there are others who feel your pain. :) Best of luck!

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Work as an LPN in LTC.... The paperwork..... sign here and here and here. and oh yea since the resident did/has or takes "this" you have to fill out "this" and sign it also. When you filled "this" out last night you forgot to print off "this" and sign it. I sware I must sign my name of initials at least 500 times a shift, and still just can't seem to get it all right!:rolleyes:

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What I struggle with -

Now that I'm a nurse of about 6 months, I'm just expected to "know" how to do things and when to do things that I've never ever done before..

In my orientation, there are some things that just never came up, or only came up once. Now I'm expected to handle situations like I'm an expert, and I'm not.

Example 1: I've never taken care of a new trach patient. I only took care of one, and everything was already set up in the room. I don't know how to set everything up, and I don't know what I don't know. That caused a little trouble the other night. Not good.

Example 2: Hanging blood is fairly common on my floor, but I've only had to initiate it once. I need more practice to feel comfortable and confident, but my pts. never seem to need it - so when it does happen again, eventually, I know I'll be nervous, and the other nurses will look at me like "what's your problem, you've been a nurse for a while now...".

I'll be so much happier when I have more experience!

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