Overwhelmed at new job! Advice!!!

[tsbarbre]

I just started my new job two weeks ago and although I have been training with a nurse I feel like I'm going to be thrown to the wolves when I start on my own. I work the 7-3 shift which is the busiest shift and will be taking care of close to 30 patients. I'm a new grad and I'm a float so there are 6 floors in one building I will have to learn AND they decided to also float me to another building that makes up their center that for some reason has totally a different set up of paper work, management, etc and will have to learn over there as well. It takes me forever to do med pass, I haven't even done the 7-9 meds by myself because it would take me all day. the nurses I train with are permanents on just one floor so they know everything about their floor and takes them still to about 4 to get everything done. There is SOOOOOO much paper work. I look at the acutes at the end of the day and have to write stuff about them (how they are doing, whatever) and I can't even think in my head who that person is, I had no idea what was wrong with them, I probably spent a total of 5 seconds with them passing their meds because that's all I had time for. I'm the only new hire who has to be a float between buildings and I just don't know what to do.

ADVICE!!!!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

Well...11-7 shift you might have even more residents to take care of and have less help.

It took a long time to get used to LTC. The assessments you do might not be as hands on as an acute pt. A pp mentioned assessments begin as soon as you enter the room. What do you see and hear? For the most part...that may be enough.

Get organized. Come in a bit early if you need to be. Each pt might have a page of DX, but what is the biggie? How do they take their pills? who is on tube feeds? who is on accu checks? Plan your med pass the best you can.

Do the CNAs do vitals? This would take a large chunk of time away for you. Is charting split up between shifts? Not every resident will need charted on every day. Does 3-11 do the treatments too? For the most part 11-7 has very little treatments....residents are sleeping and it should stay that way.

Head over to the Geriatric Forum for some more support,,,,,,

[tsbarbre]

I think I'm getting more used to everything. I still might switch to night shift though because you do less med passes which is what stresses me out the most because I'm so slow. I think I know what I'm doing its just I need time to do everything where as when I am taking a huge chunk of my time doing meds I am stressing myself out and missing out on chances to develop my skills to the fullest of the abilities. any night nurses here? my husband doesn't want me on nights