new nurse blues

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi, my name is neokabuki and i just graduated in may. I feel compelled to write because i need advice. i recently resigned my nursing position after only staying there for a few months. My preceptors have cited that i did not give proper attention to patient safety, provide safe medication, and have problems communicating.

i am in the process of looking for a new job but right now i don't really know what to do. i am very depressed and confused. i still want to be part of this profession but i'm afraid that i don't have what it takes to be a nurse. when i was in nursing school, i was a pretty good student. i don't want to quit but i can't shake off this heavy feeling i have and i can't seem to get over this. Please help me. :o

To monica and everyone else this is neokabuki.:D

Just wanted to let you guys know that I got a new job in a much smaller hospital that does not cater as a teaching hospital. I'm just finishing two weeks of classes before I go the floor next week. I have about 8 weeks of orientation time like my last job but I did ask the NM if I can work with only one or two preceptors once I got on the unit. Hopefully things will go smoothly.

I'm studying very hard and I'm still a little nervous about what to expect since this is a different facility. I was wondering if anyone can give me advice on how to make it through my orientation with valuable experiences and becoming one of the regular staff nurses. Thanks to everyone for posting and offering support. There are times when I wished that I wasn't a new grad because I feel at times that I have nothing to offer other than wanting to learn. I'll let everyone know how I'm progressing. Thanks and sorry for the long post. :) :) :)

hello new nurse-- would like to welcome you into a very rewarding career. god knows the nursing profession needs all the help it can get-- especially someone as compassionate as you

have been a nurse for 17plus years and know what it is to feel "incompetent"-- look at it this way-- each new day is a learning experience for all of us-- it is a challenge just to be alive--

have mentored many new nurses-- always remember that someday it could be you who will do the mentoring-- learn all you can while you can-- you soon will have the opportunity to pass your knowledge and skills on to someone who deserves them-- as for asking for evening or night shift-- that is a great idea-- you can learn alot during those hours--get your feet planted firmly--and a little hint-- these are two of the most hard to staff shifts-- everybody wants days it seems-- god bless you for willing to work evenings and nights-- have trained a lot of nurses on these two shifts-- this is the perfect times to teach and to learn-- best wishes to you as you are in the early part of your career-- keep on smiling-- the best is yet to come

IT JUST WILL NEVER QUIT AMAZING THE "GAMES" WE NURSES PLAY, POWER PLAYS WE HAVE, CLIQUES WHERE YOU ARE EITHER IN OR OUT, AND YES, WE DO EAT OUR YOUNG OR ANYTHING OR ANYBODY THAT IS NEW OR DIFFERENT TO OUR WAY.........CARING PROFESSION??????

Sorry, didn't mean to sound cynical on ChristmasDay!!!!! Thank goodness, the majority of nurses are 99% caring, loving individiuals or they wouldn't be in this profession or so you would hope.

Happy holidays to all. Peace and lol, micro:p :p :p

Back to the festivities. Had to have my thread break!!!;)

Neokabuli, Congratulations about your new job !!! Maybe a smaller hospital will be better for you.

You asked for hints about how you can get through your orientation and fit in with the regular staff.

Let everyone know that you are eager to learn. Ask them to let you know when they are going to do things(procedures) that you are not familiar with, such as NG tube insertion, IV starts, any bedside procedure that a doctor may do that he/she may need help with, dressing changes. Don't abandon your own patients, but show alot of enthusiasm and do everything that you can to be an active member of the group.

If they are having a baby shower, wedding shower, going away party or what ever, and they bring in food........join in, bring something.......or, better yet, help plan a surprise birthday party for a staff member or for New Years Eve, sparkling cider(non-alcoholic, of course).

If you have a challenging patient on the unit (rare diagnosis, or procedure) Look it up, bring in an article. If it is REALLY unusual, do a little presentation so that the whole staff can learn something.

I've been doing this (RN) for 25+++ years and I am still learning!!

And everyone has fun with these little impromptu presentations. One of our new grads did one on priapism because we had 2 patients in one week (I had NEVER seen ONE !!!) and he brought cookies for the staff to eat during his 10 minute talk. It was great !!! It earned him alot of respect and he was beaming !!!

Good luck to you

Kat

:p The greatest reward after graduating nursing is school is being able to choose what area of nursing you will enjoy! Dont give up, start again, and select someplace you will like and feel comfortable working in. Every facility has a few bad eggs, we all expect them upon entering a new job. Find the good eggs and ignore the bad. The friends you make early will help and guide you. These types of nurses are out there, I am one of them and I love to work with new grads. Also, dont take one experience as a rule, it is only one persons opinion, during your nursing experiences you have touched many people's lives, and those people are grateful to have been cared by you. Unfortunately we dont hear the praise as much as the criticism. You CAN do it!:)

:) PS

As you can see by the picture of the old crabby guy, I have had my share of crankies. I chose that picture, cuz even though people get crabby or cranky, I still love my job as a nurse! I often think, WOW, I'm getting paid to do this?? KEWL

GOOD LUCK

Originally posted by KatWright

Neokabuli, Congratulations about your new job !!! Maybe a smaller hospital will be better for you.

You asked for hints about how you can get through your orientation and fit in with the regular staff.

Let everyone know that you are eager to learn. Ask them to let you know when they are going to do things(procedures) that you are not familiar with, such as NG tube insertion, IV starts, any bedside procedure that a doctor may do that he/she may need help with, dressing changes. Don't abandon your own patients, but show alot of enthusiasm and do everything that you can to be an active member of the group.

If they are having a baby shower, wedding shower, going away party or what ever, and they bring in food........join in, bring something.......or, better yet, help plan a surprise birthday party for a staff member or for New Years Eve, sparkling cider(non-alcoholic, of course).

If you have a challenging patient on the unit (rare diagnosis, or procedure) Look it up, bring in an article. If it is REALLY unusual, do a little presentation so that the whole staff can learn something.

I've been doing this (RN) for 25+++ years and I am still learning!!

And everyone has fun with these little impromptu presentations. One of our new grads did one on priapism because we had 2 patients in one week (I had NEVER seen ONE !!!) and he brought cookies for the staff to eat during his 10 minute talk. It was great !!! It earned him alot of respect and he was beaming !!!

Good luck to you

Kat

Katwright,

Thanks for those tips. Was just going to ask someone for advice on what to do after orientation, what to do and not to do. Sharing knowledge is a great idea too. Thanks so much. I'm going to look for a discussion that is dedicated to just thta topic.

Thanks again !

Originally posted by Prn35Rn

:) PS

As you can see by the picture of the old crabby guy, I have had my share of crankies. I chose that picture, cuz even though people get crabby or cranky, I still love my job as a nurse! I often think, WOW, I'm getting paid to do this?? KEWL

GOOD LUCK

Through all the turmoil and agony that also comes with nursing, I can truly agree...............WOW, I AM TRULY GETTING PAID TO DO THIS?????!!!!!

That may make me politically incorrect, but I AM WHO I AM!!!!!

LOL to all,

micro:p :p :p

Nursing is VERY TOUGH to get used to. If you put the same amount of work into almost any other profession, you'd probably have decent hours, decent pay, self respect, the respect of others, fair and equal treatment by your employer and peers, holidays off, decent benefits, and a feeling of accomplishment.

Hospitals have taken most, if not all, of those things away - organizations like the Hunter Group show hospitals just how much they can cut the nursing staff, pay & benefits so administrators can have more money in THEIR pockets. NURSING EATS ITS YOUNG. If nurses worked together, rather than compete with or against one another, things might be different. Check out Nursing Revolution magazine: http://www.revolutionmag.com

Good luck! Just remember that any nurse out there who REALLY knows what they're doing doesn't have to knock someone else to feel good about themselves.

Originally posted by Burden of Proof

Nursing is VERY TOUGH to get used to. If you put the same amount of work into almost any other profession, you'd probably have decent hours, decent pay, self respect, the respect of others, fair and equal treatment by your employer and peers, holidays off, decent benefits, and a feeling of accomplishment.

Hospitals have taken most, if not all, of those things away - organizations like the Hunter Group show hospitals just how much they can cut the nursing staff, pay & benefits so administrators can have more money in THEIR pockets. NURSING EAT ITS YOUNG. If nurses worked together, rather than compete with or against one another, things might be different. Check out Nursing Revolution magazine: http://www.revolutionmag.com

Good luck! Just remember that any nurse out there who REALLY knows what they're doing doesn't have to knock someone else to feel good about themselves.

Hey, hang in there!!!!! Any and all of you!!!!! You are needed!!!!! couldn't have said it better than what I quoted!!!!!!!

just old micro!!!!!!!:p :p :p

Specializes in Obstetrics, perioperative, Infection Con.

Good luck with your new job. I know how confusing things can be. Although I have been an RN for many years, I have changed specialty areas several times and always found it a very confusing time. You know you have the knowledge, but it seems like the brain is in overload and nothing comes out the way you intended.

I was glad to read you are now in a smaller hospital. This will give you a chance to get to know the people, the building and the routines quickly, which I think will help you to relax. After that I am sure you will do just fine. You must be a caring person, that's why you chose nursing in the beginning. All the best for the year 2002!!!!!!

Congratulations on your new job. Good luck I hope this one works for you.

I am still not happy at my second place. I will be off orientation the first week of February. The charting system is very unclear, unsafe, and suitable for med errors due to the inconsistet way of transferring orders, signing off meds, d/c and changing orders. IT IS A CAOUS especially for a new inexperienced nurse like me. I lose count of how many different "preceptors" I have gotten since I started orientation. nothing to do w/ what I was "promised" during my job interview. There is not one nurse that I admire for being experienced, conscientious, and professional. (I admired so many nurses at the place I worked at as a tech for a year when I was in nursing school. I made a huge mistake not going there after graduation and I am learning and paying for my mistake the hard way. Some of the preceptors I have had have just left alone throughout the day. They get 6 patients, I get four out of those 6 and they just have a nice day. Once in a while asked me if I charted or wrote nurse's notes jet. When I go to them to ask them to go with me while I do something and make sure I do it right, they show me how bothered they are by me and make a comment like "you never did this before? You have 4 pts now and don't know this?" "Ha! Let's go!" They do the procedure themselves without telling me what they are doing and when I say "can I do it? Or "wait, what are you doing there? They either ignore me or answer yes or not. Another preceptor I had was very sweet and supervised me as much as she could but a lot of times she did not know what to do either and we went asking others getting different answers or an "I don't know". There is one lady who is supposed to be my regular preceptor but she takes a lot of time off, changes schedule at the last minute or they cancel her b/c the day she is supposed to be w/ me would be overtime for her. She is going on two week vacation next week and I have no idea who is going to be with me. Two days ago it was the worst. My patients were very sick and time consuming and my preceptor was just wondering around. I did my best by running around, having 5 or 7 minutes of lunch eating as fast as possible, asking the "preceptor who had a nasty answer or attitude, asking others and using my little knowledge and common sense while praying to God for guidance and safety. I went home proud of myself for not neglecting my patients (or..I think i didn't) :confused: This particular unit has a tremendous turn over. The nursing stuff is composed of several travelers, new grads, nurses from other units being pulled in for the day, or nurses with a year or two of experience who went through what I am going through now. There was one traveler nurse who was always nagging about the lack of organization and unsafe nursing at this unit. She broke her contract after two weeks and left.

have a great healthy and successful new year. monica

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