New Grad PN

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Specializes in Grad practical nurse.

I am a new grad with a TPP.  A lot of places don't accept it so I'm limited to where I can work. I know most will advise new nurses not to go to LTC facilities, but I had no other choice so I went to this facility. They had me on training for three 12 hour days. Then suddenly without warning they threw me on a cart and told me I am working because there was a call off. Of course I panic because I feel like I don't know wth I'm doing yet, so I expressed my concerns to the supervisor. She told me it is what it is and to just  ask someone for help if I need it. So I start my med pass and of course I fall so behind, because it's my first one on my own. Eventually they send in a preceptor to help guide me, but she stayed at a desk most of the time or would randomly leave. That caused me to fall even more behind. I don't know much about tube feeds and felt like I wasn't comfortable with it, so it ended up taking forever. Then nobody communicated to me that the aids don't empty the foley Cath bags so they left it for me but didn't say anything until it was extremely full. I emptied it after someone became irritated with me . After a while the preceptor came back and had to jump on the car because I was so behind. We did meds together and I didn't get out of there until an hour later: I feel like a failure and maybe nursing is not for me. I'm so disappointed because I feel like I have no options and now I'm stuck in this position.

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Specializes in Home Health, PDN, LTC, subacute.

OK. LTC is very hard to start in with only three days of training. How many patients? 30?  I had a three week orientation and I still felt frazzled. Getting a little behind on your first day is not bad. You will get faster and better. If you can learn the residents it will make everything so much easier.  Don't give up. Ask for more help if you need it and hang in there. It will get better. 

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Specializes in Grad practical nurse.
Elektra6 said:

OK. LTC is very hard to start in with only three days of training. How many patients? 30?  I had a three week orientation and I still felt frazzled. Getting a little behind on your first day is not bad. You will get faster and better. If you can learn the residents it will make everything so much easier.  Don't give up. Ask for more help if you need it and hang in there. It will get better. 

yes it's about 34 pts. They told me that they are short staffed and have had several nurses quit within the last few days so I will likely have to be on my own again without any training. The aids were mad and acted like I was incompetent. One of them laughed in my face. It just makes me not want to go back. I wish I could work somewhere else with my temp license. On top of it I was rushing, and I shouldn't have to especially when working with patients that have communicable diseases. I just feel frazzled and burnt out already. And thank you for saying that. Makes me feel a bit better to know that others have got more training than what they offered me. 

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Specializes in Home Health, PDN, LTC, subacute.

34 is a lot. I also started pre Covid mess. I'm not sure what your temp license is though. Most LTC places are similar. Some are better, some are worse. I worked in a good one luckily. The CNAs were union so they made good money and benefits. Maybe try for a few more days before you jump ship? Again ask for help if you need it. 

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Specializes in Grad practical nurse.
Elektra6 said:

34 is a lot. I also started pre Covid mess. I'm not sure what your temp license is though. Most LTC places are similar. Some are better, some are worse. I worked in a good one luckily. The CNAs were union so they made good money and benefits. Maybe try for a few more days before you jump ship? Again adk for help if you need it. 

Yeah you're right. I probably should give it a few more days. I'm praying it gets easier. Thanks for the kindness and advice. I appreciate you.

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I know how stressful this is, but hang in there.  You'll find your footing sooner than you think.  A lot of it is learning to prioritize. LTC isn't a glamorous area of nursing, and I don't think people on the outside realize what a tough gig it is.  

 

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Specializes in Orthopedics, Med-Surg.

Seems to me you need some attitude adjustment.  I'm not being negative, just pointing out my approach to problem solving.  Stop focusing on your self-perception as being slow and start just becoming task oriented and taking one step after another, fully conscious of the fact that if you take longer than expected, you're being paid by the hour.  It might cut into your free time but it will add to your paycheck.  It wasn't that long ago nobody was paying you anything for the work you put in.

Rich or poor, it's nice to have money.  Rome wasn't built in a day.  I have a million of these little saying that could be applied to this situation.  Know this: you will be much quicker a year from now.  In the meanwhile, sit down and think about your work.  What can you do to be more efficient?

I'll offer you a freebie:  never go down the hall for just one task unless it's an emergency.  Try to hit two or three patients anytime you head away from the nurse's station.  Cheer up.

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TPP? Start with avoiding obscure abbreviations.

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Specializes in Grad practical nurse.
floydnightingale said:

TPP? Start with avoiding obscure abbreviations.

Temporary practice permit

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Heyyall said:

Temporary practice permit

figured it was something like that but it didn't come up through a Google or Duckduckgo search, when I was in school I worked as a student nurse associate and after that I was a graduate nurse but I wouldn't throw SNA or GN at people, nursing is full of abbreviations that even people in the profession can't decipher, notice how many people follow their RN with an alphabet's worth of unintelligible letters

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Specializes in Critical Care-Case Management.

Some of these comments are too harsh. This is not your fault and your 'Preceptor' was

out of line sitting @ a desk while you needed help. Unfortunately, it is very common for hospitals, LTAC's experienced nurses to treat new grads very poorly. It is the main reason there is a nursing shortage.

Try to hang in there so you have a record of employment and as soon as possible, leave.

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