New LPN

[NewNurseJ]

Hello!

I'm in need of some words of encouragement...

I am a graduate of 4 months now and I started my first job about a month ago in a nursing home. I definitely underestimated what the nursing home would be like. The patient load/paperwork OVERWHELMED me! I was given 4 days of orientation and then I was on my own. I was expected to do a hall and half of another. ((Even though I was hired on to be responsible for 1 hall...so I was told)) I was so behind on my med passes! I would have to stay an hour or even 2 after work just to get my paperwork and charting done. The facility was understaffed, so I felt pressure to be faster and it just made my anxiety so bad. It's like I could not get organized enough or something! Between having to do my med passes, treatments, tending to important needs with residents, my CNA's coming up to my med cart telling me that "Mrs. so and so needs this and Mr. so and so wants that", it's like my head was going to explode. I would try my hardest and move as fast as I could...but I always ended up being behind. Don't get me wrong, tending to my residents is of utmost importance, but some of the things they were needing me for just wasn't urgent enough for me to stop my med pass to go and tend to every little need. It makes it impossible for me to finish my med pass. On top of me being super stressed, since the facility was understaffed, it was just me and one other nurse on my shift. I felt terrible because I was so slow and that she would have to do all of her duties and end up having to pick up all my slack as well. I actually felt bad for whichever nurse I was having to work with on my shift for the day...cause I knew they would be stressed to the max by the end up of night. I could also sense that some nurses didn't wanna work with me because of it and it just killed my self esteem. I literally felt too incompetent to be there a lot of the time. A lot of the more experienced nurses were just rude to me. A lot of days it was hard for me to even get out of my car to go inside the facility for another shift. I seriously felt sick to my stomach about it. I ended up quitting after about 4 weeks. Although I really did not like that job, I am really bummed that I quit because now I don't know if I would of ever been good enough. I think to myself, "Could I of mastered my duties and become a good nurse?". It just did not help my confidence about nursing and now I feel a tremendous amount of anxiety about trying to find another job. I just don't want to go through the humiliation again. I know the only way to get experience is just to go out there and do it...but it's really hard! I'm passionate about nursing, but I just feel really discouraged and wondering if I am cut out for it. I don't feel like I'm organized enough! My mind is just everywhere because there is so much to be done! I guess I am just needing some words of encouragement. Anyone else ever felt like this? Did it eventually get better? How long did it take for you? Any advice/encouragement is so greatly appreciated!!

[thenightnurse456]

Yes it gets better, the more you do it the more efficient you'll become with time.

Nursing school doesn't teach you how to be an LTC nurse, it's a completely different game to the hospital setting. Less staff/support/orientation/resources.

You'll get there. Just search the LPN corner for hundreds of threads just like yours. Most start the way you feel now.

Good luck!

[Illusionist]

Don't feel so bad. You are not alone, I just finished my first day yesterday and it wAs insane, I am still giving 9pm meds on 11pm. And people kept on calling me with no end for pain meds, and sleeping meds and cna's calling my attention for something they see on the skin.

I want to quit on my first day but I think I will try giving it a week or two. If not, I will just do home health and go back to school for rn.

[Philly_LPN_Girl, LPN]

You just have to find and learn a way to manage your time. It will not be perfect but things could get better. I do agency work and LTC prn for experience I love my schedule

[jpLPN]

First off I have to REALLY put emphasis on a few things.

-A new nurse should NEVER have 4 days of orientation.

-Two halls of patients is unsafe

-Its YOUR license on the line and you have to protect it, even if it means your gonna **** someone off. Remember how hard you worked for your license. Dont compromise the value of it.

Now..I will say this: Get the hell out of there. You have a few month experience so start looking elsewhere. This isnt the norm of places. When you start to apply and you interview you ask: how long is your orientation process and what does it involve. Also will you have a mentor?

My first job out of nursing school was hell and I had some of the worse mentors. Seriously it was a huge lesson in ethics. After a few months I started applying to other places and found a better job. At this job I had 4 weeks of orientation. I worked sub acute (thats the experience that I really wanted under my belt) for 7 years and then did long term care for 3. I just started a job at the local VA hospital. And yes Im an LPN!

You have to advocate for yourslef and you need to work for an employer that will support you. Also you cant get too bogged down on how long its taking you to do things and that you have to stay late to finish work. This is kinda of the norm until you get your feet wet and get a routine down. It will come with time. Also if you passing meds for more that 20-22 pts on a LTC floor thats not safe for the pts or for you. This should serve as a HUGE warning sign to get out of this job pronto.

Know the confines of your license and also your comfort level of what your being thrown into. Dont compromise this for the sake of just having a job and getting experience. Its your license.

And on another not I wouldnt work for agency right away...thats a whole new ballgame. Build up your skills and confidence and then seek it out. Yeah the money is good but there is a reason for that, you NEVER know what your walking into.