Perfect-o Meter

[KDalmostRN]

Thank you for this article. I am a new nurse, and I am struggling so much with perfectionism right now. I've been a perfectionist all my life--I will take Twice as long as another family member does to clean the kitchen because I obsess over every detail being done perfectly. I'm having trouble with my time management at work now, and I think that is a big part of the problem. I have been working in the ICU for about 2 months now, and I started feeling really discouraged this week because even though I had stable patients, I had to stay late each day to finish charting. I feel like I should be past that by this point, and last week, I was. Having to stay late when I have had relatively "easy assignments" makes me feel like a failure. I just want so badly to do my job well, to provide excellent patient care and be able to complete everything in a timely manner like my coworkers do. I want to have the wealth of knowledge and experience that they do, and I am impatient with myself and the learning curve I'm on. :/ Thank you for the reminder not to compare myself with others.

[jeastridge, BSN, RN]

Thank you for this article. I am a new nurse, and I am struggling so much with perfectionism right now. I've been a perfectionist all my life--I will take Twice as long as another family member does to clean the kitchen because I obsess over every detail being done perfectly. I'm having trouble with my time management at work now, and I think that is a big part of the problem. I have been working in the ICU for about 2 months now, and I started feeling really discouraged this week because even though I had stable patients, I had to stay late each day to finish charting. I feel like I should be past that by this point, and last week, I was. Having to stay late when I have had relatively "easy assignments" makes me feel like a failure. I just want so badly to do my job well, to provide excellent patient care and be able to complete everything in a timely manner like my coworkers do. I want to have the wealth of knowledge and experience that they do, and I am impatient with myself and the learning curve I'm on. :/ Thank you for the reminder not to compare myself with others.

Welcome to nursing! We are blessed to have people like you who long to do an excellent job in whatever they set their hand to. You sound smart and caring. Over time, experience will teach you how to prioritize--but that is something that can't be learned right away. Meanwhile, be patient with yourself and notice what you do well and what you enjoy about your job. Look around for people who are good mentors and seek out their advice. All the best! Joy

[jeastridge, BSN, RN]

Thank you for this article. I am a new nurse, and I am struggling so much with perfectionism right now. I've been a perfectionist all my life--I will take Twice as long as another family member does to clean the kitchen because I obsess over every detail being done perfectly. I'm having trouble with my time management at work now, and I think that is a big part of the problem. I have been working in the ICU for about 2 months now, and I started feeling really discouraged this week because even though I had stable patients, I had to stay late each day to finish charting. I feel like I should be past that by this point, and last week, I was. Having to stay late when I have had relatively "easy assignments" makes me feel like a failure. I just want so badly to do my job well, to provide excellent patient care and be able to complete everything in a timely manner like my coworkers do. I want to have the wealth of knowledge and experience that they do, and I am impatient with myself and the learning curve I'm on. :/ Thank you for the reminder not to compare myself with others.

Being new makes the struggle more pronounced, doesn't it? With time you will gain experience to do things well and quickly. I remember reading Gladstone's book that said it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at anything. 10,000 hours! Heavens! We will hardly allow ourselves 2 weeks. So give yourself time and space to learn. It will probably also help to maintain balance in your "outside" life: eating well, getting some intentional exercise, feeding your spirit. All the best! Joy