jitters

[nrsGrad08]

Ok, so I am graduating in May and starting my new job shortly thereafter. However, i am very nervous! for example - everytime i would start an IV on a pt, i did just fine. unfortunately my hands shake almost uncontrollably. I have gotten the stick eveytime, and if i were going to be performing these skills on adults - it would not be a problem. I just got a first job in the NICU. I am now nervous that while my shaky hand didn't do any damage for the adults - that it might pose a risk for the lil newbies!! - did anyone else experience this when they first graduated??

and yes i have tried to relax and take a deep breath before, but nothing seems to help my jitters

[everthesame, LPN, LVN]

Do you drink caffeine? Take certain meds? Caffeine and Sudafed give me the jitters real bad. I have had to nearly cut all caffeine from my diet. I will only have it on my days off. It helps.

[MzMouse]

:yeahthat: Sudafed makes shake too. I avoid it on workdays. I would rather have the sinus headache then the jittery feeling.

Keep reminding yourself how well you have done; getting those IVs started. I don't think too many new nurses didn't shake a bit performing tasks the first few times. I well remember my first foley catheter placement. But I am betting with a bit more experience those jitters goes away. It is the best feeling in the world when tasks that used to be intimidating become something you are completely confident with.

[Rabid Response]

That used to happen to me! Even my first time using the glucometer with a patient during my first clinical rotation was nearly a disaster. I was having trouble getting my operator code to work in the machine, and then I had punched the patient's medical record number in wrong, and then the machine gave me an error message. Before I realized it, beads of sweat were actually dripping from my forehead onto the glucometer, my hands were shaking, and THEN the patient, this grouchy little old lady actually said, "Is this the first time you've ever DONE this????" My lord, I nearly died right there.

It gets better! My shakes went away when I got a job and got off of orientation. I realized that I only shake when people (preceptors, patient family members etc...) are watching me. Try blocking everything and everyone else out and focusing entirely on what you are doing. Eventually your shakes will go away. One day you will insert an IV or draw labs and realize after that fact that you haven't shaken at all. It just takes a little time.