How did you overcome the "Imposter Syndrome"

ANPFNPGNP · Jul 20, 2008

Just curious. Just started my first NP job which I love in a hospital with a wonderful doctor. Unfortunately I keep having the "what in the world am I doing in this role" feeling....especially as I watch the RNs during their report and medication rounds. I sit there with my white lab coat over my street clothes and stethoscope around my neck feeling like an imposter with a tinge of sadness for my life as an RN...before the NP was behind my name. I remember hearing about this feeling in school as the "imposter syndrome".
Anyone else experience this and how long did it take you to overcome this feeling...
Was there anything you did to make this feeling go away? :stone

I can see where this would be really difficult to overcome in a hospital setting. I work in urgent and primary care. At both clinics, the patients are almost always aware that they are going to see a NP. I see a lot of workins at my primary care job, so the patients are just happy to see anybody! One day I overheard a patient at the urgent care clinic tell the receptionist that they wanted to see the doctor. She responded, "We have a NP here today, but not a physician." The patient asked if I could write prescriptions and had no problem seeing a midlevel after finding out I could do that!

JDCitizen · Jul 21, 2008

Just curious. Just started my first NP job which I love in a hospital with a wonderful doctor. Unfortunately I keep having the "what in the world am I doing in this role" feeling....especially as I watch the RNs during their report and medication rounds. I sit there with my white lab coat over my street clothes and stethoscope around my neck feeling like an imposter with a tinge of sadness for my life as an RN...before the NP was behind my name. I remember hearing about this feeling in school as the "imposter syndrome".
Anyone else experience this and how long did it take you to overcome this feeling...
Was there anything you did to make this feeling go away? :stone

Hmmm really not sure if you mean impostor or insecure....

At no time during my practice have I felt like an impostor (now insecure yep been there). I went to school for my BSN to become an RN than I went to school for my MSN to become an APRN (FNP). Never did I / never have I left my nursing degree or training behind me I have only advanced it. There are all flavors of nurses: ICU, OB, Med-Surg., ICU, ER, etc... There all kinds of specialty training / certifications that make those nurse better at what they do; still they are RNs. Does it make them better than any other nurse with any other degree or certification?

I will admit you have crossed over into territory that out of the school clinical context can be daunting. You are going to be held to a higher standard. There will be times when those nurses love you and there very well can be times they despise you. Sure we practice at a different level we have taken on the mantel of diagnosis and prescribing treatment not just rendering treatment. Part of that mantel is delegation (i.e giving orders).. Someone out there can probably put all this into better words....

Your new to what you are doing your confidence is/needs building.... You have gotten this far because you have graduated from your program, you have passed your boards and you have impressed someone enough with all those credentials to hire you. Take a look at your resume: Everything there was done / earned = your not an imposter..

Best wishes!

ANPFNPGNP · Jul 21, 2008

Just curious. Just started my first NP job which I love in a hospital with a wonderful doctor. Unfortunately I keep having the "what in the world am I doing in this role" feeling....especially as I watch the RNs during their report and medication rounds. I sit there with my white lab coat over my street clothes and stethoscope around my neck feeling like an imposter with a tinge of sadness for my life as an RN...before the NP was behind my name. I remember hearing about this feeling in school as the "imposter syndrome".
Anyone else experience this and how long did it take you to overcome this feeling...
Was there anything you did to make this feeling go away? :stone

I'm curious, are you an Acute Care NP?

mom and nurse · Jul 21, 2008

Thanks JDCitizen. I read this right before going to work and this made me feel better :wink2:

christvs, DNP, RN, NP · Jul 21, 2008

Thanks JDCitizen. I read this right before going to work and this made me feel better :wink2:

You will do so great in your NP job! :) I think it is only normal to feel weird at the beginning. And please feel free to write all about your new job here. I want to hear details on what you do. I'm still waiting to hear when I can schedule my NP exam so I'd like to live vicariously through you. :) lol

dhigbee · Jul 21, 2008

I suffered with the impostor syndrome with my first several months of practice. Not because I missed bedside nursing at all, but because I saw myself making decisions that could have major affects on my patients' health status, and felt unsure in my role. It did pass. One point I'd like to make however, is that it's important to remember that all of us are fallible (yes, even medical deities), and all of us are still learning (hopefully). It's alright to not know everything, as long as you recognize your limits, and know how to access the information.

Dana

mom and nurse · Jul 23, 2008

Thanks for the encouragement :)

ANPFNPGNP you asked if I am an acute care NP. No i'm not. I am in a rehab hospital working as an ANP. I have previous hospital experience as an RN in the same type of setting at a different hospital. I'll probably be working in both an inpatient and outpatient setting (following up folks in the inpatient setting). I once heard someone refer to acute rehab hospitals as med/surg light. Our patients come from a hospital setting to our hospital to remain for anywhere from 7 days to a couple of months while they learn to live again. Rehab can be very rewarding and I'm grateful to be able to the same field i worked in as an NP. I also have a previous degree in Communication Disorders (Speech Pathology and Audiology), but I never worked in that field, making the decision to get my BSN and later my MS in nursing... (I work with speech, occupational and physical therapists so this field kind of fits me). In our hospital are both ANPs and FNPs.

I've actually been enjoying making rounds with the physician. Today went very well. I'm learning how to read EKGs, getting to know the staff, getting down my routine in my new role as an NP.

Christvs - yes I remember I waited for quite some time for my "authorization to test". Hang in there ...it does eventually come.. :)

Thanks for your encouragement. :wink2: