Frustrated at being new!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, ICU.

Hi all! I am a new grad nurse who has just started working in a med-surg unit since August and am still feeling stupid and incompetent most of the time. I've just started taking four patients on my own and yesterday at work, was stuck with a fifth patient when I didn't really feel ready. Throughout the day, our unit got slammed with a ton of admissions, I was running around like crazy trying to do my very best, and feeling like there was so much I had to remember! To make matters worse, I was stuck with one of my patients making snide, obnoxious comments at me all day ("I can't believe you have you're a nurse, you're too young" blahblahblah) and nothing I ever did was good enough for her. At the very end of the day, I realized that I had forgotten to give the lady her prn laxative that she asked for a couple of hours ago. The lady's doctor was angry, because he just went into the lady's room and she complained to him about not getting her laxative, and he asked me why she hadn't gotten it. I forgot just because we had to wait for pharmacy to profile the laxative in the MAR system before I could give it, and pharmacy was already backed up for several hours because they were really busy too. Anyways, I tried to explain that to him, but the lady's doctor was ****** and he basically treated me like I was the biggest idiot on the face of the planet in front of all the nurses at the nurses station.:crying2: I guess I just feel angry at myself and embarrassed because of the whole situation. I just hate being new and not being able to spend quality time with each of my patients. And I hate feeling like my patients don't trust me completely with their care because I'm so "young." Any suggestions to help me organize my care and to deal with my doubtful patients would be appreciated!!:uhoh3:

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Specializes in LTC, Med-SURG,STICU.

The only advice I can offer is to just keep on going into work. Each day will get a little bit better than the last. As far as forgetting something like a PRN med that you have to wait to give write it on your cheat sheet and highlight it. I have to make notes for myself all the time or I would forget things like PRN meds especially if I get side tracked. Good luck and it will get better.

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I'm new like you and often have the same feelings, but we need to take each day as a learning experience and understand it will get better and easier for us with time.

In regards to the age comments, I always smile and say "I look a lot younger then I a truly am" and usually they smile back and move on. In my case most people assume I'm in my early 20's since I just graduated but i'm in fact in my late 20's. Whatever the case, age doesn't matter so try and ignore those comments from your patients and coworkers. :)

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yeah, OP, say, "Oh wow, thanks for the compliment, I'm 40!"

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Specializes in ER.

I'm sorry you dealt with an ass doctor and an ass patient, but they are out there and this won't be your last encounter. As far as the laxative, you tell the doc when it's available from the pharmacy and when you're done with your million and one things (throw in there, "my blood sugars, my beta blockers, etc") then I'll get to her PRN (stress this) laxative. When being shoved, shove back.

That's all I got. You have to do this, even if it's not what you'd want to do. You have to make an impression with them, because they are already judging you and you need to stand up for yourself. You know what you're doing, don't make excuses when you're busy, you are BUSY. You'll get to what you need to get done when you get to it. That's all you can do and do the best at that. Don't worry. It doesn't change, unfortunately. I had an encounter with a crap doctor last night and I "KNOW" what I'm doing.... most of the time!

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Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

Never tell any pt you're new. I know it's a lie, but unless someone else has clued them in, tell the pt you've been a nurse for "awhile".

It's amazing, but pts will make allowances for nurses with experience, but hammer one with none.

Think of it as a slight exaggeration. Not a lie. Maybe a white lie.

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Specializes in Critical Care/Coronary Care Unit,.

I have to agree with the previous poster that you never tell any of your patients that you're new. Even when doing a new procedure, you tell them you've done it a million times....consider it an exaggeration of the truth. You don't need patients looking down on you b/c you're new. Keep going to work, it'll get better with time. It takes about a year before you stop feeling stupid as a new nurse. Doctors are jerks...that doesn't change no matter where you go...eventually you learn to brush it off and just do your best for your patients. Good luck honey and never let anyone look down on you...constructive criticism is one thing...just being plain rude is another thing. Next time someone berates you, just walk away. If they ask you why you're walking away, simply say I thought you were talking to your daughter or wife for a moment so I left. Good luck.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Hospice, Float pool, Med/Peds.

I have been a RN for 14 years and still have days like that... The only difference now is that I really don't let it bother me... Tomorrow is another day and if you did not kill anyone; life is good... lol

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Specializes in Emergency, Cardiac, PAT/SPU, Urgent Care.

Just for future reference, you can write a doc up for treating you like that! There is no excuse for that kind of behavior and the way he addressed the problem in front of everybody else was highly unprofessional. Most institutions now would call that lateral violence. Don't ever be afraid to stand up to a doc and say, "Can we please discuss this in private?" New or not - you don't deserve to be treated like that.

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Specializes in Neuro/Med-Surg.

PRN laxative. .what an emergency! If the lady would relax she could probably poop on her own.

As for forgetting it, I would forget everything if it wasn't for my handy-dandy time management sheet. The one I used when I was on med-surg had a column for each patient with rows for each hour of the day. I would write down things I needed to do in the time slots (like check BS, labs, meds, IV meds, TX, whatever) and then cross them off when I was done. I would also add new stuff as the day went along. Every once in a while I would check it to see what still needed to be done. It was a life saver.I would also jot little notes like "called Dr. Bighead" or "called pharm" so that later if someone said I didn't call them, I could tell them exactly WHEN I called them.

And as for looking young, I am 32 and look about 12 so I deal with that all of the time. When I was a new nurse and people would ask me how long I had been a nurse, I would reply "I have been in healthcare for 2 years" - it wasn't a lie - I had been a tech for 2 years! lol

Good luck and hang in there and don't let the doctors bother you - just remember they are stressed and unhappy and nurses are the easiest people for them to take their frustrations out on. No, it's not right, but stand your ground, never be outwardly rude back, but don't take their ****. :cool:

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If you are still in contact with your friends from Nursing School, I highly recommend getting together with them at least once a month. A group of us have stayed in contact and get together to compare "war" stories. We all have the same feelings no matter what facility we work for. I work in an Acute Rehab with anywhere from 9-23 patients. I have days where I feel like a complete failure at my job. Im confused, have no one to ask questions of etc. I keep going in because this is something I worked hard for. They say the first year is the hardest so that is my goal: Survive the first year. I will come up with a different goal after that.

What has helped alleviate some of the issues is to only dwell on my shifts for a small amount of time. I set aside 2 hours during my off days (total off days, not each) to review the things that happened, write down questions, make changes on my organizational sheet as needed. Im still addressing my stress points without stressing over it for the entire time I am off. This system has been working so much better for me than my old system of stressing 24/7.

Im sorry your having a rough time. Your not alone in feeling that way though! You can do this!

Lynn/BW

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Specializes in public health.

Put you in your patients' and doctor's shoes. If you are sick and in a hospital, how do you feel if someone forgot to give your med you requested hours ago? How do you feel if you are the doctor and getting blamed because your nurse forgot to do something. You rely on each other to make things work. Ask questions, work with your patients and doctors instead of thinking they are all against you. You will get faster and more efficient over time, but you have to practice and practice. Work harder than your co-workers. Don't take others' comments too personally. You will survive but you can't just cry for help all the time. You are young but you also have more energy and can absorb new things faster than older people. Use that to your advantage. Don't give up.

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