Frustrated after 5 weeks of nursing...

[SaderNurse05]

I am a new RN who graduated in May. I am working on a telemetry floor and have been in orientation for 5 weeks. I am frustrated because I am scheduled to be off orientation next week but I am not ready yet. Unlike school, which was very hard but at least organized, this orientation has been inconsistent. I have worked with lots of nurses with lots of habits (both good and bad) and I feel like that has made my transition more difficult. I am going to talk to my supervisor tommorrow about another week with the nurse that I fit with the best. I guess deep down I am afraid that I can't make it as a nurse on this unit. I do not like the feelings of fear and dread I have right now and cannot imagine how they can change that drastically in 6 months. Any advice would be appreciated!

[adjowakim]

im a new grad nurse just starting on a telemetry unit. ive been orienting for a month, but we have a minimum of 12 weeks orientation before being on our own. this includes numerous critical care classes that we have to attend. i just cant imagine having just 6 weeks orientation on a tele unit. thats not right!

[fab4fan]

I am also a new grad who started in the Telemetry floor. By the 3rd day, I was so frustrated that I applied back to my school's MSN/ARNP program. I was in different classes for the past 2 weeks so I won't be back on the floor until next week.

Even though nursing is a really hard job, I think it will get better as time goes on. As for me, I realize that I probably can only do it for a couple years. So I start school again the fall and by Dec 06, I will hopefully be looking forward to my new role as either an ARNP or CNS (my school gives an MSN, ARNP, & CNS within one degree)..

Good luck to all the new grads out there

It really bothers me that schools allow someone with no practical exp. to go into an advanced practice program. No offense personally, but I would not want someone with zero experience seeing me in that setting.

I don't think that a little over a year is much of a foundation.

[MedSurgeMess]

It really bothers me that schools allow someone with no practical exp. to go into an advanced practice program. No offense personally, but I would not want someone with zero experience seeing me in that setting.

I don't think that a little over a year is much of a foundation.

I totally agree with you, working in an advanced practice capacity implies advanced practice knowledge....so many would assume, incorrectly, that you had a few years under your belt. I haved a friend that is a NP, and when I told her that I wanted to go back for my MSN/NP she told me in blunt terms that I should wait a few years and get some experiences under my belt-if you are inexperienced now, you won't get any more experience by hiding in school-BTW, she has 15 yrs experience, I am a new grad, so I figure she knows what she is talking about-it just makes sense. Most schools require 2-4 yrs experience before beginning a MS program anyway, believe me, I have checked around........