your hired!..yay!! now i think i'm gonna puke

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i am a dec 09 grad and finally found a job!! why do i feel nauseated and terrified?? the job is in a CCU in a teaching hospital, and the manager seems amazing, but i wasn't planning on CCU and i am soooo scared!! i'm scared of killing people, scared of being all thumbs, fumbling around with all those lines, scared of people thinking i'm a clumsy, mentally deficient dimwit...

am i insane?? :uhoh3:

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i am a dec 09 grad and finally found a job!! why do i feel nauseated and terrified?? the job is in a CCU in a teaching hospital, and the manager seems amazing, but i wasn't planning on CCU and i am soooo scared!! i'm scared of killing people, scared of being all thumbs, fumbling around with all those lines, scared of people thinking i'm a clumsy, mentally deficient dimwit...

am i insane?? :uhoh3:

Hi..

WOW!! Im in the same boat as you, im too graduated on dec 09, got a job in a ICU floor in a teaching hospital i will start on tuesday may 18. I'm so scared too. I almost beg for this job and got it, now i just dont stop reading the history of nurses on icu and all the risks. And yes We're insane, not experience at all with lives of peoples on our hands, this going to be an interesting ride.:nuke:

When do you begin? Maybe we can share the diferents experiences.

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well germensano, we are indeed in for a heck of a ride...i'm glad you start first so you can give me advance warning, like RUUUUUUNNN!!!

right now i am going to try and focus on the finale of LOST... ;)

good luck on your first day, and please report back!

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Specializes in Critical care nursing,dialysis.

Have been an ICU nurse for about 7 years now. The 1st time i went to work there was literally terrified. I thought this was the wrong job for me. Worked in a 24 bed combined ICU with all the cases neuro, card,surg everything! But pray and hope you get a patience preceptor you will get used to it. If for some reason you do not go along with your preceptor ask your manager to give you another preceptor some of them can be mean and mind its a new environment for you so somebody needs to be patience.

We all learn at different pace. Some are fast others are slow. Always have a small note book with you to jote a few important reminders. But do not feel threatened or scared to ask any questions however stupid it can be. You will love working in critical care after sometime, it might be challenging intially but you guys will get there. All the best in your new positions, and welcome to Critical care.

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Thanks Wakaro for the encouragment. I just have a nightmare last night about my first day, i dreamed that i was early but i forgot my uniform, then i put a patient gown and arrive to the Nicu-picu screaming about that it was a mistake and i just want to work with adults. Man, that was so realistic:crying2:

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Specializes in CICU, radiology, psych.

All it means is your normal. Almost everyone of the really good nurses I work with recount having had these same kinds of feelings.

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I started as a new grad in a CVICU almost two years ago now. I was absolutely terrified! But I hope you will find what I did, and that's a fantastic support system. The learning curve going into ICU is tremendous, but you will be okay. Know who you can go to for questions, glean as much information as you can from your preceptor, and work on putting it all together. The tunnel vision we are all guilty of as resident RNs will fade with time and experience. I by no means consider myself a highly experienced ICU RN. Believe me, I ask for help as soon as I get a feeling that things aren't going as they should. I recently started taking IABP pt's, and this has allowed me to reflect on how far I have come in a relatively short period.

You guys are going to do great. Just remember, no matter where you find yourself as a new grad, none of it is like nursing school. The real world is much different! Take the criticism and use it positively, be open minded and motivated to grow. It's going to be hard, the first year was challenging, but you'll be amazed at the person you can become. Then, you'll get comfortable, and they'll gently shove you to the next level, and the anxiety will return. But it will fade quickly as your knowledge base grows and so does your confidence.

Good luck and keep us updated! Great choice in career path!

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Hi, thanks 1smartrn for the reply.

Well i started the orientation on tuesday.(Lots of paper to sign:yawn:). On thursday i went to my area, to meet my partners and this was very caotic, everybody was very very very busy, I was in the middle like :eek:. The head nurse told me that i will star on may 31 on the floor. Tomorrow my orientation continues.

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I will never forget the first day on my unit! I had been there maybe an hour and we had a code blue. It was a fresh open heart surgery pt, and she was very young (early twenties). She'd had a severe reaction to the protamine that was given to her, and they ended up taking her back down to the OR after 30 minutes of coding her. I will forever remember watching them whisk her towards the elevator, one of my coworkers stradled over her on the bed doing compressions. About 30 minutes after that, we had another code. As a new grad, this was overwhelming! I began to contemplate my choice and if I would ever know enough to not only act appropriately in these situations, but how to prevent them when possible. You will get there, and when you're there, you'll be shocked and amazed at yourself!

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congrats on your new position.....being terrified is completely normal, and to me it indicates that you realize the seriousness of your new job....just breathe, baby....:redbeathe

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thanks for all of the encouragement!! Germensano, hope things are goin' great for ya!

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Any updates on how the job is going?=)

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