Leaving CVICU advice

[hannah4832, BSN]

I am in desperate need for advice. I've been a nurse for a year, primarily through Covid on med/tele. My opinion and skills were valued there by my coworkers and I felt respected. Once COVID calmed down, I made the switch to CVICU with 6 months prior experience. I finished my orientation a month ago and was always told that I did very well. In comparison to my other coworkers, their skill set and critical thinking abilities just seem so much farther along than mine. I just feel like I have no idea what I'm doing sometimes and I'm so afraid I'll make a mistake. I've also been told that I am way too hard on myself, but when the bar is so high I almost feel like that is justified. I feel like I ask stupid questions now. I get the sense that my more experienced coworkers don't have confidence in me because I ask so many questions. Im honestly asking because I'm stressed and want to make sure that I'm right. I rarely doubted my skills when I was a tele nurse. I'm not sure if I am competent enough to truly handle this. 

With the way things are now, I also have to keep making more money and critical care is where it's at as far as I can tell. Thats my other issue. I always planned on travel nursing once I had enough experience, switching again would just delay that more. 

Do I stick this out and give it more time, or cut my losses? Does it get better?

[sleepwalker, MSN, NP]

It's only been 6 months...you're still learning. Doesn't help to compare yourself to co-workers with years of experience....why would you be at their level with only 6 months? Your co-workers know you're new and are aware you'll ask questions and need help with highly skilled task...they also expect that you'll become an expert over time and the questions and requests for help will decline. Then, one day, you'll be the one answering questions, giving advice/tips, and demonstrating complicated tasks.

Give it time.

[treefrogprincess]

I feel like I wrote this! I can relate to most of what you’re saying except I have 8 years medsurg experience. In the cvicu I feel like a new grad. Some ICU’s would not even consider new grads bc they feel it’s potentially setting up new nurses for failure ( as told to me by an ICU manager ). You are a new grad and you’re in a very scary place. The challenge is extreme but if you can stick it out for a year you’ll be in a very different place by then . Growth happens but it takes time . That said , mental health comes first so if it’s not a healthy place for you, go. Overall, be patient with yourself and give yourself some extra tlc on your days off .