please help i am going out of my mind

caz · Nov 4, 2003

Milly,

Stop torturing yourself, it wont do you or your patients any good.

Time management comes with practice and experience, learn from your mistakes on a daily basis, sit down and talk to your clinical supervisor, that is what he/she is their for. If you can't talk to your clinical supervisor, then talk to the sister/charge nurse about your fears and worries. I am sure that you are not nearly as bad as YOU think you are.

Being newly qualified is a daunting experience, especially in a very busy clinical area - if you need assistance, then ask for it. Unfortunately, in this busy day and age, if you don't ask, your colleagues will automatically assume that you do not require it.

Good luck, and let me know how you get on.

gwenith, BSN, RN · Nov 4, 2003

Sit down and write out how you time manage at the moment and how you think you are failing - then post it. The fantastic bit about this BB is that it is anonymous. No one here knows it is YOU!!! That should give you some freedom to ask any question you would like.

Good_Queen_Bess · Nov 9, 2003

The first few months after qualifying are extremley stressful. Newly-qualified staff nurses often feel isolated/useless/that they know nothing/low in confidence etc etc etc etc. I felt like that after qualifying (and still do sometimes!)

Don't worry, we ALL went through it after qualifying. As already said, speak to someone you can trust and confide in. Just ASK ASK ASK. Most people will understand as we all remember what it's like. If people seem to get fed up of you asking, that's their problem.

*Yes it DOES take ages to do a drug round at first. You get used to most of the tablets eventually.

*Yes it CAN feel intimidating talking to Dr's when you can't remember things about patients. They don't bite (some of them are orificeholes, but it's never usually personal and some are just orificeholes because they orificeholes to everyone).

*Time management and prioritising are skills some nurses take a long time to learn and some are better than others. Even the best nurses have "off" days when you can't seem to get a thing done. Remember nursing IS 24 hour. You don't have to do EVERYTHING in your shift, somethings sometimes just have to wait. You can't do a million things at once.

*Making a "to do" list and "tick boxes" may help. The list can contain anything you want, such as:

- do tablets

- do obs

- ward round

- ring dietician

- wash Mr Smith

Ask for HELP, don't struggle alone.

Good luck! But I'm sure you're doing ok.

Karen30 · Nov 10, 2003

Milly

Stop worrying so much and start enjoying being qualified. Time management comes with experience and practice and even some of us experienced nurses still get it wrong!!!

Stop worrying about doing everything yourself. As I often tell newly qualified nurses, it is 24 hour care that patients recieve, what doesn't get done in your shift can be handed over to the oncoming shift. The patients don't go home after your shift you know!!!

Also as people have rightly said make a list of the things that need to be done, and tick them off.

Also you might want to register at the National Nursing Leadership Programme, which includes all kinds of "modules" including one on time management. http://sp1.skillsoft.com/sp30010/login/login.cfm

Good Luck

Karen

zarozinia68 · Nov 11, 2003

Hi Milly, try not to worry too much we all go through it and there fore most of us remember whats it like. Im currently experiencing problems with time management too, Ive changed jobs. I was working on a small rheumatology ward as a grade 7 and now Im working on a very busy trauma ward as a grade 8, in a different hospital. Everything is done differently, I feel like a student again sometimes. To make it worse Ive been diagnosed with hypothyoidism and my mental processes and body has slowed down. I keep forgetting things. I carry a notebook and make priority lists, it really helps.

TiaLusa · Jan 2, 2004

Write things down Milly - and dont get your flustered enough to make a mistake. Take 5 mins out every now and then to prioritise your tasks and dont be afraid to delgate.

florry · Jan 9, 2004

I certenly understand your FEELING of not doing your job as you "should" do - WELLCOME TO THE CLUB, FOR SOME OF US IT WOULD LAST FOREVER!

When you get more experience, maybe your shoulder will foll down.

I have nearly 25 years experience in nursing, and have worked as clinical nurse in ac .hospital, worked as a nurseeducator, worked as clinical spec. in geriatric medicin, psychiatry and freelance as nurse-trainer. - UNTIL I jumped into canser care: an intensive care unit for treating children and grown up with sarcoma (a rare form of ca. Most people get carsinoma).

I felt totally lost!!! High tech, protocolls, techniccally thing, blood-transfusion, cemotherapy not for some hour, but pre and postfluid for 4-5 days! And all the paper-work! And remembering to give antidot at excactly one o'clock, not for one pt, but 4-5 in different times, doses and so on.

For the first time in my life I felt so nervous, scared that my head completely "stoped" , I felt that I culdn't anything at all! Despite my experience and the fact that I acctually have I good gradu.

I bought a PALM pocket computer, and had a note book too, everything was written down. I said to my colleguas that if you have to remind me about something; I will appreciate that! Suddenly we all sat together and talked about once we had forgotten to do... or when I learned that I am not perfect..... or they said to me: Its you now. Last time it was nn/or me....

Yes, that helped med a lot! We are doing our best, and sometimes things could be done better or in another way. Use unformal debriefing in your job, that would be relieving!- and use chatting on the net, like this, I AM STILL LEARNING - EVERY DAY...

HUG FROM

FLORRY

:)