Pekoe-RN

To K98 - Nursing is also my 2nd career, entered well into my 40's. While I did encounter quite a few in school who did say - RUN NOW - I didn't listen. I've worked in legal and finance before - and there were plenty of miserable folks there as well. I guess I have simply accepted those who weren't happy as just that - they will probably always be miserable people, no matter what the profession. And if you hate your job that much - and ESPECIALLY in a healthcare field - get out. You're not doing yourself, your family and especially any patients you encounter any favors. To mjscan07 - I agree with other postings; you need a place to settle and get grounded first before you make any "life" decisions. And that is a huge patient load for a newbie; besides, hospital nursing is not for everyone - don't close your eyes to other possibilities in the profession. I am also very new to nursing (4 mos in); this is truly the hardest thing I have ever done. And I often have doubts - but mine are that I will never be as good as those I work with, or those who have cared for my parents. I have such respect for the "really good ones" - I really want to be that nurse. So I STILL have all my nursing books next to my bed, on the kitchen table ..... I am constantly still learning. And I always expect to ..... Good luck to both of you.

I started in October and after a 7-week orientation on a tele floor, they said I was "ready" - !!! My digestive is STILL recovering!!! - cause even though - like you, I learned "tons" during my orientation, there is truly so much more. AS LONG AS YOU HAVE A SUPPORTIVE TEAM - you will be OKAY!!! I STILL tell everyone - I haven't done or seen xyz -please let me know if it happens, cause I want to be there!!! And I ask TONS of questions - even though I "know" the answer or it's something I went over in orientation - cause it's definitely different on your own!!! I didn't sleep through the night for the first 4 weeks as I constantly re-lived my day, going over what I did - what I will do next time, what I can improve. I just really learned to PAY ATTENTION - but it takes time to coordinate yourself and get yourself a routine. There is SO MUCH going on, and there always will be!!! I am so lucky that my floor doesn't expect me to know everything!!! I ask questions of nurses who have 2 or more years experience, and THEY say to ask someone more experienced!!! And there are older nurses who are open to doing something a new/different way! WE ALL ASK QUESTIONS AND WE ARE ALWAYS LEARNING - I've discovered that's the nature of the profession! Good luck and God bless; remember, the only "dumb" question is the one NOT asked. Pekoe

Wow, this could have been me 7 months ago!! I did pass the boards quite handily and also never got below a B+ in anything in school. But absolutely SCARED TO DEATH of doing something wrong when actually in practice!!! I put off finding a job, and used the excuse, well, I'm not in a hurry.... I want to take some time off ..... when I was still having nightmares of not being adequate and having some harm come to a patient of mine, because I SCREWED UP. Well, I finally did start work in October, got a really great orientation, and started taking my own patients end of November. There are still times I think , oh crap - I'm scared to do this - like trying to start an IV, or not being familiar with a procedure - but I have to settle myself down, take a deep breath and just think. That, and the nurses on my floor are SO supportive - they tell me they don't EXPECT me to know everything!! They tell me I have a "natural instinct" with the patients and I ask questions - that's what counts the most, and the rest will just come..... While this is still incredibly frustrating, and I am not completely stress-free, I just try to hang in there. And I still do stupid things - forget to bring Pt A something cause Pt B was bleeding a little too much post-procedure, or just forget cause I'm tired and overwhelmed - but I am definitely, CONSTANTLY learning. And my fellow nurses always ask - do you need anything? can I help you with something? That's when I realize - I can do this. Sometimes I really just have to write things down - it's better to take a minute or two than rush and make a mistake!!! And remember why you went into this to begin with; I think of the nurses who cared for my father when he died and my mother with all her hospitalizations.

{{{nursejoey}}} - so many hugs are with you - I envision you at dh's bedside and I hope you can feel the presence of us around you, cause we are truly there with you with every step, with every thought, with every sigh. Sometimes the bravest thing is to know that you have fought the good fight, and the rest is truly in God's hands, whatever he decides. Bless you and know that your beloved dh is in our prayers, but mostly you, as you have to go on, for your daughter as well as for yourself....simply because that's what we do; we go on and hopefully have love in our hearts to guide us. After all, isn't that really what God is all about? Love - and nursejoey, know that you and your family are so loved.

Good advice from Daytonite - What was Learned? I was told that just before I started, a new grad had made a med error. All the nurse supervisor said to him was - will this ever happen again?!? And then she crumpled the report. As other posts have stated - we are all human, and humans are not perfect. But we are in a profession in which mistakes can have significant impact, and we feel that impact so profoundly. If we didn't, well ...... we wouldn't be human, would we? Good luck to you whatever happens. We are all with you.

I LOVED this reply; thanks. I would also love to hear how you are doing Sophiajoy. I am just 4 weeks on my own after a 7 week preceptorship on a tele floor. I feel like I "don't get it" but no one has actually said it. Just how have they phrased this to you? What are the specifics? Is it passing meds? Is it assessing? is it time management? there are so many factors. I just feel so ... scattered and there are so many skills I still need to learn!!! But to think in terms of "excellence" rather than "perfection" - that makes a world of difference to me. Thanks gauge 14iv.

usually 4:1, but it's a tele floor (where it's ANYONE with a cardiac hx - whether it's psych or resp or post-op, tele is where they end up...), I've had five on my first week off a 7 week preceptorship of being a new grad. And it's so much fun monitoring for those "new" s/e when put on a cardiac med .... :-) but I am learning SO MUCH ....and the people I work with ARE THE BEST.

I don't know about switching to a "stable" med-surg unit - I'm a new grad on a tele unit also, just 4 weeks "on my own" after 7 weeks of preceptorship (I am "older" so my NM thought I could handle it ...) I do consider myself lucky that I am on this tele floor - one patient and her family had told me how wonderful this floor is compared to our med-surg floor - where all the nurses were complaining to them - the patients and their families' ! - that they (the nurses) were overworked and understaffed - and I was just quietly doing my job .... Honestly, I'm just glad that I am on this floor, where the majority have patience and are willing to teach (as I told them, I didnt' learn everything in ischool). And I have gotten the assignment of "heavy" patients, but have also asked for help doing it. I know at this point I am learning a lot, and will NEVER consider going to med-surg!!!