Graduating in 2 wks - terrified!

RockinChick66 · Jul 31, 2011

You will be a good nurse but it takes failure at certain things to become successful and WE all learn from our mistakes. The key is to have a little more confidence and keep your chin up. School and real world are very different. You'll be fine!!! RRELAX !!!

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Jul 31, 2011

Being a terrified new grad means you're NORMAL !!! :) Fear is a protective mechanism :)

Art_Vandelay · Jul 31, 2011

What's the worse that could happen? You could get sued, go to prison, and worst of all, kill someone! No reason to get your scrubs in a bunch.

p.s. Anxiety is normal. I write everything down! I hope you live through it.

allnurses Guide · Jul 31, 2011

Also, new grads are PRECEPTED for a reason! Nobody expects you to hit the floor running with perfection, you have orientation & mentoring for quite a while yet.

snazzy-jazzy, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2011

Don't worry you're not alone. I feel like this in my Midwifery placement. I said to my instructor the other day that even if I wanted to work as a Midwife when I and if I graduate I'm not sure I'd have the skills. I was nearly crying to her on the phone, I told her after 4 years I am worried I won't make it due to this one semester. She told me I will graduate, and its better to feel like the way we do than to be over confident, she said that over confidence was more of a concern to her.

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Jul 31, 2011

Also, new grads are PRECEPTED for a reason! Nobody expects you to hit the floor running with perfection, you have orientation & mentoring for quite a while yet.

Do any other older nurses remember anybody precepting new nurses back in the day? (I think it's a great idea- a lot of things are different than 'back then').... Orientation was a couple of days of fire drills, paperwork, and finding out who had the keys to anything important. Then it was "well- good luck"... Didn't matter if you'd ever had more than 2 patients or not. If you worked at a nursing home, you got at least 30 on days and evenings.... :specs: :twocents: :cool:

going2BaNurse2014 · Jul 31, 2011

I'm terrified and I still have 3 years til graduation :chair:

Its not that I'm afraid of nursing, I am afraid of being out there on my own with my own patients, like not under someone else's watch ya know? Maybe being terrified keeps us in check. Especially in this industry, you can never know everything. I'm only a meager student still but definitely eager, hungry and terrified all at the same time. You aren't alone.

HeaFea · Jul 31, 2011

I graduated in 2010, and I know EXACTLY how you feel! I was a CNA in an ICU/CCU while in nursing school and as soon as I graduated, they hired me in the ICU as a new grad.... I have never been so terrified in my life. I had such anxiety those first few months, let me tell you. I nearly had panic attacks going into work, and leaving worked my adrenaline was going to bad I couldnt even sleep. And I did make a few mistakes, but I realized them and took the steps to fix them. Your only human, and every nurse will make mistakes. Just be glad they none of them were truly life threatening, and take comfort in the fact that you've learned from those mistakes!

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Jul 31, 2011

Your feelings are normal, fear and anxiety, but you want to try to control them so you aren't overwhelmed. Managing 6 patients is a lot! Doing that in clinicals wow! With that many patients no wonder little things can get missed. Guess what, it even happens to regular RN's. The next shift has to check if meds were missed as it happens on occasion.

Of course I don't know where you'll be working. I would try to find a job that only had 4-5 patients on the day shift at the most, though I know some hospitals have been known to give 7+ to save money. Research the hospitals and do your best to find one that has good low patient ratio's.

Are they magnet status? I'm not totally sold on the magnet thing, seems like another gimmick, but usually they have to ensure the staff has good education and training and some say in their working conditions. Shared governance think that goes hand in hand.

A union hospital would give you the most empowerment in my opinion, though that's not always an option depending on your state or city.

Also look for a hospital with medical response teams, that is a major breakthrough and most hospitals are providing them now. Do they have an iV team, or stat RN, admission-discharge RN to help. A lot of hospitals are offering nurse residency, preceptorship program to help smooth the new nurse jitters and get your first year off to a good start.

Relax, since you're already handling 6 patients in clinicals you should have an easier time of it when you actually work the floor.

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Jul 31, 2011

I'm terrified and I still have 3 years til graduation :chair:
Its not that I'm afraid of nursing, I am afraid of being out there on my own with my own patients, like not under someone else's watch ya know? Maybe being terrified keeps us in check. Especially in this industry, you can never know everything. I'm only a meager student still but definitely eager, hungry and terrified all at the same time. You aren't alone.

If you can get some experience in the hospital setting, even working as a CNA during the summer. But better yet getting an intern/externship would really help you overcome your fears and make for a smoother transition. There have been so many improvements to help new nurses since I graduated (residency programs, MRT team for ex).

No one expects you to know everything. You should feel free to ask questions/advice from your co-workers. I would rather a new nurse asks questions and proceed with caution then to be too overconfident and feel you know everything. Overconfidence can be dangerous!

Your coworkers should share their knowledge and experience when new and different situations come up because you can't begin to know everything, no one does, and there is a big difference between book work and real life. Use your resources, take advantage of internships and new residency programs and all the help there now is for new grads and you should be ok!

lookingabove313 · Jul 31, 2011

Thank you all for your support and encouraging words! It's a relief to know that there are others who have felt the same way and got through it! :-) I live in the Memphis area and all the nurses I've talked to have 6-8 patients. There's a real nursing shortage, but the funds are low and the hospitals can't afford to hire nurses. It's a vicious cycle. My love is L&D so I'm really praying I nail that interview in a couple of weeks! They only have 2 patients and I love OB. Anyway, thanks again - it's a new day!!