Need advice

[cristal08]

Hi, Im a new nurse, (also new in the site), with out nursing experience I just started my job at an E. R. I've been working 8 months, buth the first 2 of them were orientation mostly paper work an reviews. I dont know if it's the dinamics of the E.R. but i feel very pressured, buy the load work sometimes you can get 5 cases at a time just for you and according to the Md, there all emergencies. I just dont know if it's like this in a floor like medicine? The E.R it's divided by section and every nurse has a section to care for, but sometimes the cases that come are for your section only and nobody helps, the shifts are 12 hours. When a patiet is admited to the hopital for a stay, there's one nurse in charge of all those patients, of giving the initial care: the med's, the labs and then get the pt. to the floor designated ( I belive that's the worst area you can have 7 pt. admited at the same time). I would really really apreciate if some experienced nurses can give me some advice, tell what other areas are like, i feel really bad, like quitting. I have to say that im a bit young 21 ( register nurse) and this is my first real job experience, dont know if im just overwhelmed. I also continued studing towards my bachelor's degree im almost finish. Thanks in advanced for any help or advice you can give me, just feel really bad I've even thought of quitting nursing in all. Im soory if I've complain a lot, I just felt like saying everything I felt. Thanks again for everytihg :heartbeat.

liz

[BelleKat, BSN, RN]

Hi Liz,Sorry that you're having a rough time,the first year is the hardest by far. Due to budgetary restraints most places aren't staffed like they should be,most places are run around busy(in a hospital anyway).It's just different kind of busy. I started in the 80's on a huge(44 bed surgical floor) and I still remember crying in the ladies room,washing my face and coming out to finish whatever I was doing. It gets better.

You just find a place that you don't mind being busy at,for me I can't stand to have 5-6 pt on a tele floor,just the physical running across the place tires and exasperates me. I'd rather have 2-3 sick/ICU pt in the same place myself but that's just me.

Although aggravating do you feel that you're getting the basics and time management skills are improving?Are the other nurses running around too? Do you feel like you're being placed in dangerous situations safety wise?

I've never worked in the ER but I've mostly worked in crazy/busy places when I was young too,believe me,youth is a definitely in your favor in this field.

Please don't quit nursing though if you decide to leave the ER,there are so many opportunities in Nursing and you should be developing pretty good skills about now that will open up quite a few doors to you.

:redbeathe

[cristal08]

Thanks a lot Belle, I do feel like I've learnd a lot and I am faster at the new pt. cases. Im not the only one the other nurses are always runing around. I sometimes feel like im putting my license in risk, for example when I have 4 new pt's. I feel like im not giving the care they need because of the rush, and the hospital doesn't care. I Think I might just try another nursing path like maybe a unit, floor, because I like nursing, I like caring for the patient, it's rewarding to me personally. Thanks a Million for your advice it means a lot to me.