New Nurse, New Job, Feeling Dumb

[aimee32907]

I have a question. I am a new nurse, and I begin my first job as a nurse next week. I'm sure it's normal to be anxious (with any job!), but I feel DUMB. I graduated with honors from nursing school, passed the NCLEX the first time, but for some reason I just don't feel ready to begin working as nurse (I was a CNA for 14 years). I still feel like I don't know everything I should know to take care of my patients. My question is: is that a normal feeling? Did most of you feel "ready" when you started your first job as a new nurse? Intimidated? How did you handle it? Will it look silly if I take notes? I have so much anxiety and so many questions! Help?

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I was thinking about this post the other day. It is interesting how many nursing students or new nurses confess their performance anxiety on this board. Fundamentally, I think it is a failure of the nursing education system that it doesn't promote self-confidence. While it is normal to feel unsure about using new skills, I think much of it has to do with how adults are treated in nursing school. They are taught to be afraid and not confident. They are criticized rather than being praised. If I could change something about nursing school it would be that it would be a confidence building experience so that when people graduate they are excited about the profession and not wrapped in fear.

There is nothing scarier than a new nurse who is confident but not competent. The lack of self confidence is what prevents new grads from killing their patients. I'm all for nurses lacking self-confidence until they have some competence to back it up, the ability to discern what they actually know from what they think they know or what might be true and the wisdom to seek help before they make a potentially lethal error.

[jdub6]

And honestly, even if you work there for 10 years and then leave and go to a new hospital you were have a "I feel dumb" moment, not because you don't know how to do the job, but because the way they do things is different.

That's the thing in nursing, we're all so desperate to look competent and God forbid we don't know something.

I'm digging up an old thread because these points are so very important. As someone with 10 years experience who recently started a new specialty in a new facility I spent months reminding myself that everyone is new once. IMHO the worst thing you can do for yourself, your patients and your career is sacrifice a chance to learn, or take a chance doing something you don't know how to do, because you are afraid of looking stupid. Those who become good at what they once were new at will be recognised because their skills/knowledge/work ethic eventually speak for themselves. Be patient. Trying to force that image while you're new will result in dangerous knowledge deficits that will only keep you from earning respect in the long run. Those who work hard and learn as they go always earn respect from those who do likewise. Let your work speak for itself.

I find that the people who are most eager to make others look or feel stupid are often those who sacrifice their own knowledge in favor of building their image. They reassure themselves of their own abilities by making others look/feel incompetent. Those people often have glaring, dangerous lack of skills/knowledge themselves because they are more concerned with looking good than being good. In many cases these people are also known for poor teamwork and don't help others when they need it. Eventually what goes around comes around and people are seen for who they really are.