too nervous and anxious in new job..

[Pamelita]

hey guys.. well, this is maybe a typical story.

I've been an RN for 3 years and I love it. Even though the first 3 years of my nursing career I started at the toughest hospital, with ventilators patients w/multisystem failure, etc, you named it they had it. Well, I realized that I wanted to get more acute experience since the patients were long term and I wanted to get the big hospital experience... oh BOY!!! how hectic it is!!!

first, the patients are in and out, I am still getting used to discharging and admitting patients like 3 a shift!! because now I work in a telemetry floor with very high turnover..

I am so overhelmed.... I only have one more day of orientation and even though I know the paperwork, etc I still feel "lost"....

I realized that sometimes you spend more time doing the paperwork and calling doctors, than with your patients... I hate that..

I am loving the experience but deep inside I am asking is that what I really want? I am looking forward for grad school... in the fall, until now, it's just working..

thanks guys for letting me vent :)

[RNPATL, DNP, RN]

I wish I could tell you that it gets better, but from the way things are going in most hospitals, it does not get any better. I think what does get better is your ability to manage your time and get things done. Take a deep breath and look at your time management to see how you can mature that process for yourself. I also have had the same challenges. I love being with the patient, but find that a great deal of my work is focused on dealing with the physician, and paperwork. There are days when I just get what I need done, done and then there are other days when I derive a deep sense of satisfaction knowing that I was able to do more for my patients.

In nursing school the focus is on critical thinking and asking a lot of why questions. When you are in practice, there is so much to do that suddenly you realize that you are just managing to task and not asking the why questions or critically thinking through processes. Hang in there, I am sure things will look up for you.