Please help need advice

Hey guys. Just wanted to say...I feel the same. I just graduated in May, am recently on my own, and I feel so much anxiety and dread before work sometimes I just don't know what to do. I have always wanted to be a nurse. People tell me all the time that I have the perfect personality/disposition for a nurse, and I do believe it; I do believe that being a nurse is what was meant for me to do. But right now I'm feeling so much stress.

I tried to sit back and analyze what it is that is causing me to feel so much stress. I think that there are several factors causing my stress:

One is the doctors...we have some doctors that can be really nasty, luckily now that I'm on night shift, I don't have to deal with them as much.

The next thing is: I'm afraid of the unknown. I believe that if I always knew exactly what I was going to get, and there were never any surprises (ha ha), I would feel a lot less anxiety, but obviously, that's not the real world.

And I think the final cause of my stress is that I am so afraid of looking stupid. People at work tell me all the time that I'm smart and I'm doing great, but I still worry about this a lot. I just try to remind myself that people don't expect me to know everything right now; they expect me to still have questions, but I do have the knowledge I need to handle my job (with the help of my fellow more-experienced nurses, of course).

I think it's a good thing for us to post here to remind each other that it's normal/common to feel this way as new nurses. I've heard that if new nurses can get through the first year, it gets a whole lot easier, and I'm trying to keep that in mind.

Another thing I think we should do is look at our fellow more-experienced nurses. Are they really all smarter than we are? Probably not, they just have more experience than we have, and experience comes with time. So we just need to stick it out.

nicuRN2007,

I could not have said it better myself. Experience is NOT taught in school and was never intended to be.

All of these feelings, although uncomfortable, are completely normal.

1. ASK, ASK, and ASK again. It is never stupid to ask. As a matter of fact, how stupid would it be to put a pt's life at risk because one did not ask.

2. Doctor's were nasty 50 years ago, they are nasty now, and will be 50 years from now. You will come across the excellent ones and the not so excellent one's. You just make sure you do your job. All nurses' have thick skin. If you don't now.....you will. Our job is to please the pt....not the Doc.

3. You have a license. Nurse License= Power to Treat and heal. That's out JOB!!

Thanks to all! I pray every day on my way to work for wisdom and kowlege I need to do a good job. Today wasn't so bad....even had the nasty nurse. I killed her with kindness and was determined NOT to let her get to me. I was successful! She called me twice to ask how I was doing...which is really her chance to find something to pick on..I told her i was almost caught up and working on my direct admit. She just said thats what i needed to know. i'm sure it burst her bubble! Several times she called me to see if I followed up on stuff she told me to do...like obtain a stool culture from a colostomy. I already did it and sent it to the lab. which is exactly what I told her. I am working on NOT beating myself up. Its hard for me not to because I care so much and want to be an excellent nurse. I am only human and only one person. I just need to work on building confidence. Thanks so much for the positive words of encouragement. This posting hels me tremendously. Others at work have told me its normal to feel overwhelmed, etc, but it's much better hearing it from others!!!!!!

I have another question.....how do you handle it when you are told different ways to do the same thing? When giving an IV push, I have been told to pinch the tubing and release. I have also been told to just push it because it will get pushed in anyway from the primary. (I'm not talking about diluting and timing of the push..just the technique) the pump beeps because youre pushing faster than the set rate but they say it doesnt matter? I could maybe see it if its NSS running.....but what if its D5 with 20 of K or something? Assuming all is compatible? How do you guys do it? I dont like being told to do it one way and then another nurse telling me to do it different.....It makes me look like i dont know what i'm doing or something......

I have been a nurse for 1.5 years. And I too felt the same way, major case of reality shock as well as me being way too hard on myself and taking everything personally. After a year, I ended up going prn and now work full time doing chart reviews for insurance. I find my new job, though initially was a nice change from the floor (med/tele), I am now bored and tired of sitting all day and working everyday from 8-5. I have been working at the hospital on my unit 8-12 hours nearly every weekend because I find myself enjoying it more even though I am only requird to do 24 hours a month. The hospital, politics,patients have not changed but I have. I think I have matured more that I am more confident now than when I was a few months on the job. I also had been suffering from depression/anxiety for a bout the past 4 or 5 years and it had gotten worse with the job. I am now on an antidepressant and feel so much better. Less anxious too. I still have a lot to learn but I try to give myself credit for what I do than just focusing on what I don't........I also don't let mistakes I make at work (hopsital) totally make or break me.........I'm a nurse at work, at home I try to relax more. I am also starting NP school in fall of 08' and I am hoping to use what I have learned thus far to make that as smooth of an experience as possible. It will be a challenge but I have some experience and new coping skills......I know it is tough but hang in there, make a list of why you are unhappy and see if you can do anything to change it. And remember, sometimes as newbies we take stuff too personally. Some patienst are rude and grumpy as are some coworkers.....but thats them. You just gotta focus on the positive..........I used to cry so much.....I think that I did need a break from being full time and get myself healthy......now I am considering going back to the hospital n the weekend program!! I will do the weekend program for sure when I start school in august and have considered going back now, but I may stay at this job longer so that I can save what I make at the hospital on my prn days for school. I will not be able to work at this job I have now 8-5,m-f when I start school FULL TIME in the fall........I plan on doing the weekend program then. I am grateful for this job I have now because I needed a break and it allowed me to chill out a bit!! PM anytime if you need too........Try not to let nasty people get to you, they are everywhere but..........just know that that's them and know that you are doing the best you can............. Over time things will not bother you so much and you will learn how to better cope with the stressors........also make sure you are taking time to do things you enjoy on your days off. That is important. Dont just live to go to work, nursing isnt your sole identity!!! Give yourself time to feel more comfortable!!! I know how it feels to feel so overwhelmed..........and I work on med/tele and it can be hell but hang in there!! I am tired of my current job that I have been at almost 6 months, I miss doing my 3-12's f,s,s and being off 4 days!!! Like I said the hopsital doesnt bother me as much as it did when I was new.......I am seriously thinking about going back to my 3 12's.......never thought I'd say that but I miss being off 4 days!! And also, like I said, the patients, docs, family, coworkers have not changed BUT I have learned better coping strategies and gotten help for my depression/anxiety! So I am enjoying working in the hospital much more....I am gonna try to stay at my job that I have now a little longer (thought when I start school in the fall, I will have to leave for sure), so that I can save money by working prn at the hospital but I dont like this job very much..........boring, too much sitting, the pay is less BUT I have learned stuff also. So we will see! that is the beauty of nursing, so many options. I am also glad I stayed prn on my unit and didnt burn any bridges............who knew I'd want my 3 12's back!!! Lots of learning this last year and a half.

Thank you so much! It is so helpful to hear from other nurses that they have felt the same way. This website is awesome! I have counseling available at work or through work. It is for employees to talk about work or home issues. the problem is I am scared to death it wouldnt be confidentail even though they say it is. I wouldnt want my coworkers to hear what i'm saying here. I have to work these people regardless. So this is like online counseling for me! The beauty is that we are all nurses and can understand the stress, etc. I am way too sensitive and i do take everything personally as you said.....I have a bad day and lose the confidence I have built. If people were just nicer, the world would be a better place for everyone. Nursing school does NOT prepare you to start working as an RN. My rpogram did not have as many clinical hours as hospital based programs. I feel like I had a strike or two against me going in. I was upfront and honest when I interviewed. I told her my skills were limited.....my clinicals were at a small hospital and there was alot I hadnt seen or done. she hired me anyway and told me I was very kind and caring and compassionate and thats not something you can teach...skills are. since I work in oncology, she said they need nurses like me who truly care about the patient. What she didnt tell me is that nurses or at least some, eat their young, that some of the nurses on the floor were nasty, and that I would go through a period of reality shock and feel incompetent and insecure, and that its NORMAL! The last 2 days were a little better for me. Someone must have put a bug in the nasty nurse's ear and told her to be nice or something......she has been decent to me.....not nice....decent. I'll take it! She pretty much left me alone. Asked if I had any questions and i said not ey, but i probably will. she said ok, call me. I did once and she was decent........very short, but answered my question and didnt even do that sigh thing she does! there is sooo much i have to learn.....like when a doc writes and order to D/C IV fluids and PCA pump and they have a Hickman port and other meds ordered IV, that you can just KVO the fluids so you dont have to keep heplocking the port and giving the patient all that heparin! I did not know that was a nursing measure! I asked another nurse about the order and thats what she told me....I asked if I should call the doc and see if he wanted to change the order. Thats when she explained to me. So many little things come up each day. After coming to this site and reading posts, I feel so much better! I dont feel so much like a failure! I'm a baby nurse and thats what I hold onto. I have to learn to crawl before I can walk. I also shouldnt compare myself to others.......which I tend to do. I want to be able to jump in and know exactly what to do and sometimes I dont! I take everything to heart and that I can't change. I try to go in with the attitude that today will be whatever i make it.......I will do the best I can and thats all I can do. Thanks again for the support

Hi

This is my first time on the site...Im halfway thru a four year course and what you would call a mature...even older than that !!!.Anyways does anyone have tips on remebering all the terminology etc or does it come with time.

Cheers

sallers

Hi

This is my first time on the site...Im halfway thru a four year course and what you would call a mature...even older than that !!!.Anyways does anyone have tips on remebering all the terminology etc or does it come with time.

Cheers

sallers

Welcome to allnurses.com! I hope you find it as useful and entertaining resource as I have.

If you look at the tabs at the top of the page, you'll see one for Students. Click it and it will take you to forums especially for nursing students and pre-nursing students. This doesn't mean you can't use the other forums, as well, but it's usually the quickest route to answers and discussion relating to school.

That said, I always found reviewing flash cards with a friend a helpful way to memorize--but mostly, it comes with time. The more you hear and use the terminology, the more you retain.

Again, welcome aboard:welcome:

I've been a nurse for just about a year and a half now. In the beginning I started in maternity and it was the specialty I had wanted to be in from the first day of pre-req's. I thought it would be sunshine and butterflies every day, but boy was I wrong. You have to know Labor, Delivery, Postpartum, mommy, baby, triage, OR, PACU, nursery, complications, and some basic NICU stuff. I hadn't realized so much went into it. It was really taxing on my emotions because I always felt like I wasn't doing something right and I didn't have an overly supportive preceptor either or a very welcoming unit. Plus the whole 'they can sue you until that baby is 21' deal always had me paranoid and I worked cautiously, but they felt it was too slowly. I would go home and read books, research, find ways to improve, but it was never enough.

I ended up on an ortho unit instead and I was devastated because I HATED med-surg in school and the eldery were NOT my thing. I had a great preceptor who always gave me feedback and constructive ways to improve rather than in a way where I cringed whenever he came up to me. I also would have a different preceptor for a day here and a day there. I'd take all of their ways of doing things and combine it into a way that worked for me.

A little over a year late I'm now one of the 3 clinical coordinators on this unit. Evidently I did something right and learned something right. However, it took time and a lot of messing up and learning to come to where I am now. I still do things wrong. I still have to research and look things up. I'm human. I will have my days when there's a string of really needy or confused patients and I'm walking out to my car with tears running down my face. There's times when I've quit 100 times during a shift. But I come back. Every day is different. Eventually the patients go home or to rehab or LTC and new ones come in. It cycles. Sometimes I'll have a row of completes and sometimes I'll have a row of walkie-talkies. It DOEST get better. I really does take a good 6-12 months to just START to feel better in your own nursing skin.