I need some serious advice!

[tgirl84]

What to do!? That is the question...

I just graduated from an Accelerated Nursing Program in May of this year in Florida (it was a 1 year program). I relocated to California because my family lives here. I took a job at a small hospital near my parents house in the ICU. When I started, I was told that the hopsital's orientation in the ICU was only 6 weeks, which concerned me, but I was assured that because the hopsital was so small, I wouldn't have a problem... 6 weeks later, that is not so. I don't know what it is, but I think that it might be that I did not get enough experience due to the short duration of my BSN program, but I still don't feel comfortable. I spoke with the nursing manager and he agreed to given me 2 more weeks, but that doesn't seems even close to long enough.

Plus, my preceptor and manager seem upset that I haven't learned how to read EKG strips or administer meds like heparin, when I haven't even had the chance to do so in orientation yet! My preceptor gets angry when I ask her questions that she feels I should already know, or are as she says, "Are common sense...". I feel confused, because I am willing to do the work, but feel that the resources are not available for me. And I know for a fact that I'm not stupid. Not to mention, that when I speak to my friends from nursing school, they are in 4-6 month orientations!

My mother said that I should go to the floor, but I honestly HATE floor nursing, which is why I wanted to go to the ICU. I've been thinking about calling around the other hospitals, to see if they have longer orientations, but I'm feeling guilty, because the hospital payed for me to move back and everything... I really don't know if I should just switch to the floor and suffer, or if I should go to one of the other three local hospitals and feel like an unreliable jerk... HELP!