New nurse feeling inadequate

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Sep 30, 2016

I dread coming into work and I am always anxious and nervous to see which patients I have been assigned for the shift.

What is the basis of your anxiety? I was also a new grad in a Level IV NICU. It was stressful to think that I am the one responsible for these babies throughout my shift. What got me through that period of low self-confidence was the knowledge that the charge nurses would not assign me patients that I couldn't handle and that if I had a concern about one of my patients, there were several coworkers around me to ask for help. I still ask for my coworkers' opinions after 1 1/2 yrs (less frequently as time goes on) and I have had coworkers with far more experience ask for my opinion.

You need to address the issues you have with your charge nurse. Maybe having you assigned near an experienced nurse that will be your resource person which will make you more comfortable knowing that you have someone to go to when you have questions.

NewbieNurse3 · Sep 30, 2016

I guess my anxiety comes from not knowing what's going to happen next or what assignment I might get when I come in. I know there are always people around to help and I feel very well supported by other nurses. It is good to know that I am not alone feeling the stress as a new nurse. I will talk to my charge nurse and express my concerns. Thank you, your reply has helped! I appreciate it!

nutella, MSN, RN · Sep 30, 2016

I guess my anxiety comes from not knowing what's going to happen next or what assignment I might get when I come in. I know there are always people around to help and I feel very well supported by other nurses. It is good to know that I am not alone feeling the stress as a new nurse. I will talk to my charge nurse and express my concerns. Thank you, your reply has helped! I appreciate it!

To be honest - that sounds like pretty much garden variety anxiety of a new nurse! It is normal imo to feel that way given that you are still learning, adjusting, new...

As you got more experiences, you will also learn to live with that kind of uncertainty and will learn how to deal with most things that can occur.

You need to find ways to cope with it so it does not drive you crazy. I think talking to the charge nurse is a good idea but if you generally find that your coworkers are supportive and will jump in to help you in emergencies and such you are probably just fine.

It is really common to experience anxiety and worries with a new job and as a new nurse, being uncomfortable is part of life but unfortunately, sometimes there is the impression that anxiety to a certain degree is not normal - which denies the fact that we all deal with anxiety to some degree but need to deal with it.

AtLeastMyDogLovesMe · Sep 30, 2016

To be honest - that sounds like pretty much garden variety anxiety of a new nurse! It is normal imo to feel that way given that you are still learning, adjusting, new...
As you got more experiences, you will also learn to live with that kind of uncertainty and will learn how to deal with most things that can occur.
You need to find ways to cope with it so it does not drive you crazy. I think talking to the charge nurse is a good idea but if you generally find that your coworkers are supportive and will jump in to help you in emergencies and such you are probably just fine.
It is really common to experience anxiety and worries with a new job and as a new nurse, being uncomfortable is part of life but unfortunately, sometimes there is the impression that anxiety to a certain degree is not normal - which denies the fact that we all deal with anxiety to some degree but need to deal with it.

Completely agree. Being a new nurse is already hard enough much less being on an high acuity, advanced level unit. What you are feeling is normal and it probably takes about a year to completely get over the jitters and be confident in what you're doing. I don't think you've done the job long enough to formulate an honest opinion of it.

One piece of advice shared with me was, every time you hear something that you aren't familiar with, write it down and look it up. Do that about once a week. Three more months from now you'll start to wonder why you were ever so nervous :)

dawniepoo · Sep 30, 2016

I guess my anxiety comes from not knowing what's going to happen next or what assignment I might get when I come in. I know there are always people around to help and I feel very well supported by other nurses. It is good to know that I am not alone feeling the stress as a new nurse. I will talk to my charge nurse and express my concerns. Thank you, your reply has helped! I appreciate it!

You are feeling what I was feeling when I first started. You will notice that the anxiety will abate as you learn more. It sounds like you have plenty of support, so that is great. Hang in there and stick it out as long as you can. Do not even think about quitting after only a few months.

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Sep 30, 2016

It is good to know that I am not alone feeling the stress as a new nurse.

There are thousands and thousands of new grad nurses that are feeling exactly how you feel and possibly worse if they don't have supportive coworkers.

Being a new nurse is like when you first learned how to ride a bike. Your parents took your training wheels and gave you a push. You were wobbly and scared, but your parent was over your shoulder in case you needed help. After a little practice you were flying down the street. It is the same thing with nursing. It is scary at first, but your coworkers are there to help you when you need it.

The most important advice I can give you is to embrace the fear and anxiety and continue to push your comfort zone. Believe me that it gets better. I was unaware of how far I had progressed until I was working next to someone that came off orientation the previous week and I realized that she was me 1 1/2 yrs ago and my role was now the resource person just like my more experienced coworkers were mine when I started. Put off the idea of a transfer for 9 months and reevaluate your feelings after a year and see how you feel. If your problem is pure anxiety and not the unit then transferring will not help since you will be starting all over again in a strange unit and the anxiety you have now will follow you to the new unit.

Welcome to Allnurses. There are many members that are here to help. As time goes on and you get experience, you can pay it forward to the nursing students and new grads that follow behind you.

Faelyn · Oct 5, 2016

You are definitely not alone... you could've taken the words right out of my mouth because I feel the same exact way... told myself the same exact thing that I wanted out after a year doing bedside. I've been on my own going on 3 months now and half the time I have anxiety thinking about what might happen next. I have days where I just think about doing other jobs like public health or insurance jobs.. I don't feel confident in doing straight caths/foleys or successfully doing IVs... then I realized there are nurses who ask for help even if theyve been working for awhile... I guess it does start to get better after a year or so and I'm hoping and praying that things will turn out for the both of us as time goes on....

Guttercat, ASN, RN · Oct 5, 2016

I'm an old nurse and still feel inadequate on some level every day. The good news is that eventually you will feel adequate in your inadequacies. Meaning you will know yourself, your limits, your strengths and weaknesses, and slide into that zone where it all makes sense to you.

Give it about ten years. :)