new nurse feeling low

sharann, BSN, RN · Oct 16, 2001

Hey, it will get better. The first year is the pits. If you cry every night then maybe you are not getting the support you need at work. Do you have a mentor or expirienced nurse you can confide in? Sometimes just talking it out can show us that we are doing fine if we do our best. We are expected to do so much nowadays with all the paperwork and terrible staffing. You are most likely doing fine, just by the fact that you are questioning your competency. Ask for feedback and go easy on yourself. We ar all our own harshest critics.

I hope there are others out there who can share a few words of encouragement here!

Hang in there.

Totone656 · Oct 17, 2001

Shavsha, after the first week of team nursing on 11-7 and being a new nurse like yourself I finally broke down and cried.

My preceptor makes me feel so useless. She gave me 5 patients Monday night. I hung IV fluids and PB on a patient, I double checked to make sure I had correct rates and the petcock open on the PB. I left the room and she came behind me to double check to make sure it was correct. I thought nothing about it. We went back in about the time the fluids should have run through and low and behold only 1/2 had run. I double checked the rates and the line. She reaches up and ever so slightly opens the petcock. She turns and says, you have to open these all the way up. I said nothing since I was so shocked. Talk about feeling blind sided. She had the MA report to her alone. When I needed vitals for my patients I had to hunt up the MA's findings. This was one of many things she did and for 2 cents I am ready to call it quits.

I am trying very hard not to let this woman get to the best of me, but I just don't know what to do. A few of the nurses have told me to go to my manager. I honestly don't know what to do. I ask her a question she looks at me and either sighs or rolls her eyes. So I am to the point I just try very hard not to ask her anything. I told my husband I would hold on for another 2 weeks, but I honestly do not know if I can.