Nursing: Expectation vs Reality

[CPres2018]

New nurse here! I recently started working in August of 2020. In nursing school, they give you the perception that you have all the time in the world to properly care for your patients, get to know their backstory, their home life, their psychosocial, apply the Roy adaptation model to every single patient, perform a 30 minute head-to-toe assessment... And I had that idea that nursing would be that way, and I would have fulfillment from knowing that I provided that best care I could and made a difference.

During the beginning of my orientation, I was hit with this reality that nursing is no where near that. It's fast paced, it's challenging and if you prioritize and use time management, you're not at the bedside discussing the patient's home life! If you're worried about their home life, you put in a social worker consult.... LOL. 

All kidding aside, I worried I chose the wrong profession. I went into each day hoping to have a "good" day and I was often disappointed by the day I had been given. I had this idea that I would reach fulfillment by caring for my patients, but sometimes the patients wouldn't want my help. They refuse care, they don't want to take care of themselves and therefore you are very limited to the way you can care for them. Days don't always go my way. I am starting to let go of this idea of always wanting to have a good day.

I realize now that my previous viewpoint was selfish, always wanting to have a good day for my own sake. I now realize that the focus needs to be on my patients. Which may seem like, "duh," but it really is changing the way I am viewing my position as nurse.. I am there to serve others, not there to have a good day. Trying to let this be my focus every single day..

 

I want to ask those who have been in nursing for a while, what helped you to stay in the nursing profession? Is it your viewpoint of the job? Is it the way you de-stress? I would love tips. I plan to stay in nursing; despite the bad days, which are frequent, especially starting during a pandemic. 

Thank you all!

["nursy", RN]

Newbie nurses sometimes have the worst circumstance .....they are new, there's so much to learn, sometimes the support isn't there, it's just rough.  And those pie in the sky ideals of "helping people" are there, but they get lost in the first year or two of becoming proficient.  Once you reach a certain level of proficiency, you can look around and find something or somewhere that fits the type of nursing you want to do.  There are many areas of nursing where you work one-on-one much more, and can really feel like you make  a difference; home health, hospice, wound care, school nurse, transplant unit, burn unit, corrections, etc. Right now, just hang in there, be a sponge, learn as much as you can.  You will know the right time to make a change.

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

I find that, as a preceptor, that it is a huge reality check when new nurses find out what it is really like. Even while they are on orientation, they are somewhat protected. That first week off orientation is hard. 

I feel that it is unfair that new nurses have this burden. Nursing school is its own personal h***, but the real world is hard to describe or prepare for. 8 years ago, I had the best preceptor and she really helped me adjust. Ask for help, most nurses are willing to do it ❤️ 

[Davey Do]

11 hours ago, CPres2018 said:

If you're worried about their home life, you put in a social worker consult....

I want to ask those who have been in nursing for a while, what helped you to stay in the nursing profession? Is it your viewpoint of the job? Is it the way you de-stress? I would love tips. I plan to stay in nursing; despite the bad days, which are frequent, especially starting during a pandemic. 

Thank you all!

"Social worker consult"- that's a good one!

What helped me stay in nursing was that it was always interesting and the learning process was ongoing. If I didn't care for an area or a facility, I'd just find another job, and was never out of work for very long.

Even after about 20 years, when I got fired and wanted to give up nursing, a position found me and I worked in the field for an additional 17 years!

In de-stressing, I followed Joseph Campbell's concept of "Follow Your Bliss". Exercise and art were, and continue to be, my drugs of choice.

Good luck, CPres2018. I sense you are one who can now see the forest for the trees and will persevere!

[JBMmom, MSN, NP]

I completely understand your feelings. When I was on orientation in the hospital at first I had only two med/surg patients alongside my preceptor. My patient had some questions about blood pressure meds so I found all the print resources I could and sat and went over it. My preceptor was very nice about it but she reminded me that the point of only having two patients was that I would be shadowing her with the other three patients. She told me that I should not have spent that much time doing what I did because "you'll never be able to do it when you're on your own".  I was disappointed to think that was true. I have had some time since then, but she was definitely correct that it wouldn't be a regular thing.

You will find ways to make time for the most important aspects of care. Patients these days, for the most part, understand how busy the nurses are and appreciate the time that you can give them. I stay in nursing because every day I have the opportunity to help a critically ill patient get better. Some days I'm leaving them barely better than when I started, but for the most part I have been able to do something positive for my patient and that's enough for me. Good luck!