ModeratelyObscure

When I was in nursing school, I could do manual BP no problem. Now that I’m out of school, I’m not sure if it’s my nerves while trying to do it or what? I feel more comfortable getting a manual since it tends to be more accurate than automatic, but I’m just not good at it. The first problem is that I feel like I can’t find a happy medium between deflating the cuff too slow and too fast. If I don’t do it extremely slow, and I mean SLOW, it goes so fast I can’t hear the beats. The second problem is I have a hard time hearing the beats in general. Third problem is that I work in intellectual disability plus psych, so more times than not they are moving around and it’s hard to do. Also, does anyone else hear the creaking in their fingers when holding the bell/diaphragm? Please no snarky comments about how I can’t perform a basic nursing skill. I’m extremely insecure about this. Advice please?

I have been a nurse for one year total. I’m in my mid 20s and my face has aged a LOT in this first year. I know it’s probably to do with the amount of sleep I get and the amount of stress I’ve endured as a baby nurse. Had anyone else also physically aged in a short amount of time? I put on makeup for the first time in a long time yesterday which made my huge pores, baggy eyes, and fine lines in my forehead pop. I’m now frantically searching for skincare products. ?

Okay, I have been an RN for one year total. My year of being an RN has consisted of starting at a LTC facility (where I am still employed PRN) and a brief time on a med surg floor at a local hospital. I didn’t stay for 4 reasons: 1. I was given the worst preceptor possible. People stood by and watched it happen and told me after the fact that they knew I was set up for failure. Why didn’t someone say something? I don’t know. Along with this, I was pulled out of orientation early to assist with coverage needs, due to overwhelming demand during the Covid spike. Despite me telling my unit manager I wasn’t ready. I even caught COVID from the hospital at one point during my orientation and this was still when the CDC said we had to stay home for 10 days. I was not reimbursed those shifts to train. 2. 1:7 ratio on a hectic med surg floor. Along with my lack of training, it was hard for me to juggle the patient load. I was running from one room to another, putting out one fire only to run to put out the next one. Sometimes it was the middle of the shift before I could sit down to open charts. I would always have to stay about an hour late to chart in the mornings. 3. I felt increasingly incompetent and a burden to my coworkers with each shift. I know I worried my charge nurse to death with all my questions, although she was very smart and a kind and patient teacher. 4. I was consumed with dread before my shifts and consumed with anxiety and panic during my shifts. I was always scared I would either mess up, or my charge nurse would finally reach her point where she would be tired of my questions. So, I put in 2.5 weeks notice. When my manager found out about this, she asked me why. I made it known I didn’t appreciate getting the *** end of the stick. She was desperate to keep me, even offering to put me back in orientation! Mind you, I had been on the floor for 5 months at this point. Why weren’t my concerns taken seriously before she knew I was leaving? Anyway, I left. Now, as I said, I’m still PRN at my LTC job. But I’m really wanting to venture out and get the experience needed to travel. Plus I really feel like my skills and experience hit a ceiling in LTC. I’ve recently become interested in trying out ICU. I feel like I would be much better with the smaller patient load. And although ICU patients are much more critical than med surg, I am detail-oriented so I believe this would better suit me. What I’m wondering is if a hospital will look at my 5 months of floor experience and think I don’t need as much orientation as a new grad would? Or do they typically look at other things- such as the drastic difference between the two units, etc. I feel like I pissed away my hospital experience and any other job I take in a hospital will be sink or swim.

New RN here since the beginning of this year. I started in LTC where I continue to work contract since I have started my new med surg position at a local hospital that I have been at for all of 2 weeks so far. So here’s my question, HOW do I stop being so damn emotional about every patient that touches my heart? In LTC I have caught myself having to go to the med room and cry multiple times. Not because of the stress of work, but because I am very empathetic and I feel like I take on every emotion of some of these clients. Especially now that I am on the med surg unit and seeing people from all walks of life, I have seen some crazy things and incredibly sad situations. Sometimes my eyes will even tear up when the patients are telling me things. Is this just part of being a new nurse and does it get better? If so, how do you straddle the line between having a thicker skin and being cold hearted? Help!!