Lost

[delgadojbc]

Need some helpful tips. I'm an LVN with minimal hospital experience, which was over 10 years ago. Found my niche in doctor's office setting. LAST few weeks of RN school. Good theory and clinical grades so far but still minimal hands on. First clinical day of last course, where I'm supposed to shadow but learn how to start running the show myself. HORRIBLE DAY! Felt totally lost, couldn't complete simple tasks like priming IV line and setting pumps, couldn't critical think through SIMPLE nursing rationale questions and felt totally useless. My preceptor looked like she wanted to bow out. Feels like all my clinical skills disappeared with my confidence.

[marty6001, EdD, EMT-P, APRN]

You went back to school because you weren't fulfilled with your life before... It is not easy, despite your background.. It will get easier with time...

[delgadojbc]

Good point, Marty. I thought I was gonna lose my mind working for an MD office just taking vitals and maybe giving an IM Phenergan once a month...mind numbing. Hope I can step it up, I only have a few weeks and the whole "first impression" thing is now sailing down s@#$ creek

[nursel56]

I see no reason you should be down on yourself at atll! I'm curious about a couple of things, though. How did you picture in your mind your first day in a hospital after 10 years and minimal hospital experience?

Was your instructor anywhere nearby while you were there? Did the preceptor and the instructor read from the same page with regards to what you should be doing at this stage? Sounds like the preceptor had a very different idea of what to expect, and was caught off-guard by it. 'What we have here is a failure to communicate" : )

Are you shadowing a nurse with a full patient load or are you assigned specific patients to do total care on?

I find it very effective to review the steps in a procedure over and over in my mind, at home, out of the whirlwind. This will help you feel more confident and hopefully avoid that pesky mind going blank thing. :) I hate it when that happens. Critique your day and figure out ahead of time what can be made to go more smoothly than it did the day before. Won't make it not scary, but maybe a little less so! Best wishes!

[jlr820]

This is normal, and it will get better. I'm a new ED nurse (7 months), and there have been days I swore I wasn't going back. Sometimes the key to surviving in the early stages of this profession is to have the guts to come back the next day. Mistakes will be a reality in this job. You can and should do your level best not to make them, but you will anyway. It's OK as long as you learn from the experience. I still "psych myself up" before I do some procedures (especially pediatric IV's). Take a deep breath, gather all your equipment, visualize the steps in your mind (do a "mental dry run") and then just do it. Oh, and that fear of doing harm to someone...that's actually a good thing. Hold on to that. Try not to worry...learn from your mistakes, but also think about what went "right" with each work day. Trust me, there's at least one positive thing with each shift. In a couple of months, you will look back and be surprised with your progress. Good luck!

[delgadojbc]

I'm required to do total patient care, charting, assessment, the whole shebang on at least 2 patients and work my way up by 1 weekly to 5 or 6. No med passes at all, blessing or curse..not sure yet. I guess I felt I should be more prepared but now that I think back, LVN school was really hands on and RN school seems more about paperwork. I can write a mean journal article review and fill out my care plans like nobody's business but when it comes to clinical, I felt like I needed so much hand holding. I think my precept felt like a senior student 6 weeks from graduation should be more independent and be more confident.

[Fngrpntsnotasin]

I would say take Locke's side, he seems more in touch with the island!!!

lol...but for serious...Ima just stick with Benard and Rose:)