I'm very exhausted after 6 months of working in a surgical onco unit?

[Surgonconurse]

it's my first job as a new grad nurse.

I've been working here for almost 7 months and it's totally been exhausting, very exhausting. I do find myself cringing to work work everyday. We handle about 5-6 patients everyday, and yesterday from PM shift I got to handle 7 patients because of terrible multiple admissions. Plus we were short staffed, no one could be recalled to work, and the staff who would do overtime was absent. It was absolutely lit. I have to say I wasn't able to give the best or safest quality care I could give. I was disorganized yesterday. And when my charge nurse told me I might possibly admit another patient for the 3rd time, I literally was on the verge of crying.

I do 12 hrs and 8 hr shifts.

Also at this point, Ive gotten really cranky and dreading work each day. I dont have that motivation to go on like I used to have. I feel like I'm just a working machine. If my hospital would tell me to resign, I'd gladly resign tbh, but having nowhere to go and losing a job also is not easy esp that ive worked hard enough to be a regular employee. It's just insane.

The patients can also get very demanding and mean sometimes because I serve those in the upper class, and I would most often threats or sometimes intimidation from these patients or family. It's just darn too much.

Ive just gotten to that point where they can ask me to leave and I'd feel happy more than sad.

What do I even do?

[beekee]

Your feelings are quite normal for a new grad. There are literally hundreds of similar posts from new nurses expressing the same sentiment. Frankly, being a new nurse sucks. School doesn't prepare you for much and the workload is ridiculous, creating a pressure cooker of insecurity, frustration, fear, exhaustion and self-doubt.

Unfortunately, the workload never gets lighter, but you do learn to manage it better. You start clustering like a boss. You won't leave the room without making sure they have water, their pain is managed, they have used the bathroom and they have anything and everything they might possibly need. Also, I learned to do things early if I can. I don't care if that bag of fluids doesn't run out for another hour, I'm changing it now since I'm going in there.

If you switch units, the learning curve essentially starts over. You have a base of basics, so it's not all brand new, but darn near close. There are easier units and shifts, but there's really nothing in acute care that's "easy."

My advice is to figure out where you'd like your career to go: case management, education, administration, bedside, etc. and the type of facility you'd like to work for: Hospital, home care, LTC, rehab, etc. And then start making your path to your desired goal.

Just remember, often, in nursing, a lot of the desired non-bedside positions require or prefer a year or two of bedside care in acute care. For that reason, I recommend you stay put for at least a year. But, do pay attention to your health. There is no shame in calling it quits, especially if your health (physical and/or mental) is suffering. Be sure to eat right, get enough sleep, exercise and meditate (or yoga, or walk in nature, or whatever works for you to clear your mind). Try to not dwell on the negative (easier said than done) and focus on the positive.

Good luck. Keep coming here for support, no matter what you decide.

[Swellz]

This is probably not unique to you or this unit or this hospital. Unfortunately, many nursing programs do not prepare us for the realities of nursing, which is why so many of us have a difficult time transitioning. I know you're frustrated and exhausted, but as you become more efficient it will get easier.

Make sure you take your breaks and drink and eat during your shift. Make sure you go out with your friends - not your work friends. Work friends like to talk shop, and you need a break from your work life when you're not there. Make sure you're getting sleep and pursuing whatever your hobbies are. Take care of yourself during this stressful time. It was never going to be easy, but it will get easier.

[WalterWho]

I have to agree with beekee. I felt like I learned more in the first 6 months of my nursing career than I did in two years of nursing school. It wasn't until a year after graduation that I had my first shift where everything that could go wrong did, but I actually held everything together and the day wasn't half bad. A year! A big thing for me that really started to turn things around was when I finally got to a point where I was experienced enough to comfortably do and say the hard stuff: foley? Boom! IV? Done! Your pain is 10/10? Well too bad, it ain't been four hours yet gurl! But in all seriousness, eventually you'll get to a point where you won't have to find the answers, you'll know them, and you won't have to always ask for help, because you won't need it, and your ability and skill will show and patients and coworkers will be able to see them. So hang in there, it gets better, trust me

[llg, PhD, RN]

How much vacation time have you used? Some new grads make the mistake of not taking enough days off to maintain their sanity. Take an occasional day off and do some stuff for fun.

Also, don't make the mistake of "run, run, run" with every day off. Plan some quiet time as well as some active time so that you can have some time to simply rest and relax and process all of the experiences you are having. Successful nurses learn to manage their time away from the bedside as well.