New RN ready to give up

[andie78]

I know this has probably been a topic on here before but I wanted to write out my feelings in hope someone could give me some advice.

I recently graduated in May and currently working on a Med/Surg Ortho unit. When I graduated, I was so ready to be the best compassionate nurse I could be. But now that I have been doing this for some months now, I feel overwhelmed and have constant anxiety. I find myself not being able to do the things I used to love to do, I can't fall asleep at night and if I wake up at 3 A.M. and I work the next morning, I toss and turn until my alarm clock goes off. I have an upset stomach, diarrhea, headaches etc. I leave work and I constantly think about something that I could have done better or missed. On my days off, I count the hours down until I have to go to work again.

For my job training, I learned about Ortho patients and surgeries but I was hired for the new unit which has been deemed anything but Ortho. It is more like whatever they can find to fill the unit: chest pain, sepsis, elevated lactic acid, small bowel obstructions, altered mental status---All things that I was not trained on. I am lucky if I get one Ortho patient a month and when I do, I feel like I forgot everything I was trained on.

We are constantly short with no HUCs/CNAs and having to TPC our patients but receive nasty emails from our manager when the unit is messy or when HUC duties aren't done etc.

I have had numerous conversations with doctors who make you feel like the smallest stupidest person alive and deal with intimidating experienced RN's who question you about stuff you didn't have time to look into or tell you that you did wrong but I won't dive into that.

I don't really know what answers I am seeking by posting this, but I just know that they didn't teach you how to deal with anxiety, doctors, mangers and the constant stress that is nursing. Any advice? I feel like I am ready to quit or look for a job in a clinic but I want to gain the knowledge that comes from working in the hospital.

Thank you for any advice.

[ProgressiveActivist, BSN, RN]

It sounds like the rudeness is getting to you more than the patient population and workload.

If that is correct, then you need to start confronting the rudeass behavior. As in just because Im a new nurse doesnt mean you can speak to me like a dog.

Conversely, If your experienced coworkers have to correct you on something, you have to say thank you for letting me know.

[RNperdiem, RN]

For a lot of us, being a new nurse will be a major stressful event in life. It was for me. Every useful coping mechanism can be deployed and still the stress can wear a nurse down. Especially if you have to work short-staffed.

All I can tell you is that you get stronger. You learn what information to have ready when calling doctors, you learn to get things done more efficiently, you learn to ask your charge nurse for help before you get overwhelmed, you learn to get what you need from your CNAs because you need them to survive in med-surg.

What boosted my morale was knowing that I didn't have to work in my department forever.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

It's a given that nurses are slaves to the corporate masters. Do more with less or you are not viewed as successful for the corporation.

You have landed on a more toxic environment than a newbie would be expected to handle. I was barely able to handle what you describe , with 30 years of experience.

You describe health symptoms that require immediate action. Talk to your doctor, you may be entitled to a leave. If not, get out of dodge, any way you can.

[andie78]

Thank you so much for the different perspective. I am more fed up with the rudeness vs. the nursing itself. I have a hard time with confronting people because I am new so I know that is something I need to work on.

[andie78]

I know I probably should go to the doctor, Been here, done that. But the funny thing is, our schedules are only posted a week and a half in advance which doesn't leave you much time to plan for such things!

[andie78]

I never thought about it like that RNPerdiem! I think once I gain some more experience, I may be transferring to a different department.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

I know I probably should go to the doctor, Been here, done that. But the funny thing is, our schedules are only posted a week and a half in advance which doesn't leave you much time to plan for such things!

Not probably, a necessity. My doctor takes same day appointments, please make one.

[enuf_already]

OP, don't think that working in a clinic will solve all of your problems. Phone triage requires excellent clinical skills because patients call with issues that require you to know what questions to ask to be able to properly triage the call.

The hours aren't usually M-F 9-5 because people are late, physicians get behind with complex patients, and stuff happens.

Doctors and coworkers can be nasty no matter where you work and doctors can still yell. If a patient loves the doctor, it will always be the nurse's fault that something is wrong!

Continue to educate yourself on the things you need to learn (do you have an education specialist on your unit or available to you?). See your doctor to address your anxiety.

The most important thing I learned over the years to keep me sane is to leave work at work. Good luck to you.

[NurseIndependa]

I completely agree with your post, OP. I am a new ER nurse just getting off orientation and my anxiety is SKY high. My unit is short staffed and some nurses have such attitudes that I feel uncomfortable asking for their help. I am actually applying to graduate schools in the fall just because I am seeing I can't do bedside forever. Definitely see your doctor about medication. Take it day by day & know that you are slowly getting closer to the 1 year mark where you won't be the new grad anymore. Then you can apply to another unit that interests you.

[Foley6]

Hang in there. Get some experience under your belt, and then look into other areas of nursing that are less stressful. They are out there. I work in Occupational Health, and it is the best job I have ever had. It does not pay as well, but I get weekends and holidays off, and is WAY less stressful than hospitals. I used to work at 2 different large teaching hospitals (med/surg). I know exactly what you are saying.

[Foley6]

Also, once you get more experience, you may consider working for a nursing agency. I do this on the side. The nice thing about it is that you move around. You go to several different hospitals. You do not work for them so you are not involved in all of the corporate BS and backstabbing. You do your shift, and you may not see the same staff for months.