OMG, just please kill me now!

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jun 8, 2007

OK, Andrea, let's look at this calmly and objectively.

1) You are a brand-new nurse. I'd be more worried about you if you didn't have some butterflies in your stomach.........it keeps you alert and on your toes. In fact, I've been an RN for ten years now, and if I ever stop being just a little nervous each day I go to work, I'd better quit before I do something utterly stupid. Complacency is the enemy of a good nurse!

2) You are starting a new job. No one expects you to have it all down your first day, your first week, or even your first year. Have some patience with yourself.

3) You have graduated from a school of nursing AND passed the licensing exam. That means you have succeeded where many, many people have failed. Give yourself a pat on the back for your accomplishments!

4) Millions of nurses the world over have stood exactly where you are right now. None of us was born with the knowledge and skills nursing demands; it takes time to develop that 'sixth sense' to know when something isn't right, or when a patient is about to take a nosedive. It also takes practice---lots and lots of it---to hone your technical skills to a fine art; even after many years, you may not be as good at some as you are at others. That's true of every nurse: for example, I'm a crack IV starter and catheter inserter, but I stink at dropping NG tubes. (I can do it; I'm just not very good at it.) Don't worry, there's plenty of room for each nurse and her/his abilities!

5) Don't demand perfection---not from yourself, not from anyone. It ain't gonna happen.

6) It's OK to be worried about starting this new career. Just know that the only way to get over your fear is to go straight through it. Be nervous, be terrified...........but DO IT ANYWAY.

Best of luck to you in your new job, and your new life. Keep us posted and let us know how you're doing!

*Andrea* · Jun 8, 2007

Thanks for taking the time to write that...It actually made me feel better to know someone took the time...

:)

Anjann, RN · Jun 8, 2007

Andrea,

Please don't feel that way! Everyone knows we desperately need good nurses who are also caring and compassionate! Instead, take what we are saying and use it to your advantage to avoid the potholes some of us have hit and hopefully use these stories to stand up for yourself and let people know right away when you need help or something is not working for you, and especially if and when it is time to get out. Most of my friends from Nursing School did not stay at their first jobs, it's just a matter of finding the right fit. Please don't go in already having a defeated feeling, the patients pick up on it. Besides, You might love your job and have no troubles at all!

The only piece of advice I can give you is to ask to see your education plan (if you are being precepted) on day one and get the date for your first meeting to review it. Get a clear answer regarding how long you will be following another nurse before taking your own patients. Lay the foundation early that you expect to work hard and get the proper supervised training in return. The biggest consideration is that you now have a license that is not worth losing because of a floor being "too busy" to teach.

I'm sure you have worked very hard to get where you are but when you are new, the more experienced employees can smell your fear! Some will comfort you, and others will go for the jugular, it's just the nature of the beast, so wear your armor well and laugh whenever you can. That's why we are all in here supporting each other.

I wish you luck, and have faith in yourself! I do! :balloons:

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jun 8, 2007

Thanks for taking the time to write that...It actually made me feel better to know someone took the time...
:)

You're welcome.

Every nurse on this message board was new once. I hope you are able to find some comfort in knowing this.

Please don't let any negativity you see here get you down; sometimes things happen that make us feel angry, upset, hurt, sad, disappointed, disillusioned, or just plain outraged, and we need to vent. That doesn't mean we hate our careers or our jobs, it just means we need to get something off our chests, and frankly, this is a much better place to do it than at home or at work.

Once again, best wishes for a great career as a nurse!

NursingAgainstdaOdds · Jun 8, 2007

People talk a lot more about the negative than the positive, so the number of negative vs. positive experiences recorded here are not indicative of the overall experience, eh? :)

I've been doing orientation all week, and will hit the floor Monday. I can say, I am really excited! Chaos be damned - I'm going to learn so much.

I think a lot about the feelings I will experience as a new nurse. I fully expect to feel overwhelmed and intimidated at times. I think that is natural and should be recognized. These feelings will not last forever. When you have an overwhelming shift, that won't last forever. We all get through it, three things at a time.

charebec65 · Jun 8, 2007

I really don't have any words of advice to add as you have gotten great responses. I'm in my first year of nursing too and it can be intimidating. I do pediatric homecare and even it was ovewhelming at first. It just takes some time to get adjusted. You will continue to learn the remainder of your nursing career and you will do great! Good luck!

Curious1alwys, BSN, RN · Jun 11, 2007

Just know that the only way to get over your fear is to go straight through it. Be nervous, be terrified...........but DO IT ANYWAY.

Wow, isn't this so true!! Andrea, I am a fellow TERRIFIED new grad starting on the floor tonight!! It is alot easier to be afraid of spiders and put yourself in a room with one than being afraid of killing someone and proceeding blindly with their care when you feel like you know nothing!! I mean, you have other people's LIVES in your hands!! Honestly, I don't know how many new grads get through it. There must be some that just feel the fear and RUN!! I know that would be my inclination. It will be tough not to, I will tell you that much. I guess it is just one foot in front of another until you feel like you might know something. :lol2:

I don't know about you but I got good grades in NS, tests show I am ready for NCLEX. However, I still feel like I can only pick an answer out of multiple choices. If you were to ask me a question on the floor and ask me what I would do without a list of choices, I WOULD NOT KNOW. It is like I don't have the slightest clue. That is disturbing!!!! I hope others feel that way and it is not just me!! Aaaahhhh!! :bluecry1:

Good Luck to both of us!! We can do it!!

JuneBug1868 · Jun 11, 2007

I am a student nurse and a secretary in a hopsital unit, I felt the same way when I read some of the thread in here. My biggest question was Why do I want to be a nurse when all of these people hate what they are doing? Then I realized that this is a place where seasoned and not so seasoned nurses go to vent about the problems that they face day to day. The people here are not trying to stop you from being a nurse they are trying to vent so that the patients that they take care of do not get treated unfairly because of the wear and tear of daily life. They vent so that they do not face the chance of treating a patient badly because of the burn out of daily life as a nurse. Don't worry about the bad things said about the career that you've chosen. Your going to be nervous about your first job everyone is, but don't listen to what other people think about the job, just worry about what you think about the job. Good luck and congratulations!

MERCEDES674, MSN, RN · Jun 12, 2007

Oh my gosh, after reading all these terrible threads about hating nursing, not wanting to be a nurse anymore, etc. I do not want to start my job on Monday! I am a new grad and absolutely completely discouraged reading these threads, I was scared to begin with but still...I really hope that I still like my job in 6 months or I might just be crying like it seems like everyone on here is!
I'm scared!!

Hey,

I have been in nursing for a year. I must tell that as with any profession it has it's ups and downs. To tell you the truth my first job ( telemetry) I loved, but it was an hour away from home and I got tired of driving. My second job was horrible until I switched to nights and then I liked it because of the people and the environment was different. I left because I moved from MS to TN. The third job was horrible also and it was at a hospital that would cause you to lose your license very quickly so I had to leave. I am starting two PRN jobs which I know I will love. I like the hospital and the managers are great. I think it is really about where you work and who you are working with. If you find that where you are isn't the place for you then move on further. Why should you be sad at the place that you work. The money is not enough to make you stay. I just took a $6 pay cut to get out of a hazardous place. So, just keep moving around if you find that where you are is doing more harm than good to you. The people who hate nursing might not be in an area that is good for them. Sometime you just have to move around the hospital a little. Just give it time and learn all that you can. Good luck

MoopleRN · Jun 14, 2007

Like the OP, I'm about to start my 1st job. Thank you, mjlrn97, for your reply. It was thoughtfully written, objective, and reassuring. You must be an awesome nurse!

Thank you for those words of wisdom/experience.

MrsMommaRN · Jun 16, 2007

i am right here with you. i am a new grad and will be starting my first position soon. look at it like this when you started a new clinical rotation you were probably nervous, didn't know what to expect, but you did it right? and you probably picked up the feel of the floor you were on and soon you knew what to expect. you will be great and be able to do great things for a lot of people in need.

i am so excited about starting to work as an rn i've dreamed of this forever. be professional, friendly, and show them what you've got.