New Grad Thrown to the Wolves!

Bala Shark · Jul 15, 2006

I am a new grad myself...I take the NCLEX in a few weeks..I did not apply for jobs yet because I wanted the NCLEX done first.. Yikes, maybe you should talk to the manager saying you should follow a nurse for a few more weeks so you will get the hang of it?

If you are feeling incompetent, then you should take actions to feel competent..Or maybe another hospital, would be better..

BBQvegan · Jul 15, 2006

Wow, I am not a nurse yet, but it sounds like you have a lot of responsibility already. You think they trained you for 4 weeks and thought you were great already and decided to throw you in? Do you have a supervisor overseeing you? Are you able to get any feedback at all? Can you just talk to the other nurses to find out if you know what you're doing?

TazziRN, RN · Jul 15, 2006

Temporary license as in interim permittee? You should not be working on your own, because an IP is NOT NOT NOT licensed. An IP is someone who has taken the NCLEX but has not gotten licensed yet. I would suggest having a meeting with the person who recruited you. This is not a safe situation for you, because if you make a mistake that could have been avoided had you been precepted, you would still be in jeopardy with the BON.

JoeyDog · Jul 15, 2006

I agree with the last reply this is a completely unsafe situation! I think you are potentially jepordizing your future in nursing. Even though it is illegal for you to work alone on a temp liscence your hospital is doing it anyway, it is your responsibility to speak up when you know something is wrong. Remember advocate, advocate, advocate and that goes for yourself too! You do not want to make a mistake and ruine a carrer that hasn't even gotten started yet. Good luck!!! It's a tough situation to be in. :mad:

stillstudying · Jul 15, 2006

I sympathize with you!!

I just finished my first orient night on 6pm to 6am shift - and my head is still spinning!! I have two more 12 hr orients - then aaaallllllllllllll 35 patients are my responsibility - acckkkk! (and I just passed NCLEX-pn 2 weeks ago)

It makes me question how much the facility truly cares about the patients.

Hang in there - I wish you the best!

Bala Shark · Jul 15, 2006

I sympathize with you!!
I just finished my first orient night on 6pm to 6am shift - and my head is still spinning!! I have two more 12 hr orients - then aaaallllllllllllll 35 patients are my responsibility - acckkkk! (and I just passed NCLEX-pn 2 weeks ago)
It makes me question how much the facility truly cares about the patients.
Hang in there - I wish you the best!

Yea, I am a new graduate..In clincals, I often told the assisstants to help me with things..My unfair clincal instructor actually wrote me up that I delegated a task to an assistatant! With 35-40 patients in the real world, I will be delegating things no matter what the clincal instructor told me that it was wrong...Can you belive what I been through!

grinnurse, RN · Jul 15, 2006

Just wanted some thoughts on my situation, here it is...
I graduated in May-gotta job on a med/surg floor- 4-weeks of orientation-and I'm now caring for 6-7 pts all by myself.
But get this. I have no resource person, no one offers help, and I'm still working under a TEMPORARY LICENSE! What's the legalities on this?
Also, yesterday a doctor asked me why I turned off a morphine drip when respirations were 6, and this pt is braindead after a massive MI. The order said "titrate to comfort". A dnr ofcourse but, I almost laughed and said kiss my a**.
Not really-I just told him i learned it in school and the ativan was working just fine until respirations came back up. LORD HELP ME!

If it were me, I would be looking for a new place of employment and fast!! There is no way, I don't care how good of a student anyone was, with 4 weeks of orientation and no support can take care of that many patients as a GN can be safe!! I started last year and I was freaking out at 6 weeks but my situation was different, I at least had other "senior" nurses that were there for backup, questions, help, etc. I say get out of there fast if you can and if that is not an option, talk to the supervisor and if you don't get any results keep moving up that chain of command.

Good luck and keep us posted!!

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jul 15, 2006

No one is offering to help probably because they are in the same boat as you wtih six or seven patients. They are busy.

You have to learn to be assertive and say what you need. If you need help, ask. If you can't handle your assignments, then say so. No one can read your mind.

Ask the manager who is your resource person, is there a charge nurse? If so this is usually the resource person. Don't make each and every decision on your own, find an experience nurse and ask questions whether it bothers them or not. Use the experienced nurses to bounce things off of, like "when to turn a morphine drip off a dying person", etc. If they give you attitude and/or roll their eyes, too bad.

It hate it for you and other new grads, because when orientation is over, it's over. But you have to take things in your own hands or you're going to get frustrated and make mistakes.

Good luck.

ortess1971 · Jul 15, 2006

If you have a temporary license(as in GN that hasn't taken the boards yet) you should not be doing some of the things you are doing without an RN there that can cosign etc. You should find another job, quickly. My hospital gives med/surg GN's 3 months of orientation and in specialties, it's 6 months to a year. We were told that the floors or our dept. are not supposed to "count" us as a staff member until orientation is finished. This sounds like a dangerous situation both for you and your patients.

INnurse · Jul 15, 2006

4 weeks of orientation is NOT enough for any new nursing position. As nurses, we have so many opportunities. Just remember, You DON'T have to settle for any job. The bottom line is, protect yourself and your nursing license. Don't jeopardize your license before you even have it. Talk to a supervisor or someone in charge about this situation. The fact that they even put you in this situation in the first place and it is acceptable to them says a lot, I think. This facility doesn't sound like one that I would stay at too long.

JohnBearPA · Jul 15, 2006

I went thru similiar experiences as a GPN. First day on the job at a LTC, I was given report by the outgoing LPN, and told to have a good day. I asked where the RN was, or for that matter another LPN, and was told they both called in sick, and I had the floor. not a wing of the floor, THE FLOOR (47 pts!)

Well, let's just say I made it thru the day, because the outgoing LPN informed me that since I took report, I accepted the assignment, and it would be neglect if i refused now. I still don't know how I made it thru that day. I had NO orientation, and I thank God for the CNA's that helped me that night. There was one other LPN in the facility on another floor, and NO RN, which is against the law. As a GPN, i had to work under the supervision of an RN at all times. I pointed this out to the DON the next day, and was told not to worry about it. Long story short, i didn't work there long.

Make sure about the legal aspects of what you're taking responsibility for, and remember, it's YOUR future license you're protecting!