In over my head and don't know what to do!

This job calls for a nurse with vast experience. Even better they should have a NP. You just are not experienced enough to do this. What are the people that hired you to do this thinking?

RUN. You aren't qualified for this position and your employer knows it. Don't risk your license or the lives of your patients. Get out now.

that sounds like a scary situation. they atleast need to have a PA or NP there with you! i would get out of there quickly.

as far as what to tell other employers.... i would say tell them the truth. tell them you are a fairly brand new nurse and would like a position to give you the orientation to real world nursing that you deserve... not one thats going to throw you under the bus.

i wish you the best.

Run!!!! I will reiterate what everybody else said much better - this would be a job suited for someone with vast experience or a NP.

I TOTALLY agree with the other posters. I don't know what state you are in, but in TX it is a violation of our nurse practice act to give new grads a 'charge' responsibility, let alone act as the sole RN in a facility.

Being the "only RN" is very common in small/rural facilities & I am in absolute awe of the fantastic nurses who manage this role without any problems. I definitely agree that you should have been provided with a more realistic job preview. At least in your next job, you will know what questions to ask about staffing.

Agree with the others--that position is not appropriate for a new nurse.

I would speak to your supervisor and explain everything as you have stated here. I would hope they could find another position for you in their hospital. I can just imagine how you are feeling. I would be terrified as people have pointed out it would take a very, very experienced nurse to be comfortable in this role.

OMG!! That's a lawsuit waiting to happen!

RUN just as fast as you can away from there...and don't worry about how it looks on a resume. Any other facility looking to hire you would appreciate that you know when you're in over your head!

(((((OP)))))

Do any nurses ever rise to the challenge when faced with these types of situations? Everytime these questions come up on all nurses a bunch of people say run. But do nurses always have to run from challenges?? I'm guessing this is how the role of NP came about in the first place - because some people didn't run.

This is a general question - not specific to OP's situation.

Sunray, I think the question you bring up would make a good thread all by itself.

Sure, many nurses do stay in such unsafe situations and manage to make the best of it. If they're still there after a year or two, then you know that they learned to do what they needed to do or else they would've quit or been fired by that time. Those folks who make it are either extremely lucky, extremely talented (natural clinicians), or most likely some of each - lucky AND talented. Just because some nurses CAN make it in such conditions doesn't mean that such conditions should be condoned or that new nurses should be encouraged to take on such a big risk (so much responsibility so soon with so little experience) - risk both to themselves & their career and to the patients they are responsible for.

Talk about sink or swim!! Some situations may demand this kind of risk-taking - I'm thinking of war-time battle-field conditions where the alternatives are no care vs. inexperienced care. I guess some might view rural areas as being that desparate; that it is a question of no care vs. inexperienced care. I'd hope there would be better solutions than this kind of sink or swim experience.

In regard to this specific case, I think it's terrible that the facility would knowingly hire an inexperienced new grad for this type of position! I know that it does happen, though. At this point, it's up to the individual to decide for themself what they are comfortable with. Personally, I wouldn't be comfortable with that situation.