Giving Up On Nrsg Seems Easier...

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Jul 17, 2005

Lisa, all I can say is hang in there hun. I am sure it is exhausting for especially since you are new to this particular situation. I think that you must learn how to diconnect from work once you get home so that you can enjoy your personal time and life. I am sure it is very difficult but with the personal experience advice from the others, you might learn how and give it another shot. Best of luck to you. :icon_hug:

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Jul 17, 2005

Take a deep breath

Nursing school doesn't teach you how to be a nurse. Nursing school arms you with the tools to learn.

Nursing school is about assessments and basic knowledge of pharm and pathophys, etc.

Nursing is about time management and critical thinking skills (prioritizing correctly) and all kinds of technical skills that school teaches you the basics but not the perfection.

The more you work, the better you will be. Nursing is about experience.

As time goes on, you will remember to bring the extra things with you that prevent unnecessary trips. You will remember drugs you've given a hundred times and therefore won't have to look them up every time you give them anymore. IVs/Foleys, etc. time will be measured in minutes and not blocks of quarter hours. You will learn to prioritize so that, even if Ms. Jones didn't get her water, pillow fluffed, etc, every time she called, Mr. Smith got his morphine and you got to hold somebody's hand when that was the best medicine. You will learn how to collate and give an effective report that doesn't leave out gaps in what you did. You will learn to chart effectively but efficiently.

These things come with time. BUT THEY WILL COME.

And you will not feel like you are a 'real nurse' until somewhere a year or two in? Why not? Because until you get that experience, you are still a student. But one day, you will look up and think: Wow! I'm a different person. I'm a NURSE.

So, how do you act as a student that happens to have RN after your name (or LVN/LPN as the case may be)? You suck up knowledge and experience.

You ask good questions: questions that seek knowledge instead of questions that show off how smart you are.

You do the important things first and well and let what you can't get to go.

You spend a few minutes after each shift reviewing each patient, and satisfy yourself that you left your patients at least as well off as when you started. If so, great, If not, address it in report before you leave.

THEN, you let it go. You will drive yourself crazy if you let work invade your down time.

Keep the faith. Every nurse before you felt the same way.

Your instructors would have weeded you out if you weren't capable of this.

YOU ARE CAPABLE OF THIS.

So keep the faith - AND LEARN.

You are still a student. You will always be a student. And initials after your name or not, you are still not a full-fledged nurse. But you will be. With experience. Just don't beat yourself up until then: do what you can, and do it the best you can.

And breathe.

~faith,

Timothy.

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Jul 17, 2005

Awesome post, Timothy! :yeah:

jnette, ASN, EMT-I · Jul 17, 2005

Awesome post, Timothy!

Wow, do I ever DITTO that !!! Good job, Timothy.. no.. EXCELLENT job !

And Lisa.. "giving up" is ALWAYS easy. Is that what you want? The EASY way in life? Is there anything rewarding in having quit? How would that make you feel about yourself?

I thought so.

OK... you're FINE. You're right where you're supposed to be, and if you didn't "worry"... we WOULD ! Just don't DWELL.. and start giving yourself some CREDIT for those things well done, ok? Pat yourself on the back now and then.. regularly, actually. It will spur you on.

Enough said.. Timothy said it all.

Keep posting, venting, whatever you need.. we're here for ya ! You're FINE. :)

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 17, 2005

Oh my, how many of us DID NOT want to quit those first few months? I got my dream job of OB and almost walked out and away from nursing in my first months.

Face it, it's hard when you are the "new kid", anyplace. Nursing is very stressful for the experienced pro, but when you are new, it's particularly and painfully so.

I would like you to give yourself more time----and give nursing more time, before you toss in the towel. You are too valuable to us! We need you------nursing needs you. Give yourself more time, and be easy on yourself. No one expected you to know it all when you hit the floor after school. Never be afraid to ask for help, ask lots of questions. And please, do NOT berate yourself when you make a mistake or stress out. Even the BEST and BRIGHTEST nurses went through what you are now. It will pass-----and you will prevail, but NOT IF YOU GIVE UP!

Hang in there friend. And keep venting. It's good for ya.

isabing, ASN · Jul 17, 2005

Take a deep breath
Nursing school doesn't teach you how to be a nurse. Nursing school arms you with the tools to learn.
Nursing school is about assessments and basic knowledge of pharm and pathophys, etc.
Nursing is about time management and critical thinking skills (prioritizing correctly) and all kinds of technical skills that school teaches you the basics but not the perfection.
The more you work, the better you will be. Nursing is about experience.
As time goes on, you will remember to bring the extra things with you that prevent unnecessary trips. You will remember drugs you've given a hundred times and therefore won't have to look them up every time you give them anymore. IVs/Foleys, etc. time will be measured in minutes and not blocks of quarter hours. You will learn to prioritize so that, even if Ms. Jones didn't get her water, pillow fluffed, etc, every time she called, Mr. Smith got his morphine and you got to hold somebody's hand when that was the best medicine. You will learn how to collate and give an effective report that doesn't leave out gaps in what you did. You will learn to chart effectively but efficiently.
These things come with time. BUT THEY WILL COME.
And you will not feel like you are a 'real nurse' until somewhere a year or two in? Why not? Because until you get that experience, you are still a student. But one day, you will look up and think: Wow! I'm a different person. I'm a NURSE.
So, how do you act as a student that happens to have RN after your name (or LVN/LPN as the case may be)? You suck up knowledge and experience.
You ask good questions: questions that seek knowledge instead of questions that show off how smart you are.
You do the important things first and well and let what you can't get to go.
You spend a few minutes after each shift reviewing each patient, and satisfy yourself that you left your patients at least as well off as when you started. If so, great, If not, address it in report before you leave.
THEN, you let it go. You will drive yourself crazy if you let work invade your down time.
Keep the faith. Every nurse before you felt the same way.
Your instructors would have weeded you out if you weren't capable of this.
YOU ARE CAPABLE OF THIS.
So keep the faith - AND LEARN.
You are still a student. You will always be a student. And initials after your name or not, you are still not a full-fledged nurse. But you will be. With experience. Just don't beat yourself up until then: do what you can, and do it the best you can.
And breathe.
~faith,
Timothy.

Timothy,

This is wonderful advice! I am saving this post for the stressful days ahead. I will be starting nursing school in the Fall and I am already having days where I doubt my abilities. I guess it comes with the territory. Thanks for the kind words and encouragement you've given to all of us "newbies"!

Lisa

psalm, RN · Jul 17, 2005

...as you give yourself time to get used to it, you will see progress in your work, your assessments going smoothly and second-nature; your confidence will grow. But the first few weeks for many of us is what you are experiencing. I cried everyday, worried I forgot something or missed a s/s that was critical to the pt. well being. Get your rest and make sure you are eating well. Destress in a healthy way. AND visit this site, there is so much knowledge and compassion here. Some books: Training wheels for nurses" and "your first year as a nurse"get 'em from your library (interloan if you have to). God bless.

nursemike, ASN, RN · Jul 18, 2005

Nice post, Timothy.

My Nurse Manager gave me some wonderful advice, this morning after a long night: don't evaluate yourself every day.

Learn all you can, and learn from your mistakes, but give yourself six months before you really look at yourself and where you are. If you see things you need to work on, do, but then look at yourself again in another six months.

I think it makes good sense. Of course, I'll probably still evaluate myself after every shift.

What I do try to do is focus as much as possible on what went right. Even when I screw up, I'm learning, and learning is my main job, right now. Plus, I try real hard to pause and notice how much fun I'm having. Practicing new skills really is fun. It's awfully swell of these nice folks to get sick or wreck motorcycles or whatever so I can place a foley for real or suction a trach. So much cooler than skills lab! Plus, every now and then, you get to help somebody.

ceecel.dee, MSN, RN · Jul 18, 2005

Most of probably didn't sleep well in those first, really intense learning months. I can remember my first code like it was yesterday! I remember thinking "what am I doing here?" Know that your coworkers were new once too, and don't expect you to know how things go right away. They expect you to be soaking up the environment, and eventually, it will come together.

Give it some more time, and good luck!