Reality shock experience

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello! I'm a nursing student in my last semester. I have a leadership class project about reality shock. I was wondering if any of the nurses here could please share their experiences as a new grad. Did you experience any reality shock? How did you deal with it? Were you able to adapt?

Thank you so much in advance for your responses.

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Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.

I think there's a thread about a project just like this already.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I didn't have a reality shock. For me it was just new and exciting. I was nearly manic for months after graduating and starting work.

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I had reality shock my first day as a LPN many yrs ago. I had worked at the hospital as an aid for 4 weeks before getting my license, and proudly went to the nursing office to give them a copy of it. Then I took the elevator up to my med surg floor, confident and dreaming of how my first day was going to go. Was I ever wrong!

I get to the floor, tell them I am now a LPN and charge nurse says great! But now you have to float because the ICU is short and I WAS SENT TO ICU TO WORK FOR THE DAY! I tried to refuse but was firmly told that now I was an LPN I had to work as an LPN, which included floating! Orientation? Oh we will start your three day orientation tomorrow. So off to ICU I went.

I got 2 pt's, one of which has CHF that got worse, and a pt. they were "force feeding" (remember those days all you old timers?) because she refused to eat at the nursing home. She was groaning as if in pain and uncomfortable, and in soft restraints.When I checked for residual before her first feeding from the NG tube, she had over 500 ccs residual! She had a bowel obstruction!!!! Off to surgery she went! My other pt urine output began to slow, but I didn't catch that her CHF was quickly worsening....to top it off I told the RN assigned to oversee me I was brand new and an LPN 1, which meant I couldn't pass meds for 90 days. She missed the "couldn't pass meds for 90 days" part and my pts missed all their meds until almost the end of the shift! Missed Lasix = Worsening CHF! Great day in ICU!!! I was the LONGEST shift in my life. But I held it together til I got home then cried...

But I did go on to get my RN! But there was no reality shock with that one.

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I didn't have reality shock as I was working as a "collegiate aide" at the hospital while going to school. I was a floater, meaning I reported to work and they put me on any floor except the ICU/CCU and OR areas. I had a full patient assignment (5-6), did all their care, including sterile dressings, folelys, etc..everything the nurse did, except medications since I did not have the RN license at that time. I really feel this helped greatly. I even had to get them ready for the OR, take off the orders, write the care plans, give reports etc..

For those doing school clinical, try not to shy away from those patients with the many tubes, worse dressings, needing lots of meds. Take the challenge..you will learn alot.

I've noticed far too many nursing students today (at least where I am) are not getting a good clinical orientation. They are given easy assignments with no challenge to learn anything instead of working with their instructor (who unfortunately, can't be present with all of the students.) Some of these nurses are graduating school without ever giving an IM injection or placing a foley cath. They are given 1 patient to care for....ASK for 2 patients!

(Again, I've just seen this happening when students are in my department. I help them as much as I can. As the charge, I ask the floor nurses if anything is to be done for their patients, like IM injections, dressings, etc...to let the students who want to....do it, with supervision and permission of the instructor.)

Those that don't have good, challenging, clinicals- graduate and are expected to take 5 patients, doing all their care, etc...instant reality shock!

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I just talked to my friend yesterday who is in nursing school. She works as an aide at a hospital, but she has 2 classmates in clinicals with her who are in for a huge reality shock. Apparently, they avoid giving baths and helping toilet patients while they're in clinicals because they think that that "won't be our jobs as nurses." Really scary for them because I think they will be in for a world of hurt.

I worked as an aide and unit secretary for about 5 years at a busy teaching hospital before I got my RN, so the hospital environment as a whole and having to see and care for naked strangers were not a shock to my system. However, the stress of being responsible for EVERYTHING and everyone else's job were a shock to my system.

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I just talked to my friend yesterday who is in nursing school. She works as an aide at a hospital, but she has 2 classmates in clinicals with her who are in for a huge reality shock. Apparently, they avoid giving baths and helping toilet patients while they're in clinicals

Tinderbox, I see this way to often with some new grads. It really is reality shock to them especially when they enter into a specialty unit right away where CNA's are not allowed to work; such as a CCU, PACU, for example. I worked CCU and ED for many years and never had aides. We did it all. Of course when I graduated, you also weren't hired into the specialty units right away. Had to have at least 1-2 years Med-surg. 1st.

Of course even back then, some nurses came out of school with the idea that they would never have to touch a bedpan. Don't know if that mindset comes from their ideal of nursing or what is being taught in the school. Bed baths, making beds, and toileting is and always will/should be nursing 101.

All you New grads, I am in no way putting you down; in fact I love working with new grads as I love teaching, and they love learning. :)

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