new grad in trouble

[Encyfency]

I am new grad who started 3 mos ago in a medicine unit. Last week we had 2 nurses who called in sick, that day was very overwhelming for me. I had pts who needed platelets and RCC and other patients who had chronic pain issues. My manager came up and spoke to me regarding my patient's family complaining that I failed in provding good nursing care. I felt very bad about it and was almost crying when she was talking to me. It was an impossible day for me when tasks did not seem to end. I gave my 110% but still failed. I don't know what happened. No one has ever complained about me and now I fear about my job. what shd I do and any feedback/advice

thanks in advance

[Jules A, MSN]

I'm sorry you had this experience but keep in mind that you are not alone. There are times when we do our best and for whatever reason it is just not enough that day. Hopefully your nurse manager was just passing along feedback in an effort to see what was going on. If you really think the mgr was upset or you have been written up I would schedule a meeting with management to come up with a plan to be more successful in the future. Don't beat yourself up. Hugs, Jules

[Dr. Tammy, FNP/GNP-C]

Sounds like you had a crappy shift. As you know, when people are sick and their family is living with a sick family member the perceptual field of reality reduces significantly. Consequently you care for those who are not at their highest level of cognitive functioning. As a result their is a wide discrepancy between perceived nursing care and care given. These are all facts that we deal with every day.

It is a bit alarming, however, that your nurse manager did not place this into proper context. Specifically, the manager needs to provide support in one of two ways. First, to either let you know that a standard has not been met, or second, to point out that these comments, in the presence of adhering to the standard of care, are common phenomenon. If a mistake was made, a learning opportunity presents itself. If, however, the comments were made by those under stress, this should have been pointed out too. A good nurse manager knows the difference, but then again, their are weak managers in all fields--not just nursing.

It's important to remember to cut yourself some slack. We all work in an environment of high stress, demanding patients, high acuity level multi-systems pathology with dwindling resources. In nursing school, you are taught to care for patients under ideal circumstances. Unfortunately the ideal does not translate very well to the very real and often surreal arena of nursing.

[Melinurse]

Well said Tammy. Sorry you had such a rough shift. I would not think you'd be in too much trouble though. Just use this as a learning experience, you're a new grad. Give yourself a break, you'll make mistakes. My preceptor gave me a wonderful quote for when I would beat myself up:

" It's not how many times you fall, it's how many times you get back up." I take it no one was seriously harmed that shift, therefore, good job.