My New Position Makes Me Want To Drink

Nurses Recovery

Updated:   Published

Specializes in New grad.

My New Job Makes Me Want To Drink

There are so many things about this position that I hate. Med/surg tele at a small independent Hospital, I literally feel like I'm just winging it through my orientation with little to no guidance. Helping carry 5 pts with high CD acuity

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Specializes in ICU.

I'm sorry that you're going through this BeckyRN. Have you tried to talk to your manager about needing more support on the unit?

Since you are new it's important to have guidance from others - and it's not your fault that you feel this way. The senior nurses on the unit should be teaching you the way to take care of these patients and what is expected of you.

I would just make sure that you take extra time when doing everything - so you know you are taking care of the patients safely. 

As for further need of assistance, I hope that you find it on the unit you're in. If you really feel unsupported and if it gets to the point where you feel unsafe - you might have to rethink the facility you are in.

Hope things get better for you ? 

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Specializes in New grad.
Nurse Alexa said:

I'm sorry that you're going through this BeckyRN. Have you tried to talk to your manager about needing more support on the unit?

Since you are new it's important to have guidance from others - and it's not your fault that you feel this way. The senior nurses on the unit should be teaching you the way to take care of these patients and what is expected of you.

I would just make sure that you take extra time when doing everything - so you know you are taking care of the patients safely. 

As for further need of assistance, I hope that you find it on the unit you're in. If you really feel unsupported and if it gets to the point where you feel unsafe - you might have to rethink the facility you are in.

Hope things get better for you ? 

Thank you for your kind words. ♥️

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Specializes in Burn, ICU.

You might find more replies about the nursing aspects of your new job on the 1st year nursing pages, but I'm assuming you posted this in the recovery page on purpose!  I haven't been where you are, but I'm thinking of you and every day as a new grad really does get a little better.  I hope it does for you, too--your health is the most important thing here!

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.
BeckyRN said:

There are so many things about this position that I hate. Med/surg tele at a small independent Hosptial, I literally feel like I'm just winging it through my orientation with little to no guidance. Helping carry 5 pts with high CD aacuity

Wait a minute.  You are a new grad in you first job?  Just about anyone would want to drink if they had to return to that time in their career!  If you want to work in this particular field, you will need tincture of time.  Would someone volunteer to be a preceptor to you so you would have someone you trust to go to for questions?  The first six months are just ugly no matter where you are.  Our jobs are challenging and complicated everywhere.  If you are working with patients with high CD acuities, it might be analagous to an bulemic working in a bakery.  All sorts of triggers everywhere.  Work on keeping your boundaries up - those patients are not YOU.

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?????

I just had to come in here and laugh.

Cheers!

???\

OH wait, this is a recovery section.  Nah don't drink.  Find another job.  You control your life.

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New grad not decent orientation which I believe is happening pretty much in most not all facilities. I was a new grad 19 years ago working 12 hr nights on an med/surg oncology unit patients died weekly, the floor had 3 pods with total of 12 beds at that time still utilized LPN's which what they could do was limited and ultimately I was responsible for all 12 or if we were short staffed I was by myself with 12 and acuity was not at the ICU level but pretty much up there at that time I did not want to drink but I did want to quit nursing and had plenty of panic attacks which I sought out my doctor at that time after certain length of time I was able to put in for a transfer which I did and life in nursing got better. I hope you are able to find that as I did. 

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Specializes in Justice ⚖️ Nursing.

If it literally makes you wanna drink, and you are in recovery or had an ussue before, start doing meetings online and talk to a sponsor in AA. Your sobriety has to come first.

Unless you said that as a "figure of speech" to emphasize your loathing...which I totally understand! Maybe they figure you don't need help or are unaware you are struggling. Definitely talk to them about it. They should appreciate you doing so and want to keep a good nurse employed there. 

Best of luck!!

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