I am transitioning from outpatient to hospital after graduating 2 years ago.. Nervous!

[Jaellys]

I graduated almost two years ago and have been working in a very busy rehab facility and at a busy clinic as a RN. I will now be working at a hospital on the med/surg unit with 10 weeks of orientation on nights. Does anyone have any tips for me with this transition? Has it been too long since graduating to the point that I will not have the right critical thinking skills to function well in the hospital?

I used a lot of my nursing skills in both settings (rehab and clinic), but I have heard that its a different type of thinking than the hospital and many people crash and burn if they dont go right into the hospital after school. I am very excited to learn but also a bit nervous because of what I have read on here about needing to start in the hospital, which I obviously didnt do. I took what experience I could get until I scored a hospital job.

[brownbook]

I think it is great you even got hired, to put it bluntly hospitals may not hire nurses with what experience you bring. So obviously you are a great nurse because the HR department and or the manager see something special in you!

My biggest advice in starting over is ASK ASK ASK. Don't think you are supposed to know "stuff." Being new to the hospital and unit gives you permission to say "I don't know about that...I've never heard of (fill in the blank), what is that....I've never seen a (fill in the blank) can I watch", (ask the patient and Dr. or PT, or RT, if they mind you observing and ask them to explain what or why they is doing it.)

Even the silly basic things....someone saying "When Dr. Smith arrives send him to room 7." You have to say "I'm new....I don't know Dr. Smith!"

[HaylosRN]

I wonder how everything is going with you since its been a couple months now? I am in a similar position. Im transitioning from a busy GI Endoscopy center into Med Surg. However, they only gave me 2 weeks orientation!!

I had to ask for one more week and barely got it with an attitude They said I was technically "experienced" but i do not feel that way. I went into GI straight out of school and after 2 years I also feel that I lost many of my nursing skills.

It makes it worse when people constantly expect me to know things i feel very incompetent and hope I dont ever accidentally endanger anyone