New LPN in LTC - what was it like for you all when LTC was new to you?

[lifeisgood2012]

I recently graduated as an LPN and am currently working in LTC. I feel like I am drowning. I am brand new to nursing and mostly new to LTC (did clinicals in this setting) and I am wondering if this is normal. Did you all feel this way when you first started working LTC? Or first started working as a nurse? I feel like I am compromising my patients safety and I do get help/training (which I am not complaining about) but everyone is spread so thin and I feel like I should know more than I do - be doing more than I am doing - but I am already staying late to finish up nurses notes, already taking notes on my "cheat sheet" and referring back to it especially with new admissions patients, already feel like I have so many loose ends that I havent tied up but am so exhausted by the time I already have stayed late that I let it slide. I feel like I am already at the point of exhaustion that sometimes I am making careless errors and I really dont have the time to go sit down - I cant go sit down - or I would be staying later than I already am.

People keep telling me I will get down to a routine. I have even found in some instances I have been trained incorrectly - so I am having to relearn without saying anything about it - we didnt have a supervisior the other night -so I was having to ask other RN's who are also in orentation for help. The DON eventually came in but I guess thats just the way things are.

How were things for you when nursing was new for you? When LTC was new for you? What did you do outside of being your own advocate and keeping your patients as safe as you could while trying to keep yourself safe (not die from exhaustion) to help manage your time better? Yesterday I had one CNA for m y hall - I couldnt add to her long list of responsibilities because she also had an entire hall to take care of - when we are supposed to have 2 CNA's. She had to go help another CNA on another hall that was by herself and behind. My supervisor had to endu p come helping me. still feel lke I am drowning. I have been there less than 3 weeks. What do I do? Support appreciated.