I am concern about ME!

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Ok...today is my 12 day (shift of orientation) and supposed to be the last then I'm on my own...I have been orienting on 4 different floors ( 3 shifts each) and basically all these floors are med-surg-tele floors...After the first 3 floors, I thought I was ready to be on my own until I went to the 4th one....Since my first day on the 4th one it seems like everything just went wrong..I had patients ( I had 7-8 patients) who are half demanding and half unstable (chest pains possible PE, ALOC, renal failure, pulmonary failure....)...I'm just lucky that I have a very good and very understanding preceptor on this floor (she basically covers me and picks up before I fall)....I freeze everytime something goes wrong....I know what to do in the back of my head and yet I go blank when situation calls....I feel so incompetent....Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....just wanna vent...........not sure if I can function on my own.............

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Specializes in Trauma ICU, MICU/SICU.

12 Days of orientation seems extremely unsafe to me. I'm in my 9th WEEK of 12 WEEKS.

Tell your educator or NM or whoever that you don't feel ready. BTW, why are you orienting on different floors? That's pretty tough for a new nurse.

Hope you get more orientation.

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Just wanted to wish you luck!

Just a couple of days on different floors does seem a bit rushed! Talk to your nurse supervisor about it...that's what they are there for...

Best of everything to you!

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You are a new grad right? And you've only got 12 days of orientation?!?! I would definitely talk to your nurse manager or your nurse educator if you guys have one. At the hospital where I work, even experienced nurses have more than 12 days of orientation. In my opinion, 12 days of orientation for a new grad is definitely unsafe practice!

I had almost 3 months worth of orientation. I work on a med-surg floor. Even after the 3 months, I was freaking out about being on my own. It is scary no matter how long you had on orientation. I mean, when we were nursing students/ nurse on orientation, we had someone watching our backs and sorta guiding us through. Now we have people lives in our own hands. But you know what, you are not on your own. You have other nurses whom you'll be working with for resources and support. I've been a nurse for a little over a year now. I'm still learning new stuff everyday. Even nurses that have been nurses 20+ some years are also learning new stuff everyday. We can't and won't know everything. The doctors don't know everything either. Just don't be afraid to ask questions and keep on learning. Best of luck to you!!!

CareBear : )

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