help a newbie

dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN · Apr 25, 2013

I got dumped on the first few weeks off orientation by a particular charge nurse. As in, several other nurses wrote her up for continuing to give me totally inappropriate assignments. :er: I still get dumped on more often than other rns, to be honest, and I am experienced enough now to know when a dump is a dump, but I keep my mouth shut which is probably why I continue to get dumped on...eeghh

proud nurse, BSN, RN · Apr 25, 2013

I'm a person who keeps her mouth shut and ears open. I pick my battles, and going to war about an occasional bad assignment isn't my thing as long as it isn't an everyday thing or intentional.

I suppose the patient load might've seemed typical for a med surg floor, and I can even accept that sometimes it isn't about me...but considering it was my first noc off orientation made it really stand out. I know it will get better with time and experience.

SwansonRN · Apr 26, 2013

It seems like you're doing an awesome job. I'm almost a year into my first job and I still have that feeling of dread like, "I wonder what they have in store for me tonight..." Plus it was your first day off orientation! Very scary! I remember this moment after getting report on my first day alone. I felt so lonely and like the weight of the world was on my shoulders, like, "I can't believe these patients are MINE". I almost cried a little it was so overwhelming, but then I pulled myself together and survived. You survived, too! Some shifts are better than others, but they ALWAYS end!!

nurseladybug12 · May 4, 2013

GrnTea said:

Yep. That's not "eating your young," it's not picking on the newbie. It's, like, "Welcome to the team, you're a big girl now, let's see how you do and how you behave with it." So... did you pass? ?

Ugh I don't agree with doing that to people at all and I don't think it's amusing. If sacrificing pt safety to "test" a new nurse is what experienced nurses do for fun that is really twisted. And yes it is "eating your young". Most often bullies don't know they are bullying.

nurseladybug12 · May 4, 2013

proud nurse said:

GrnTea, I didn't look at it as eating your young. Matter of fact, I really hate that saying. Making it off orientation is an initiation of sorts, time to show them what you're made of, if the 8-12 weeks they invested in you has paid off..I get that. My patient load was bad, no way around it.
1. 1:1 sitter for behavior issues, if the aide needs to step out the room guess who has to step in?

2. patient with chest tube, PICC that is clogged, need to get an order for tPa so I can draw his labs

3. pre-op patient, gotta get her paperwork ready for 0630 procedure

4. admit a patient with nausea, vomiting, "no Tyl#3 with codeine won't work, I need MORPHINE!" Gotta push that q2, and Zofran

5. complete care in isolation, colostomy, foley, TPN, med every hour, gotta help aide with cares and reposition q2

6. my only "easy patient", but only spoke Spanish, so communication was limited

Time management was my biggest challenge, and yes I passed. But like I said in my initial post, I'm almost afraid what my next shift has in store for me.

This sounds like my everyday LOL.

proud nurse, BSN, RN · May 5, 2013

What I wrote about in my OP has turned into my everyday. I've been on my own for 2 weeks now, and overall it's been a smooth transition. In hindsight I think it may've been best for me to get thrown into the pit, because my time management has gotten better. If I were coddled with a breezy assignment, that would've done more damage when faced with the chaotic nights.

I finally compiled a brain sheet that works for me, and helps me to give shift report that flows.

I'm onto my next hurdle...