New nurse... ah!!!

[love_to_nurse]

Hi everyone,

First I'd like to say that this website has helped me countless times during school when I needed advice or help with something. Now that I've officially entered the fabulous field of nursing, I've joined :) (yay) i graduated and took my boards January 2015 (thank god that's over). I'm still in school for my BSN... but work at a nursing home 3 days a week. It is absolutely the craziest and most difficult thing I've done. I'm slowly getting adjusted and to be honest, I love the residents and how loving and sweet some of them are. They really do touch my heart. But... sometimes I feel so overwhelmed it makes me scared that I'm not adjusting fast enough. This is the beginning of my third week now and I feel like I don't administer my treatments and meds fast enough... I feel like I have to rush which I don't want to do because I don't want to make mistakes... and ugh, sometimes I just feel so lost and frustrated. Someone please reassure me this will get better and this is just new nurse blues or something of the sort?

Sincerely,

A new nurse with who feels like her brain is sort of melting

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

First, welcome to AN as a registered member!

Second, take a deep breath. Moving from student to practicing nurse is a stressful event and can be overwhelming at times. It's only been three weeks. Working in the OR, we tell those new to the OR that it's going to take about a year or longer to feel confident and competent. I'm sure with other specialties, it's the same or not really that much shorter. Give it time, develop your routine, and things will start feeling like second nature.

[love_to_nurse]

Thanks so much! Sometimes it's hard to believe that time will come when I'm so flustered with everything else. ::takes a deep breath:: patience is key