I have been out of school since May05, and I have not started working as an RN yet. I am too scared.
I have seen old classmates around and they ask where are you working. My answer is always I am staying home with the kids for now. This is only partially true. I am too frightened to go to work.
I am afraid that I won't pick up fast enough, or forget a lot of things, etc.
Two of my instructors told me I don't think on my feet. They are probably right. My nerves were shot half the time in clinicals, and I felt like the most inadequate student in the clinical area half of the time.
If you have advice for a specialty, usually they require one year of nursing. There doesn't seem to be much of a shortage in my area, except for med-surg.
I am just not sure how to get over this. I know that I will be totally stressed working as an RN (many new nurses on this board have posted about how stressed they are, do I want to live like this?). I'm afraid if I don't get a job as an RN now, then I can kiss nursing goodbye.
OK, so I have a question. Since I am relatively new here, and don't fully understand how all this works, could someone please inform me? I replied with what I thought was advice to MoriahRoseRn's dilemma about starting her nursing career many months after getting her license. How is it then, that I got an e-mail (which looked like another reply to this query) from nurse educate? It's not a problem, but I don't understand how it happened?:smackingf
Okay...you reply to a thread (you did that correctly), and the swell folks at allnurses.com let you know that someone has else has also replied to the same thread. If you are interested to see what others are saying, or if the OP (original poster) responds to your reply, you click on the link. It is their way of feeding our addiction to this site :rotfl: :rotfl: :roll :roll
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hey, thanks sooo much for the info. just becoming internet literate. and only a little at a time. hope i can get better at this 'cause i've got lots to add. thanks again!
I am also a May, 2005 graduate. I am in my first week of orientation of my first nursing job. I understand your fear. It took me a little longer than my fellow classmates to find that first job because my husband received orders from Uncle Sam to a new duty station in Hawaii. That limited me to get a job right out of school. The program that I'm in is a 19-week training program and I can't tell you how happy I am for that extra help. :yelclap: Hang in there and don't give up on yourself. I feel the same way you do. Good luck to you.
Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
OK, so I have a question. Since I am relatively new here, and don't fully understand how all this works, could someone please inform me? I replied with what I thought was advice to MoriahRoseRn's dilemma about starting her nursing career many months after getting her license. How is it then, that I got an e-mail (which looked like another reply to this query) from nurse educate? It's not a problem, but I don't understand how it happened?:smackingf
These are the default options. You can actually disable them if you do not want to get all that e-mail. There are other ways you can find out who has replied to threads you responded to. Everytime you reply to a thread you are automatically "subscribed" to it unless you also disable that feature which means you will get instant e-mails informing you of others who have also replied to the thread. You need to play around and explore "User CP" at the top of the left side of the yellow menu bar. Also read "FAQ". This is where you can change most of those settings. We also have the ability to send each other private messages or to view other posts made by each other on these forums. That is the advantage of a data base. If you click on anyone's screen name a drop down menu appears where you can quickly access some of those features.
Moriah, I totally understand how you feel. I am a new LVN Grad, just passed NCLEX 2/16 and was just hired by our hospital in med/surg. I have not started yet, but I am scared to death also. We only get three weeks of perceptorship (more if we request it). Even though I was an A student in nursing school, I feel clumsy in the clincial setting and feel I will need more time to feel comfortable. We just have to hang in there and pray. I could not do this without God's help. This is a major career change for me as I was in law for 25 years. But I believe if this is what is in our heart to do, we will succeed. I wish you the best, and just know that you are not alone in your fears. :icon_hug:
I'm also a May '05 graduate. We made it thorugh nursing school and passed the NCLEX! YOU can do this too!
I started working in Sept. and worked at that job for about 5 months (worked in the newborn nursery). I'm starting a new job tomorrow in the NICU, so in a sense I'm starting over too.
I won't lie to you, it's definitely scary. But it really isn't *that bad*. It's really not. Some days it'll be hard, but once you start working and get into your own little groove, it gets easier day by day. Maybe just work part time to get started, but you do need to get in there and try it. I think it'll be harder if you keep waiting.
Have you ever read the book "Who Moved My Cheese?"? If not, I really recommend it! It's a short book, it'll only take about an hour to read. It's helped me so much in my life. I used to be so scared to go out and do stuff because I just dreaded it. But if you take that leap and go out there and do things, if you face the fear head on ..... then you could have great rewards waiting for you! Please read that book!
"What would you do if you weren't afraid?" (really think about that question)
raindreamer, i know you were responding to moriah, but your encouragement has helped me too. i am going to go get that book "who moved my cheese". I like moriah am so scared to start working as a nurse. i'm 48, a new grad, have just been hired at my hospital with no medical background and i am so scared i will make a med error or mistake and hurt someone. i'm also scared that my fear will cause me to not be confident enough to do a good job as a nurse. everyone tell me i will make a great nurse because i have sucha caring heart, but they don't know how afraid i am to not do a good job. we only get three weeks preceptorship and i'm not sure that will be enough for me. it may take me longer. anyway, i guess we just have to face our fears head on and just do it. i'm going to try really hard to get past it.
raindreamer, i know you were responding to moriah, but your encouragement has helped me too. i am going to go get that book "who moved my cheese". I like moriah am so scared to start working as a nurse. i'm 48, a new grad, have just been hired at my hospital with no medical background and i am so scared i will make a med error or mistake and hurt someone. i'm also scared that my fear will cause me to not be confident enough to do a good job as a nurse. everyone tell me i will make a great nurse because i have sucha caring heart, but they don't know how afraid i am to not do a good job. we only get three weeks preceptorship and i'm not sure that will be enough for me. it may take me longer. anyway, i guess we just have to face our fears head on and just do it. i'm going to try really hard to get past it.
New LVN in california (scared to death)
I don't think 3 weeks is enough orientation for a new grad. Don't be afraid to ask for more orientation!
I know how you all feel. I was scared to death (and still am) and really felt like I was inadequate as a nurse. But I met a few nurses while I was working that really helped me. Talking with them and hearing their words of encouragement helped a lot. The support and encouragment on this site has helped too. If you can find a mentor at your new job, that'll do wonders for your self-esteem and confidence!
EVERYONE is scared on their first RN job. I was terrified. Just remember that you will (hopefully) be working with experienced nurses who can lend a hand and that you will not be alone. Try for a job with little autonomy and great training. Noone starts out prepared, that is what orientation is for. Above all, go ahead and get out there!
ReinventingMyselfAgain, MSN, RN
1,954 Posts
Okay...you reply to a thread (you did that correctly), and the swell folks at allnurses.com let you know that someone has else has also replied to the same thread. If you are interested to see what others are saying, or if the OP (original poster) responds to your reply, you click on the link. It is their way of feeding our addiction to this site :rotfl: :rotfl: :roll :roll
If you get tired of reading a particular thread, you can unsubscribe to the post. Go to user cp at the left of the yellow toolbar at the top of the screen.