New Grad, in desperate need of emotional support!

[yinit9278]

Hi All,

I'm a new grad with a BSN in massachusetts that would ultimately kill to find a job in a hospital setting! However, I couldn't get a job anywhere except in a sub acute rehab facility. I am feeling very overwhelmed and discouraged, and seeking some support!

I am still training but the patient ratio of 14:1 seems extremely overwhelming, they are still on paper med orders, so no emar :-(. All of the meds are written on paper and I have to search for all patient meds in my med cart, narcotics included! I am terrified of making a med error and feel extremely pressured to move at a faster pace, but have no idea how I can possibly give out meds to so many patients any faster and still practice safe nursing. The seasoned nursing staff seems overwhelmed, and dont have time to evaluate for preventative care. So its feels like they are always solving problems with patients if/when they happen instead of assessing for and pro-actively preventing them in the first place. This is not the type of nursing care that I was trained to provide and I leave every day feeling extremely guilty!

I am struggling to see how I can manage my time effectively with meds and also complete every patients treatments. I came home today practically in tears, I cannot imagine doing this on my own three weeks from now! I cannot seem to find the light at the end of this horribly long tunnel...

What makes this worse is that other nurses have expressed that hospitals don't view this job as actual work experience, though I cannot imagine how that is possible! This place takes multi-tasking to a whole new level! Do you guys think I am wasting my time here? Any advice on what I should do to eventually open up pathways that would lead me into a hospital?!?

Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated!

[nurse2033, MSN, RN]

You are not wasting time, you are working as a nurse. It may not be the experience you want, but it is much, much, better than nothing. I would keep applying for the jobs you want. Do your best to practice safely but many nursing jobs are like this. If you can learn to cope with the pace, that will be an excellent skill for any job. I have rarely had all the time I wanted to get all my "nursing" done in any job. Don't feel guilty about the overwork. It is not your fault, but the fault of your mangers. You sound like you are doing the best you can, and that's perfectly reasonable. If is wasn't tough, everyone would do it.

[yinit9278]

I really appreciate the support, your post makes it easier to face putting on my scrubs tommorrow to go back in there :).

[LCarrRN]

I agree. You absolutely not wasting your time. it's valuable work experience. It will be a great plus for you when you do have an interview in a hospital to be able to tell them you have taken care of 14 patients at a time. That will tell them that you have time management skills as well as experience with a high work load which is valuable where ever you go. I also work in a rehab facility on a med cart with up to 20-22 patients at a time when we are full. I too felt the exact same way that you feel now. I've been here for a year and it has gotten much easier. What worked for me was to develop a routine and stick to it. Start your med pass at the same time with the same patient. Maybe even keep a notebook or flag your MAR. Anything that will help you. You have to find something that works for you. It took me months to get settled, but eventually it became second nature to me. After a while, you will see yourself getting much more efficient. Now I can knock out a med pass in an hour rather than 2 and can do it safely. As long as you are working hard and doing your best, you will get better. I can promise you that. Hold your head high! :)