Milky7126

I ended up sticking through for over a year until my resignation that happened recently. I had my ups and downs. Yes, I definitely improved & things came to me more naturally but ultimately the stress ate at me. I signed the contract because they help cover for school and it's for a big name hospital that most new grads look at with stars in their eyes. I did too. I thought 4 years would be nothing there.

There is a misunderstanding, haha

Thank you. I also forget I was a covid baby and got barely any clinicals. I forget how far I’ve come and how much I’ve learned on the job. I think it’s funny that when I first started I was so nervous about my first insulin administration, haha. I know I have so much to learn still but I also have my own mini accomplishments. I haven’t figured out my style of nursing & it can be frustrating to try a certain order & then have to change it but I know it’ll be worth it once I find my rumble. I appreciate your support. Rarely anyone outside the field seems to understand and I was having trouble separating work & personal life. I’m doing a lot better mentally & I figured out a sleep schedule that works for me. <3 much love to you

I’m a new grad nurse working on my own for under 2 months at med surg/tele unit. This really isn’t a bad unit compared to what others go through. We’re usually fully staffed to have 5 patients. My coworkers are helpful. On top of that I’m night shift. Yet I am so so stressed out about work. I have improved with charting speed, protocols, and when I’m made aware of mistakes I really do try to learn from them. I definitely have improved but I don’t think I’m at the level where I’m supposed to be. And I also think I’m being hard on myself but it’s hard to not compare myself to the other new grads who leave shortly after shift change. I wouldn’t consider myself an anxious person but I have never cried so much. I dread going into work. I’m not used to night shift and already have trouble sleeping during the day but on top of that I have dreams about work and messing up at work. My tolerance for getting overwhelmed is getting smaller. I have a 4 year contract with this hospital and 1 year of commitment before transferring units. I really want to stick with this for at least 6 months but I feel like this job is leeching into my personal life way too much. I would appreciate advice. Or even words of encouragement. I feel like the biggest baby ever but I don’t know how else to get help without owning up to how I really feel.

I’m sorry you’re being thrown on your own like that. It’s not fair to you or other nurses coming in. It definitely isn’t like that everywhere you go. Maybe you could float to other units to see how they work. In my hospital different floors have different cultures. Maybe you could also talk to nursing friends or classmates about how their work culture is. Another thing you could do is stick with the nicest coworkers you know and match your schedule with theirs if you feel close enough to do so. If you have a nurse educator on the floor, maybe they could provide guidance on skills and judgement calls.