keep running away from jobs!

[pn5437]

Hi guys i need some serious help please-ive been an LPN for about 6 months. I started working for an Assisted living facility but quit after a month partly because of the hour drive and partly from being stressed out (particularly by patients family members ugh) I then started working for a chiropractic clinic, doing pretty much MA work. the only 'nursing' i did there was stick a pain patch on patients. thats it. other than that it was scheduling, phones,charts and the chiropractic treatments. the company had several locations and had a supervisor in training go office to office checking charts etc, making sure everything was being done according to the companies policy. i was having a hard time learning these things, and every time she came i was pulled into a corner and was told how i did this this this AND this wrong. i worked soo hard to do better for the next time i got audited (the doctor even commended me saying the company didnt deserve me, that i went out of my way continuously, especially for my patients) but no matter what i did it was like i never got better. I started to stress out and let her get to me (i know i shouldnt have) but it got to the point that i couldnt take it anymore-she would say "WHY are you doing this this way? youre a nurse arent you? remember youre a nurse" i felt like such a failure-if i couldnt do this peice of cake job how the hell can i be a nurse?

End of story i quit (again) after 4 months and have found a new job at a pulmonary clinic. I feel like i know NOTHING and am embarrassed b/c although a pulmonologist is new to me, i feel like by now i should know how to 'be a nurse' and 'think like a nurse'. I've been there a few weeks now (part time) and every day i kick myself over not knowing what to look for in the charts, handling insurance questions and paperwork, and how to be a nurse period. i feel like an idiot and wonder if i chose the wrong career. i dont want to keep running from job to job,especially with this economy, but dont know how to cope with this and have more self esteem. Any advice would be much appreciated.

[Nicole2010]

I completely understand.I'm a new grad and today was my first day on the floor in my L&D internship. Talk about crazy. I thought at times, "how will I ever be able to do this?". But I did it (not as fast as the seasoned nurses) and I kept telling myself that everyone on the unit has been there for years! If they can do it then so can I. Stick it out & believe in yourself. You can do it!

[Lizzie21]

I hope it gets better. I don't go back to work until saturday and I'm just crying over it, because I just hate the job so much. I've never had so much anxiety in my life.

[DizzyLizzyNurse]

Just remember - if it were easy everyone would do it!!! And it wouldn't be special at all to be a nurse!! A new job, especially when you are a new nurse, is HARD! I worked as an aide in LTC for almost 3 years before I got my LPN. So I'd been at the same place for years and still felt like an idiot a lot of the time at first. Don't be so hard on yourself!

[gentlegiver, ASN, LPN, RN]

Please!!! TO ALL NEW GRAD NURSES!!!

It will take a minimum of 5 years before you feel confident in your chosen profession. This was told to me by our instructors in Nursing School. I have just completed 5 years and can assure you this is very true. I would suggest you attach yourself to an experienced Nurse (with his/her permission), watch what they do, learn thier shortcuts, their time saving tips, ask questions, listen & learn from the answers.

Thinking that just because you graduated from Nursing school & passed NCLEX means that you should know it all is putting undue stress on yourself. Four months in a position means that you now have 4 months experience, this does not mean you have mastered the job. Be patient with yourselves. Experience comes with time.

To the OP; if you feel that you are not learning fast enough, talk to your supervisor. Ask her if she can provide you with someone to help you in learning the paperwork and time management skills. Job jumping is not going to help you, you will be required to learn new things without ever learning the last job. Aside from the fact that this will not look good on your resume', it also does not enhance your experience level. Good Luck and God Bless.

[clemmm78, RN]

And even after 5 years, if you change your place of work or your specialty, you have to start over. You may bring your confidence in the basics of nursing, but there will likely lie a lot of insecurity as you learn the new stuff. In fact, sometimes it's a bit harder because you feel "geez, I've been a nurse for 25 years, why am I having trouble wrapping my head around this?"

I'm filling in at an occupational health job. I do this once a year while the nurse goes on vacation. You should have seen how insecure I was the first couple of times I was here. Even now, because I only do it once a year, the first week, it's learning some stuff all over again.

[pn5437]

thanks for all the encouragement-posting this is the best thing i could've done. i went to work yesterday feeling confident that i am new and that i wouldnt let my insecurities get to me. i had a great day! i had no anxiety and learned quite a lot. i decided im gonna stick it out bc you are all right. and i now i feel tons better:w00t:

[gentlegiver, ASN, LPN, RN]

Yolly, I'm glad you had a great day, you will still have the bad ones but at least you know now that they are not an everyday thing. keep going, I believe you will do great!

[Tina, RN]

I'm so glad you had a good day at work, Yolly!

You really need to give yourself a break, and allow yourself time to learn the job. I completely agree that nursing school and passing the boards are only the first steps. Actually working as a nurse is a totally different thing.

As a side note, I'd suggest to anyone that is experiencing crippling anxiety, to see your doctor, about maybe trying medication. I am someone that is, by nature, very anxious. My meds have changed my life. :)

[jjjoy, LPN]

Thinking that just because you graduated from Nursing school & passed NCLEX means that you should know it all is putting undue stress on yourself. Four months in a position means that you now have 4 months experience, this does not mean you have mastered the job. Be patient with yourselves.

It's hard enough to be patient with oneself when you know aren't able to provide the very best of care because you're a newbie, but it seems that so often colleagues and supervisors often also put a ton of pressure on the newbie to be further along than may be realistically possible. There can be both implicit and explicit assertions as a newbie fumbles along "What?! You don't know this?! How did you graduate?! This is horribly worrisome that you felt you had to ask..." Basically, there's an implication "Are you some kind of idiot?"

Thank goodness there are those out there who DO acknowledge that while a newbie may need to be faster, know more, hone their judgement, that they are right where they should be.