Floor Fear

[RNHURT]

i have heard from many new grads and i have been one too about feeling so fearful and uncertain about going to work everyday. I am new icu nurse so I can understand my fear but why do people dread going to floor sometimes. is it unsafe staffing, cut down on CNA's or growing politics of mgmt. We spend our time on getting degree learning new patient care techniques but why ? Work should be place of joy and friends.

this country is till short of nurses then why not make floors more welcoming for new generation nurses.

[MattNurse, MSN, RN]

I don't observe a fear at my hospital from new grads, they can be a little unsure of their assessment skills at times. Could you be clearer or more specific as to what you observe or hear?

[RNperdiem, RN]

A new nurse is going to feel the stress anywhere they start out. That is just part of growing and learning the role of nurse.

"Fear" isn't the term I would use, but anxiety does describe how a lot of new nurses feel. Dealing with unexpected situations where you might be overwhelmed is stressful.

Floor nursing has a few features that make it harder sometimes. Six patients (what I had) means more families to deal with, more people to chart on, keep track of and keep happy. Doctors are harder to get in contact with, and there are whole threads about the relationship between CNAs and RNs. You cannot do your job without the cooperation of the CNA.

Work is about taking care of the patient; friendship and joy are extras.

[rnlately]

When I was a new nurse I had extreme anxiety/floor fear; so much so that I took a 9month leave from nursing and concentrated solely of practice management. Realizing that if I didn't face my fears I would have wasted my education and money is what urged me to return to floor nursing. What I had to make myself understand is as long as I am being a safe nurse and performing within my scope of duty there was nothing to fear and coworkers are always there to help if you are unsure of something. I guess I was so much of a perfectionist that I was being too hard on myself. Just approach each problem as it comes and proceed from there. No need to anticipate prior to shift of what might or could go wrong. Just go in with an open mind that if something does go wrong it is an opportunity to learn.

6 patients per nurse is the norm on my floor and as long as I go in with an organized game plan I don't get behind.