New nurse blues!

[dblpn]

I'm currently working the night shift at a rehab and long term care facility. on top of being sooo tired every night from lack of sleep; i feel that i'm not giving the best of care to my residents. i feel so lost. the report on my residents that i get is very scanty. when i come on i have to wait awhile until the nurse gets done with her work and when she finally does its like almost an hour later when i get report. getting report on patients in long term care is very different from acute care. no one tells me their admitting diagnosis. it makes me scared that i don't know these things. it takes me forever to look into their charts to get information. things are so chaotic i feel that i'm missing something or forgot to do something. i'm always asking questions. when i'm reporting off to more experienced nurses i feel like a complete idiot when they ask me about labs, meds, appointments etc..

I don't quite have a routine yet. can someone please tell me how to get it together so i can stop wondering if i'm cut out to be a nurse.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Have you tried a taped report? I always taped my reports at 245 or so when I worked on 7-3. That way the incoming nurse could listen while I finished charting or cleaning up the med cart and if she had questions, she could ask.