Nursing?

[Catherinexi17]

I'm a brand new nurse with 10 months experience on a difficult renal floor at a downtown hospital and I am running on fumes as far as my tolerance to 7 high acuity patients on night shift.

Can anyone offer any advice on a career outside of the hospital - Home Health, Private Duty Nursing, the mall (lol)? There is a Starbuck's on the corner of my hospital and I seriously think how amazing my life would be if I just worked there...oh gosh!

My fresh eyes and desire to be perfect just do not mix well with the nurse to patient ratio and all the shortcuts taken at that hospital.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

The first year is a GIGANTIC curve.

IF you want to stay in this business, a few things:

How's your organization?

If you don't know about them or have them, get a brain sheet-search in AN and there are a ton of them; tailor it to what you need, and go from there.

Strive to be competent and near perfect; meaning be safe; also leave work at WORK, find ways to relax and have hobbies, meditate do yoga; even seek out professional help or someone to talk to; if you are not healthy (eating right, SLEEPING, etc) you are not going to be on top of your A game to hone your practice.

It's only been 10 months- it gets easier, keep working at it. :)

Best wishes.

[PauperRN]

U need support. U know well as we do that no bird can fly on one wing, same as the saying that no man is an island. 10 months is a short span for evaluation and u haven't tried other branches of nursing.