How was your first few weeks working as a nurse?

michelle95 · Sep 1, 2004

how did you guys feel for few weeks? Were you overwhlemed by all the work you have to do?

Overwhelmed like you. So much so, in fact, that I left the nursing home and went to the hospital. Now I am ok in a nursing home. But, passing pills to 30 folks on 3-11 and 60 on 11-7 was a little intimidating for me at first.

Or did you find is easy to adapt to it?

It got easier.

Did you guys knew what you are doing or you didnt know a lot of things in the beginning?

Let me put it this way...another nurse told me (when I was new) that you will not start to feel really competent until you've been a nurse for about 5 years. In nursing school...you learn the basics, in the real world...you learn so much more.

How do you guys deal with it if you didn't know how things are done?

Ask, ask, ask. I know that my RN preceptor got so tired of all the questions but, I kept asking. That's how you learn. Just pick the right person to ask. Someone that is knowledgable and really cares about their job.

Hope this helps some. I know it is overwhelming, but, you'll be ok. I think it shows the trait of being a good nurse. If you didn't care or thought you knew everything...that's something to be worried about.

Good luck.

NursesRmofun, ASN, RN · Sep 1, 2004

hi all!!!
i was just wondering, after you passed your boards and started working as a nurse, how did you guys feel for few weeks? were you overwhlemed by all the work you have to do? or did you find is easy to adapt to it? did you guys knew what you are doing or you didnt know a lot of things in the beginning? how do you guys deal with it if you didn't know how things are done?

i felt overwhelmed for months. i finally felt fairly confident after a year. it isn't easy. it's a learning process.

ann5366 · Sep 3, 2004

i am new to nursing and it was completely overwhelming, in nursing school they don't teach you about the real world, it's the book world, when you go out there there is paperwork galore, large patient ratios, dealing with issues the family may have, attitudes from some co-workers and skills you have'nt obtained yet. I've been working on a skilled unit in a nursing home for 3 months and carry 30 patients and I definately feel overwhelmed at times, I'm thinking of leaving for home health or psych nursing, although seniors are who I really wanted to work with, but pushing pills all night and not having time to actually nurse, bothers me

michelle95 · Sep 3, 2004

I've been working on a skilled unit in a nursing home for 3 months and carry 30 patients

Skilled nursing shouldn't have you more than about 15 on 11-7. That's just crazy. I worked SNF in the hospital and our staffing wasn't the same as long term care. SNF in a nursing home shouldn't be that way, either.

I started a job on a subacute once and they had me take care of 20 patients. I worked my shift out and called the next day to quit. I told them that 20 patients was too much on 3-11 and that is unsafe. The other nurses told me that on a good night they get out of there about 1 am. No way, not me. :rolleyes: