Nervousness has set in

First of all - congrats to you! Knowledge is a journey, not a destination, so envision this as the beginning of a long and interesting trip!

I started in our Level 1 ER last year after 12 years as an LPN, and 6 months as an RN on the same med/surg floor. (i did my 6 months there as an RN and knew it was time to move on)

First - be very kind and forgiving to yourself. You will feel stupid at times, although you are not. You will make mistakes. It will take time. Enjoy the learning and the patients and the new people and connections you can make.

Second - get a notebook and carry it with you everywhere. Write down everything.......because in the ER you may see something once and think "I'll never forget how to do that" and it may be months until you have to run the same drugs or interventions again. Then you'll be saying "crap, I know I did this once before......."

Third - and this is the best piece of advice one of my co-workers told me. Know when to get the doctor. There's a difference between someone looking bad and someone looking VERY BAD and all the doc's are in rooms.....and you need one NOW! As long as you can figure out that out, you'll come to know the rest.

Keep us informed!

Dawn in PA

Though i am not in the same situation as you i think that mine is similar. I graduate in 13 days and after that i go on to join a critical care fellowship at the hospital i have been hired at. I too am really nervous :uhoh21:. Now I know that this is about the cheezy-est thing ever but before I was getting ready to interview, I read in a book a quoat that said something to the effect that : "I am ready, I have compleated a difficult course of study and, with the proper orientation and preceptorship I know that i will be able to develope in to the nurse that I desire to become." Being a Good new nurse is not about knowing everything but about knowing my limits and when I need to ask for help. That is what nursing is all about, Learning as you go. You know what is crazy? Someday you will be teaching some green horn nurse fresh out of school how to be the nurse that he/she really desires to become. Until then I will be sure to pray for you if you will also pray for me, I know that we will be successful.

I'm right there with ya, Aneroo ... I graduate in June and will start at a level 1 ED in July.

I'll keep you in my thoughts! :)

, what was the easiest (and hardest) part of orientation for you. What would you change? Thanks-Andrea

I have been working at a level 1 ER for one year. From the first day I knew it was for me. There is no other place I would like to work.

Be humble, no not pretend to know things you don´t. Better ask for help than mess up.

For me, the hardest was to realize I have to learn as I go. There is no way around that. The only way to get experience.