Gray areas

This is why you can never know everything as a nurse. No two patients are exactly alike. Sometimes you will see a classic presentation. Most of the time you will have to learn to individualize care.

Your charge nurse should be your best resource for your questions if you have no mentor to guide you. If neither are available, choose the nurse whose work you respect the most to ask the question.

P&P can help. Ask charge nurse if you can keep same pt. or similar types of pt. for a while til you feel comfortable with all the range of things with one type of dx. or care.

You will get differing opinions from different nurses. They come from many different places. Some have years of experience, others a variety of experiences in different places. All have worked with MDs that have specific routines that many nurses have incorporated into their practice, sometimes without even knowing it.

Don't get discouraged. In another year you will be at a different part of your learning curve and can assist the next group coming in, if you remember your current trials.

Best wishes for a long and happy career.

I totally understand how you feel, but hang in there! It is so hard to adjust from nursing school, where there is a right answer and a wrong answer (on the test at least!) to the real world, where everyone has their own opinion. I get told often during orientation, "you just have to use your clinical judgment". That's frustrating at times, b/c I feel like, I've only been at this nursing thing for 2 months now...WHAT clinical judgment?! Sure, I learned all the complications to look out for in school, and I was told what was abnormal. But, I think until you've actually SEEN these things in real life, it's hard to fully grasp it. And, until you've made a lot of good decisions, it's hard to have confidence in yourself.

I'll be off orientation in another few weeks. At first I was really scared about it, b/c I felt like I still have so much to learn, and I would never be able to learn it ALL and feel perfectly confident by the time orientation ends. Then I had a sort of 'zen moment' where I realized it's going to be a loooooong time before I know "everything" (do any of us EVER really get there?), and if I can just be comfortable with my unit's basic protocols, my charting requirements, and my time management, I'll make it....as long as I'm not shy about asking questions of the more experienced nurses, or having someone doublecheck something for me. I really think the key to lessening the stress of being a new nurse is finding a way to let go of the idea that you have to know everything about everything, RIGHT NOW.

Don't be afraid to ask questions to people with more experience. I have found that nobody will say no, especially if you are completely honest. I hit month five today and I have to say that the older RN's and NP's at my hospital have been invaluable.