Hey everyone. I know many have posted about this before but I just need some advice and to vent. I've been on orientation for 15 weeks on nights and I'm on my own starting this week. I should feel like I'm ready after 15 weeks but I just don't know. I feel like I'm so used to having a preceptor to step in when I need help or to bounce ideas off of. Sometimes my preceptors have pointed little things out about patients that if I was by myself that I would've have been likely to miss. I also feel like there are still things I haven't had enough practice with like drains, IV sticks, wound care. I also never had an emergency occur with any of my patients. Im worried about recognizing a change in patients or having to call a rapid or code for the first time. I know it's impossible to do everything during orientation. I was told that as a new nurse the most important thing is being able to safely practice and to ask questions which I do anyway. I always look into the patients history, orders, medications, and labs when I see them. My last few weeks of orientation have been pretty easy because there has been a low census in the hospital. The hospital I work comes down hard on nurses for documentation and pretty much every little thing. Ugh I'm just so nervous!! How did everyone else feel at this point in their career and how did you handle it? I am afraid to look stupid or make mistakes.
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Hey everyone. I know many have posted about this before but I just need some advice and to vent. I've been on orientation for 15 weeks on nights and I'm on my own starting this week. I should feel like I'm ready after 15 weeks but I just don't know. I feel like I'm so used to having a preceptor to step in when I need help or to bounce ideas off of. Sometimes my preceptors have pointed little things out about patients that if I was by myself that I would've have been likely to miss. I also feel like there are still things I haven't had enough practice with like drains, IV sticks, wound care. I also never had an emergency occur with any of my patients. Im worried about recognizing a change in patients or having to call a rapid or code for the first time. I know it's impossible to do everything during orientation. I was told that as a new nurse the most important thing is being able to safely practice and to ask questions which I do anyway. I always look into the patients history, orders, medications, and labs when I see them. My last few weeks of orientation have been pretty easy because there has been a low census in the hospital. The hospital I work comes down hard on nurses for documentation and pretty much every little thing. Ugh I'm just so nervous!! How did everyone else feel at this point in their career and how did you handle it? I am afraid to look stupid or make mistakes.