How can I stop being so hard on myself as a new RN?

[christvs, DNP, RN, NP]

Hi everyone. I'm a new RN & have been on orientation for 2 weeks now on a med/surg/tele floor. I like the unit I'm on & the patients & all the staff I work with. I am up to taking care of 2 patients pretty much on my own now, & whenever I have to do something new I've never done before I find my preceptor & get help with it. So I have 2 problems here. One is because it's summer a lot of the RNs are on vacation-so in my 9 days of orientation so far I've had 6 different preceptors. I know it's a good idea to see how different nurses do things, but come on! 6 of them?! It's very hard to work with the same one all the time-plus there are 3 of us new RNs on the floor full time, so they have to double up with us sometimes too. That means our preceptors are often so busy with their own patients, or with another new RN, that it gets frustrating sometimes to get time with my preceptor. All of them have been very helpful when they do have time however. I guess I end up feeling bad that I can't address my patients' concerns right away when I'm waiting around for a free moment with my preceptor-I feel like i'm right back at school. Then I get upset with myself for not knowing things-I know I'm new, but I get so frustrated at moving slowly & not knowing everything that more experienced nurses know. I know I'm a perfectionist-I wish I weren't one! :) So that's my second problem-I'm too hard on myself for not knowing things. I always ask when I don't know something, but still...I feel I have most basic things down pretty well, like I'm good at doing physical assessments, i've done admission & discharges, I'm good with meds, even SC ones & IV pushes, I just gave my first enema & put in my first Foley this week, learned how to draw blood from a PICC line, learned how to hook up tube feeding to the pump & check for tube placement & residual. So I'm learning a lot, but then why am I still so frustrated with myself? I guess I'm seeing all the other nurses around me who have many more patients to themselves, and they all seem to know just what to ask of the physicians, I can't wait to get to that point. I even feel like I get nervous talking to case managers, & others cuz I feel so unsure of things sometimes. I'm trying to see the overall picture with my patients, but end up feeling stupid that I don't know more. Thanks for listening! :)

-Christine

[Mazieks]

Hi everyone. I'm a new RN & have been on orientation for 2 weeks now on a med/surg/tele floor. I like the unit I'm on & the patients & all the staff I work with. I am up to taking care of 2 patients pretty much on my own now, & whenever I have to do something new I've never done before I find my preceptor & get help with it. So I have 2 problems here. One is because it's summer a lot of the RNs are on vacation-so in my 9 days of orientation so far I've had 6 different preceptors. I know it's a good idea to see how different nurses do things, but come on! 6 of them?! It's very hard to work with the same one all the time-plus there are 3 of us new RNs on the floor full time, so they have to double up with us sometimes too. That means our preceptors are often so busy with their own patients, or with another new RN, that it gets frustrating sometimes to get time with my preceptor. All of them have been very helpful when they do have time however. I guess I end up feeling bad that I can't address my patients' concerns right away when I'm waiting around for a free moment with my preceptor-I feel like i'm right back at school. Then I get upset with myself for not knowing things-I know I'm new, but I get so frustrated at moving slowly & not knowing everything that more experienced nurses know. I know I'm a perfectionist-I wish I weren't one! :) So that's my second problem-I'm too hard on myself for not knowing things. I always ask when I don't know something, but still...I feel I have most basic things down pretty well, like I'm good at doing physical assessments, i've done admission & discharges, I'm good with meds, even SC ones & IV pushes, I just gave my first enema & put in my first Foley this week, learned how to draw blood from a PICC line, learned how to hook up tube feeding to the pump & check for tube placement & residual. So I'm learning a lot, but then why am I still so frustrated with myself? I guess I'm seeing all the other nurses around me who have many more patients to themselves, and they all seem to know just what to ask of the physicians, I can't wait to get to that point. I even feel like I get nervous talking to case managers, & others cuz I feel so unsure of things sometimes. I'm trying to see the overall picture with my patients, but end up feeling stupid that I don't know more. Thanks for listening! :)

-Christine

Takes time....that is al it takes and patience. also patients lol Good Luck :balloons:

[AtlantaRN, RN]

after 9 years, it's second nature, you'll getthere,just be patient with yourself!!!

[HappyNurse2005, RN]

Look at how much you've learned!

I'm good at doing physical assessments, i've done admission & discharges, I'm good with meds, even SC ones & IV pushes, I just gave my first enema & put in my first Foley this week, learned how to draw blood from a PICC line, learned how to hook up tube feeding to the pump & check for tube placement & residual.

another quote from you

I guess I'm seeing all the other nurses around me who have many more patients to themselves, and they all seem to know just what to ask of the physicians, I can't wait to get to that point.

I feel like this too. I always get amazed at the people who know just what to ask the doc's. I'm like "how did you know to ask that???" We'll both learn that with time. When you see the same problems happening over and over again, you'll learn what to ask. Unfortuanately, that skill just comes with time, its not one that can be taught.

You've only been tehre for 9 shifts. You will get better, and you'll feel better about it. Maybe at the end of each shift, think of something you accomplished. Give yourself some confidence!

You are doing just fine!