New Grad- I feel lost and I am scared!

shoegalRN, RN · Aug 3, 2011

Ok, you need to breathe!

For one, you are brand new fresh out of nursing school. The real world of nursing is nothing like nursing school. You are in a transition period, and you are adjusting. Don't be so hard on yourself. Rome was not built in a day.

Secondly, stop comparing yourself to other new grads and nurses alike. You do not know if those other new grads worked as techs during nursing school or maybe had a totally different nursing school experience than you did. Focus on your own journey.

Thirdly, starting IV's is a skill that you will master with repetition. The more you do, the better off you will be. Ask if you can get time in the GI lab to start IV's all day. Or even time in the ER to do nothing but start IV's.

And your preceptor should only be precepting one new grad at a time. Speak with your unit educator and see if you can get a preceptor that will be assigned to just you. This is how most orientations are done. Maybe your hospital is short staffed, or it not's in the budget to have preceptors dedicated to just precepting.

I am an ER nurse that has been a nurse for a little over 2 years and there are days where I still feel stupid, where I question my nursing judgment, where I can't hit a vein to save my life. You will not feel completely comfortable as a nurse until about the 3-5 year mark as I am told.

Be patient with yourself and give yourself time. It will get better.

Allysun · Aug 4, 2011

Everything takes time to get used to. I'm not a nurse yet, but I think that it is okay to be lost. You just got to get in the hang of things. Every new jobs' first day feel like you are lost. But, then you get the hang of it. It can but tough knowing that you are in charge of someone's life, you just need to ask other nurses and make sure you are safe and get that thang done! It just all takes getting used to.

Sanuk · Aug 4, 2011

A couple of things: first, I agree with the above poster that you can't compare yourself to others - this will always make you feel worse because there's always someone who is better at a specific task. Did that make sense? :rolleyes:

Next, I've been out of school for a while, but I think it's a disservice to you that you were not allowed to practice skills on real patients. In my clinicals, I spent several days in day surgery solely to learn IV skills. I was nervous as all getout and missed about the first dozen! Then one of the nurses offered to help me. Basically, the way we were taught in lecture and lab was not optimal. Once she showed me her technique, I was able to be successful. Now, I'm one of the ones they call to the floor for the hard sticks and enjoy a challenging stick.

If I were you, I would be direct but polite. Tell the preceptor that you need help/extra attention with A, B, C. List the things you feel you're behind on or unsure of.

It will get better. You're doing great already to have graduated, gotten your license, and landed a job! You can't expect to be an expert right out of the gate.

SNIXRN · Aug 4, 2011

There are nurses, who have been a nurse for over 15 years, and don't want to start IVs. Practice makes perfect. Ask another nurse if you can practice on him/her. Or go home and practice IVs with a hot dog - that's what I did when I wasn't at school.

llg, PhD, RN · Aug 4, 2011

Make a learning plan for yourself. Make a list, taking each topic or skill at a time. Then make a plan for learning more about that topic or skill and getting some practice with it.

Do you need to buy a book or two? Do you need to spend a little "homework" time reading up on a few things? Do you need to ask for the opportunity to practice a few technical skills with an experienced nurse? Share your list with whoever you think can help you and would be supportive of you at work -- your preceptor? the unit educator? your manager? etc. -- someone who will think positively about you for wanting to learn and for taking the initiative to make a plan and use whatever resources are available.

As you actually provide yourself with the extra education you feel you need, check each topic or skill off your list. That will give you a feeling of accomplishment and a sense of control over your situation. You'll be both learning helpful things and also boosting your self-esteem by taking responsibility for your own learning. Seeing yourself make progress will help lift your spirits.

Good luck to you.

ChinupBSNRN · Aug 5, 2011

Ahhhhh big hug to you! I am a new grad as well. And I have had more than my share of issues as a new grad as well. It is so tough!!! Don't diminish your ADN education in all of this. I finished BSN just a few months ago and trust me, we are just as lost feeling as you are!! Some are just better at shrugging the stress off than others are. Do not compare yourself to the others--everyone starts at square one. How each of us proceed from square one is unique and that is what makes all of us a unique and great RN! :-)

Definitely ask for some time in the ED/Cath lab/GI to practice IV sticks. I, too, was HORRIBLE at them! Only had 1 stick attempt during most of my clinicals. Then I got to do a month long capstone at a cath lab. Did at least 4-6 IV starts per day. The first week was rough with more misses than successes, but I, too, had someone show me a technique and I took off like wildfire with starting lines. In fact, just last night, I got to do 2 art sticks for ABG's and managed to get those on the first try. Prior to the cath lab, there would not have been a hope and a prayer of me making that stick. Also put the word out to other nurses on the floor that you want IV stick practice. I have learned on my unit that noone wants to do sticks if they don't have to and they will willingly let me do them! :-)

This forum has gotten me through my darkest times as a new grad. Things are looking up a little for me now, and I wanted to pay it forward and help others they way I have been helped. Hang in there, and just trust yourself to grow and develop everyday. Before you know it, you will be that unique nurse you want to be!

Big hug to you!

QueenMangin, BSN, RN · May 3, 2012

I graduated with an ADN from a "really good school" and my clinical experiences were terrible. Our instructors were responsible for up to 12 people on two different wings - it's was chaos and for me, it didn't work out well. I sort of managed to slip through the cracks without getting very much hands-on experience at all. We were supposed to have a preceptorship for our final rotation, which I think would have helped me a lot - but we never did. A lot of people were successful in clinicals and felt ready to start nursing. Me, I'm terrified. I passed all my classes easily and I know that I possess talents that you can't teach but it's the technical aspect that's causing me concern. I know the knowledge is in there - I just get nervous and tense up. I've been out of school now 5 months and have applied to so many new grad programs that I have to keep a spreadsheet of them all. I really believe with the proper support and encouragement, like the transition help you get in a new grad program would be excellent for me and bring out my abilities but those programs are only taking people with experience, with advanced degrees, with tons of certifications. In fact, to me, it seems like some of those people might be fine with a more traditional orientation and training. So I wonder are the hospitals focusing on the right people for these extensive training programs? What does that say about me? What happens to someone like me? I got into nursing because I wanted a career where I felt like I was doing something important, where I could advocate for patients, encourage people, educate communities, and continue to learn and grow. Is it possible that I managed to get into nursing school, get through it with honors and being well-liked and respected by my peers and instructors, but not really be "nurse material." Is that possible? I feel like I've made a big mistake. I feel like I want someone to hold my hand for a few weeks, really take their time with me and I know I would thrive under the encouragement but everyone says nursing isn't like that... it's sink or swim. So what happens to people like me? People who maybe want to wear a life vest for a little while? Does that mean we don't have the right stuff? Not sure what to do with this shiny new (getting older) degree.

dudette10, MSN, RN · May 7, 2012

It will get easier. I guarantee it.

A story:

Last night, I had to go to another floor where I transferred a patient to include in the chart orders on my transfer. (The doc said a bunch of things to me about discharge, failed to write the orders himself, and the receiving nurse pointed out that what I said in report for discharge planning was in contradiction to the previous written orders by the same doc. Ugh.)

Anyhoo, when I went to the other floor to include the order in the chart, a former classmate who was still on orientation was sitting at the desk. She was muttering under her breath about being overwhelmed and not knowing anything. I said to her exactly what I wrote in my first line.

Nearly a year ago, I was the new grad sitting at the desk, muttering under her breath about being overwhelmed and not knowing anything.

Good luck, and know that it gets better!

roughmatch · Aug 10, 2012

I know this post is old ... but boy did I need to read it. I could have written the original myself. I am right there, right now. Sigh. I keep telling myself to just keep going. I t will get better.

**emergenceRN17, ASN, BSN, RN** · Jun 5, 2017

I am so happy to have come across this post