New grad in ER residency - feeling so overwhelmed!

Published Jun 9, 2016

3 Posts

I graduated in April of this year with a BSN and quickly landed a job in the ER - the only place I've really been able to see myself working as a nurse. ER is what I've wanted from the beginning.

I've gone through a full week of orientation so far (not on the floor yet, just education and orientation-type things, and basic skills review). Yesterday, I had to "check off" on starting an IV, and I felt incredibly incompetent. I explained to the person watching me do it that my school did not teach starting IV's, and this was my first time. She was very nice and understanding, but about 20 of my peers were also watching me attempt to start an IV for the first time. I felt frustrated and embarrassed - I had raised my concerns to my school about IV education several times, and they had not been addressed. Every other resident there had done it multiple times.

Today I started faltering on the most basic thing I can think of: a glucometer check. I've done them hundreds of times on patients, but today, they wanted us to demonstrate on ourselves. For some reason, this messed me up - I had never taken my own sugar before!

I was a well above-average student, graduated summa cum laude, and did well in all my skills labs. Despite this, I'm starting to feel overwhelmed at what I don't know, and the basic things that I DO know how to do I'm starting to mess up because I'm so nervous.

Most of all, I would NEVER want to hurt a patient. I will get 16 weeks with my preceptor on the floor, but I'd like to hear from those of you that were maybe in the same boat I am. Is it normal to feel like you know nothing?