Just finished first week of orientation

[sleepyjane]

Hi all. I'm a new grad and just finished my first week of orientation on an ortho/post-trauma floor. I am just wondering if anyone else has felt completely stupid and incompetant when they started their first RN job. My first day I went on the floor to meet my preceptor after some classroom stuff and within two hours I think I had done more than I ever did in school. Lots of dressings, trach care, tube feedings, etc. A lot of basic skills I felt so unsure about since in my clinical rotations I may only have had the chance to do certain things only once with an instuctor talking me though it the entire time. I still have never inserted a catheter! Has anyone else ever felt this way?? I don't want everyone thinking I am an idiot when in fact I just may not have had the opportunity to do certain things. I have been trying just to go with the flow and keep an open communication with my preceptor who seems very patient and kind. So far I have had a really good experience with the staff and the patients, I just want to make a good first impression and right now I have no confidence in myself and my abilities.

[Piki]

Don't feel bad.... I am only just starting my 3rd week of orientation and felt the same exact way my first week. First it had been several months since I had been on my last rotation of clinicals (May)... I just felt like the biggest bumbling first semester nursing student all over again. It would have been easier if I had stayed at the hospital where I had done the majority of my clinicals, but I went to a brand new hospital where I (unlike some of the other new grads) had never done any internship or student clinicals - and everything was different than I knew. The equipment was all different (except for the Accuchecks and the pulse ox), the way they draw up their iv meds and dilute them with flushes - all different. The charting on the computer - waaaaaaay different! I had gone thru orientation and gotten the 4 system passwords and ids I needed for everything - email, 2 computer systems, med system (they use little handheld PDAs and barcode software - all meds are packed individually with a barcode, that is read and compared against the patient's barcode on their band).... After a handful of days on the floor I have been feeling more competent, so it will get better. Even when I was at my bumbling worst, my preceptor kept telling me "you're doing fine! don't worry, you will get there, etc".

It's just so different from school where you don't have your nursing instructor overlooking.... So far all my preceptors have been very kind and patient, tho one or two I have felt I have really slowed down their days, kwim?

But I can see it's getting better and even tho the learning curve is steep, I am now thinking I can do this afterall (had some doubts that first week, let me tell you!).

Good luck!!

[AprilRNhere]

I feel the same way...but have confidence it will get better. Lol..from what I've heard...they don't expect us to know anything just out of school.

I inserted a straight cath thurs...something I actually did quite a few times in school. But..with a new preceptor....I was so nervous I acted as if I'd never heard of one. I'm hoping I show her my competence this week. We'll get through this!

[jam2007]

I feel your pain! There are skills that we never got to practice much in school. I felt like a complete idiot b/c I didn't know how to transfer someone using a lateral board...but I never learned in school! I just keep reminding myself that the skills will come and do my best to use the skills I do have. I want to learn as much as I can and I don't mind letting my preceptor know I need practice with some things. I figure I'm a new grad and I can't be expected to know it all. We need to stop being so hard on ourselves and just do the best we can...we'll be on the other side some day!