New to Acute/swing - need advice and confidence

[EarthwormRN]

I have been a nurse for 2 years. My experience consists of primarily assisted living and long term care. Just after graduation I breifly worked on a swing bed unit on night shift with 20 patients by myself. Due to lack of traing and no one to help me with questions I quit because I didnt feel like it was safe to stay. Now I have transferred from LTC to the acute/swing bed wing in the same hospital and I really feel like a rookie. I am having no problem with medications and treatments, that is the easy stuff. But I am brushing up on my head to toe assessment skills, knowing when to alert the doctor, admits/discharged/transfers, and giving good thorough reports. Its been about 2 or 3 weeks since i have started and Im doing okay. I have not harmed anyone. But being the only rookie in the department I feel like my every move is being judged and monitored by the other staff and Ive always ben the worrier of what everyone thinks of me and my work. Please any advice to help me feel more comfortable or share your own stories of when you were new, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[sbostonRN]

I am in the same situation right now. I am thrilled to be working on my new unit and have worked so hard to get here, but it's so hard. I leave at the end of the day and wonder what I missed, what I forgot to document. I've always felt so confident in my other jobs but like you, I'm the only rookie in the department and wonder what everyone is thinking of me.

Don't be so hard on yourself. It takes a long time to feel comfortable in a new job. That's what I'm trying to tell myself anyway!

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Everyone feels that way at any new job unless they are some arrogant piece of work Give it 3 months and all will be fine.