New Grad catch up

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Aug 1, 2011

Celebrating every shift my patients and I survive...

It's always a celebration when nobody dies on your shift!

Oh, and giving report is getting easier, too. The first several times I was nervous...especially from some day shifters who would just stare at you or roll their eyes at every word that came out of your mouth. I was giving report on a patient who was post cardiac cath, then I was going into what happened, when they were able to get up, how the site was looking etc and the RN interrupted me and asked about interventions. I just looked at her with a blank stare on my face, thinking "I am telling you the interventions!" when she meant what were the interventions regarding the cath :lol2: Now I know!

CorazonDeOro · Aug 1, 2011

Sounds like everyone is surviving!

I just started my third week on the floor. My experience is a little different because I was an NA and a Nurse Extern on this floor for the year before I graduated. This is good and bad. I know all the staff and love mostly everyone. It is difficult to try and delegate to NAs because I feel like I am not taken seriously, but my manager is aware of this and she said it will get better. Plus a lot of them don't even listen to the nurses that have been there for 20 years. I can already see myself getting burnt out because instead of hunting for my NA I just do everything myself. Anyway, since I already worked on the floor they are not going easy on me at all, I have had 4 patients since day 2. (They actually give me and my preceptor a full 5-6 but she takes the others). I think I am doing pretty well, and my preceptor is amazing! (I have to remind her not to do my work for me, which she will only do if i'm totally swamped, but I remind her that I can't rely on her when I am alone!). She is there to help me whenever I need her but she doesn't watch me like a hawk. She also makes me critcally think by asking me why I am doing things and helps me understand potential issues I might have. I am exhausted after 12 hours but it goes by super fast! Plus I am on days, which means my fear of docs passed the first day since I am constantly calling them or bugging them during rounds. They are actually much less scary than I thought, especially all the first year residents that just started (they need my help half the time!).

We can do this! We are really nurses now :)

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Aug 2, 2011

I am happy to report that my preceptor talked to my first preceptor and I think it helped. I think she got feedback from my first preceptor. We had closed our unit last night and were put on call. Of course around 2:15 (I live 40 mins from hospital) I figured I was safe and I got in my jammies, took off my makeup, let down my hair and put a facial mask on because I have had a few breakouts lately. Mask is on for about 15 mins and I get a call we are called in :| (do love time and a half pay though)

Anyway, so I get to work and my preceptor tells me the patient and the report from ER because she got it first. So I get everything ready and go in and I figure she would be in but she wasn't. I did everything and charted everything and stuff and came out. I told her when I was done with everything and she told me we can do the scavenger hut in the supply/med room we hadn't done yet and so I was like OK. She was really nice and helpful in there and when we went back out she told me she looked over my charting and all looked well.

Then she tells me if there is any skills I want to keep working on or feel I need more work on or any questions or anything on stuff. So I tell her stuff I don't feel that comfortable with and it's stuff that will just have to come in time when we get those patients. Then she proceeds to tell me that her and my previous preceptor talked and they really feel like I am ready to be off orientation. She said they have both been amazed with how quickly I have just slid into the RN role, how quick I picked up on everything and comfortable I am and that they really can't think of areas I need improvement in outside of those skills that will come when I get patients that need stuff. (like I have never really done suctioning and I need to work on IV's for kids). I have also avoided talking to docs pretty well so I will have to work on that LOL Anyway, she went on to tell me that she had to admit, she really didn't know what to do with a new grad that was so self sufficient and that she is really impressed that I have only been on the floor 3 weeks and do just fine on my own and know when to ask for help and stuff and wanted me to know that has nothing to do with orientating and that I have shown that I don't have problems asking if I am unsure.

So anyway it went really good and it felt good for her not be intimidated by me and instead look at me as an individual. She said that when I have my meeting next week she sees no reason not to let my boss know I am good on my own. But I told her in a way I am not in a big hurry for a couple weeks, census has been really low and as long as I am orientating I am can pick up any shifts and keep at full time. So I won't mind keeping my preceptor for a few more weeks now that we had this breakthrough and I can actually be the Nurse again. :yeah: :yeah: :yeah:

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Aug 2, 2011

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, that sucks that you got all nice and comfortable and they call you in...I haven't been on call yet, but I'm sure that would happen to me as well lol. And I'm glad that things are better with your new preceptor :)

Aurora77 · Aug 4, 2011

Things are better. I'm still on orientation, but I feel like I have been off for awhile. I am paired with another RN, but I'm practically by myself doing my own thing and the RN with me just checks up on my charting and ensures that all of my orders have been initiated, etc. I still have a lot of questions, and I realize that once I am flying solo I will still have a lot of questions and I can still ask them lol...just because I will be off orientation doesn't mean that I won't be able to ask any questions! It's information overload! I love my job, though. Everyone I have worked with have all been VERY helpful and always ask if I am doing okay...one of my coworkers asked if I feel like I have been getting the support that I need. It helps when your coworkers care. To be honest, that was one of my biggest concerns - having unsupportive coworkers who want NOTHING to do with a new grad like myself, but it has been the opposite!

This is pretty much my experience, too. I'm officially off orientation now, but have been taking my own, smaller (3-4) team of pt on my own for a couple of weeks now. My preceptor has been just checking off on charting and making sure things are going OK for me. I feel VERY lucky--my coworkers have been really great about answering questions and even going out of their way to teach me, when they don't have to. It's still strange to see my name up on the board "Aurora77 Rms 1-4" like I'm a real nurse. :nurse:

I'm really loving night shift. I know it may be different when I have my full team of 6 pts, but I love being able to spend time with my patients when they need reassurance or having the time to answer questions. I enjoy the teaching aspect of nursing, so I'm glad to have the chance to do that.

I also have to brag--I had to restart an IV last night and I did the whole thing, by myself and got it on the first try!! I'm OK with doing other procedures, but IV starts scare the snot out of me for some reason. I was doing the happy dance when I was successful last night. :lol2:

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Aug 10, 2011

I am flying solo starting this week...I get to spread my wings. I'm kind of nervous, but really I have been by myself this whole time, I've just had someone there with me double checking my charting, being there with me when I call the doctor to make sure I don't forget anything, etc. And besides, it's not like I can't ask questions now that I am no longer orienting... :)

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Aug 13, 2011

I am going to stay on until end of August, I am debating agreeing staying on for the full 12 weeks usually allotted. 2 weeks ago I wouldn't have said that and would have went ahead and gone off now. I just met with my boss. But now that things are going better with my second preceptor she talked to me and basically showed me the plus to staying on. It's win-win for her and me. LOL She is pregnant and leaving for maternity leave in Jan. as long as she is precepting she won't have to float and won't be put on call unless we close the unit. She also makes 3 dollars extra an hr. For me, I will be get full time as long as I am precepting. Once I am off orientation I go to part time until busy season hits this winter. So I would be lucky to get 2 days a week as is. That will be great next summer, but right now we could really use the money.

So I told her I can live with that and I would ask my boss if I can stay on orientation until the end of August and then re-evaluate. I figure it won't hurt at all to stay on outside of the full time hours. Right now I average 3-4 patients a night because census has been low. But this winter I will be having on average 6 with no downtime and I haven't experience a lot of different kiddo types yet. Respiratory issues being the big one we will get this winter. So I would like to have a lot more experience with that type while I still have "help". She said when school starts we usually get a lot of asthma cases so that will give me some more experience to prepare.

So anyway, that's where I stand as of now. Hopefully things still keep going well and I get to stay back in Full Nurse roll. I talked to my boss about it all and she was really great about it all and said if I feel I need to switch let her know because she wants me to have a great experience. I told her though as long as it stays like this it will be good because I don't want to create any awkwardness with switching and because it is a lot better. She said she thinks a lot of it is my preceptor is new to precepting and just took the classes and was probably looking forward to really holding someones hand and "educating" them on everything. Well I came a long and had a good handle already since she was my 2nd preceptor and she said I am a real go-getter that jumped right in swimming and didn't really give her the chance to hold my hand. Which is exactly what I felt the problem was too. Just a difference of personality types. I guess the last new grad ended up precepting for 16 weeks and still struggled a lot. So she probably would be a bitter fit.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Aug 19, 2011

So stoked, I got a 750 dollar referral bonus for my friend that I got an interview for. She was hired part time (although she will get full time hours) so it's 750. If they would have hired her at Full time it would have been 1500.

Very nice surprise since our unit closed last Sat. and I missed out on 12 hours that would have had night and weekend differential.

dudette10, MSN, RN · Aug 20, 2011

I've resisted posting here because I don't want to give out too many details.

A lot of nurses on the floor have given me their ideas of how to do things (which I LOVE and deeply appreciate, btw), and I've taken a little bit of this and a little bit of that to fit my organizational needs. If any of the nurses were to look closely at my binder, they would recognize parts of their stuff in there! :)

My education has given me a firm basis on assessment, pharmacology, prioritization of patient care, "red flags" on patient situations, and basic safety measures--yes, I do the five rights every single time--with which to build on. (Which makes me wonder why in the hell some nurse friends have said to me, "Forget everything you learned in school. This is the real world." Um, really?)

When I'm allowed to fly on my own (with lots and LOTS of questions about patient situations and nursing judgement), I can do this. When I'm tethered to someone else's singular way of organizing and planning, I start to sink.

I spent nearly 10 years in project management in my previous career (huge projects with a lot of gears going at one time) and, without a doubt, that experience has been invaluable to my nursing practice.

tracyd77, RN · Aug 21, 2011

I'm glad things are going well for you guys and Mi Vida Loca, it's nice to have an update from you... I remember sharing some things with you throughout nursing school! I start orientation TOMORROW!! I'm so excited and nervous. Tomorrow and Tues is just basic hospital orientation, my nursing orientation and ancillary rounds start the following week. I am anxious to meet my preceptor(s), I hope I get someone I mesh with! I'll update you guys once I get going! Keep up the great work, guys! We're Nurses!! :yeah: :nurse:

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Aug 24, 2011

I'm glad things are going well for you guys and Mi Vida Loca, it's nice to have an update from you... I remember sharing some things with you throughout nursing school! I start orientation TOMORROW!! I'm so excited and nervous. Tomorrow and Tues is just basic hospital orientation, my nursing orientation and ancillary rounds start the following week. I am anxious to meet my preceptor(s), I hope I get someone I mesh with! I'll update you guys once I get going! Keep up the great work, guys! We're Nurses!!

That's awesome!!! I hope it goes well!!!

My boss is only going to let me precept a few more weeks. She said they really need me on the floor and that I have proven that I am more then ready. She said though that if I am worried about keeping full time hours I can always pick up a shift on Surgical, they are always down nurses. She said I can't be floated until 6 months but if I am volunteering to do it that's fine. Since she manages Surgical too she can do that. So I probably will do that if I am not getting 3 days a week on my unit while census is low.