Im very discouraged am I in the right field

[Glashburn]

I honestly don't know what to do ive been a nurse for two years. I am capable and I care about my patients. That being said in some areas i have other nurses ask my opinion on things another positive. Heres the definitely not positive. I am slow not just at my job I am slow and methodical at everything. I am always the last to leave every day just to get my stuff done that my fellow nurses breeze through in every area even our brand new grad nurse and I'm not saying there cutting corners and doing poor nursing. Sometimes that is the case but i don't know how to be faster and do a good job. It really stresses me out. Im not joking no matter which aspect of my job which is corrections or the per diem job that includes nursing home assisted living Idd group homes I struggle to just keep my head above water and i have been doing it for two years. Please i dont know what to do. Did i pick the wrong profession for myself.

[jaderook01, BSN, RN]

How late is late? We have one or two like this on my unit- and they scare me- honestly. They're super nice people, but as nurses they scare the absolute crap out of me. Like, nightshift not leaving until around 9:00 am or later on the regular, late. If you're like that- then- I hate to say this- but maybe you should reconsider what you're doing. The fact you're asking the question is rather telling- isn't it? You already know and suspect that you need to go do something else. There is no shame in it.

[EDNURSE20, BSN]

I know nurses like this, they just get so flustered. Doesn't mean nursing isn't for them. Just means the haven't find the right speciality. One may nit be any good in med/surg but are great in mental health, or in a clinic, or in a rest home. I wouldn't give up now, but would def try find a area that's more suited for you.

[Glashburn]

I don't feel flustered most of the time or overwhelmed. I do get that way sometimes i think nursing can be full of frustrations i feel that may be kind of normal. I have noticed though i get out late due to charting most of the time and it seems like it takes me longer to get meds pulled because i waste time looking over meds too long to prevent med errors. I think i have add. When charting i have to spend more time than i think it should to make a note on someone. I think I'm going too see about getting evaluated and possibly medicated. Thank you for your replys.

[cleback]

Most of the time when I see people consistently leaving late or not taking a lunch is they get distracted or caught up in details that aren't really a part of our duties. For instance, being so distracted by the incidental things that pop up that they're constantly running between rooms and not taking a moment to prioritize and group tasks together (like the requested cup of ice for room 12 can wait 15 minutes until the pain med comes up from pharmacy, then give them together). Another thing I see is reaching above and beyond their duties--like noticing an ortho appointment may have been scheduled incorrectly or that the inr result wasn't reviewed yet, when you work in a completely different department. Great that they're noticing, but often their on department duties are put on hold while they follow up on these extras.

I am glad to hear you have plans of getting evaluated. If it's just matter of getting distracted/not focusing, I'm hopeful things will improve for you.

[rnhopeful82, ASN, RN]

Are you getting distracted or repeatedly finding yourself rechecking yourself? I can't diagnose you, but the people I know with ADD get distracted by other things, I have OCD and that results in me double, triple, quadruple checking certain things. Good luck!

[alaskaman]

You'll need to build your charting immediately after your patient assessments. What charting system are you using. This is a very common issue.

[amzyRN]

Maybe you've got something else going on in your life that you need to speak with a professional about. Lots of people struggle with OCD and ADHD and things like that. People are wired differently too. Have you ever timed yourself when doing a task or charting? Maybe you can try to pick up the pace little by little. Bundling and clustering care can also save lots of time.

If you genuinely enjoy the work, then I think you are in the right field. Another thing you could do is ask your supervisor or a trusted peer to give you some pointers.

[alaskaman]

This is about organizing charting in the practice of nursing imho.

[NurseBlaq]

I worked with a nurse like this. She made herself a "to do" list so she could stay focused on what needed to be done (make a master list and photocopy it so you have one everyday). She'd then cross off everything and write a time so she could review them after a week and see where she needed to improve. She was an awesome nurse but said she had things going on in her personal life and she had been distracted and her mind wandered to the point of her missing tasks or being super late leaving.

[bugya90, ASN, BSN, LVN, RN]

Cluster your care. This is the biggest time saver. Don't go in and out of them room 30 times. Bring meds and dressing change stuff in the room at the same time and get it all knocked out at one time, bring a cup of water with you anytime your are bringing PO meds just in case the patient doesn't have any, etc.

[LeahHona]

Have you considered working in home health care or hospice? I found that as I got older, working with one patient at a time (in hospice) really helped. Although I was a case manager for 17+ patients, I only had to see one patient at a time, and we charted at the bedside so all my work was done when I left the home. I then moved on to the next patient and so on. It really made a difference to have that individualized time and to have driving time in between patients as "down time".