SinusRhythm

Just want to let everyone know that making it through your first year as a nurse can be a pleasant experience. It was difficult for me in the beginning....I would say the first 6 months: uncertainty, lack of confidence, fear, etc. But after my orientation period the confidence built very quickly. You just have to give yourself a chance to prove you can do it plus TIME. I had a great preceptor and the people I work with are supportive and fun to be with. Those things I was just lucky with, as a lot of floors don't have that. Clinically, as a new nurse, the ONE thing that really cleared my head was that I was taught how to give an excellent REPORT. Once I mastered that well, everything else became more clear for some reason. Things didn't get easy, but more clear. I know too many people from school that took their first jobs without really looking into their floor, and their first year became miserable or they just quit before the year was over. If you can, research the floor, listen to what other people are saying, and if it sounds positive, your first year will more likely be a pleasant one. I'm moving on to the ICU next year and hopefully the CATH lab. GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!

Tuddy-Everything you wrote is perfectly normal. You and I are very similar. I am on a tele floor and just completed 6 months. I posted a thread about it saying that it DOES get better. I still feel like you do, but it does lessen as time goes by. You have to keep asking questions. It shows that you are willing to excel at your job and that you care. Newbies that don't ask questions are setting themselves up for a lawsuit. Your supportive co-workers are more valuable than you think. Keep doing what you're doing. You're on the right track. You're NOT supposed to know everything. After all, it's medicine. No one knows it all. About being task-oriented....I'm still task-oriented too. But not as much as in the beginning. You just learn how to let go of things naturally because your prioritizing skills develop. Two more tips for you: If you're a nerd like I am, write down and review the things that you've experienced at work. I guarantee you won't forget them ever again. For example, certain meds that stumped you, various drips, post-CATH vs. MI patients, whatever you want. Because when you see those things again it's a piece of cake. My second tip: Learn how to give a great shift report. This was my "a-ha" moment. How valuable is this? As soon as I learned how to report the RIGHT WAY, I understood each and every patient I had much more clearer. Because if your reports are all over the place, you will be too. Good luck to you. You sound like you will be a great nurse!

I have been working on a tele floor for over 6 months now and wanted to let people know that it DOES get better. Now don't get me wrong, I don't feel totally comfortable. But I feel more in CONTROL. I was extremely nervous starting out because I basically didn't want to kill anyone being brand new. Time and your interest in nursing will make things better. After 6 months I kind of recognize a reptitiveness with patient diagnoses and treatments. As you practice your skills physically and mentally, they begin to become second nature because you do them so much. Follow the right nurses. There are so many shortcuts out there that I've lost count. DON'T DO IT! New grads know what's right and wrong. I've seen some bad things and you will too. I've also been charge nurse already. That's another story and in my opinion unfair. But, even though it sucks, it does make you see things you don't normally see and builds your confidence that much faster. Good luck to everyone! We all have what it takes to do the job. You just have to find your own way.

I started working as an RN in North Jersey. The rate that you got is untrue. You should get at least $28/hr in a hospital setting. The difference between BSN graduates and ASN graduates are very minor, maybe .50-.75 cents/hr. As for a nursing home, I believe it is less than $28/hr. If you work evening or overnight shift at a hospital in North Jersey, you should get around $3-$4 more per hour too.

Definitely don't say anything for now. I actually did the same exact thing you are about to do. I started a job in one state, had to move after 3 months, and then got a new job in another state. The next employer is ALWAYS curious why you left a first job, and relocation is probably the best reason. Remember, you're talking about 6 months from now. That's a long time. Leaving is easy.......getting another job later on is another. Good luck on NCLEX! Take a great review course!

Failing out of nursing school isn't the end. I could write forever about this (but I won't). I live in CT, so I can't help you with the local schools. But I can give you my thoughts on what to do. I think that if you really want to be a nurse, then go for it! Don't let anything get in your way. It's just like anything else. If you want it badly enough, you're going to find a way to get it. Failing out of nursing school doesn't define who you are. It doesn't reflect what kind of nurse you're going to be. I'm sure people on here would agree that there are morons that pass nursing school and very intelligent people that don't. Go figure. I'm a 2-year graduate. Makes no difference when you work. You can always get the BSN later. Good luck to you. I wish you the best!

Cinnamongirl, I can relate to the stress you're having. I am a new nurse, 3 months actually just like you. It's a non-stop type of stress. But everyone tells me it gets better. I have friends too that have felt like you and quit, and some that didn't. The results vary. Make sure that you really can't stand the job before you make a decision to quit. And if you do decide to, definitely make sure you have another job lined up. It never hurts to try and apply for other positions, because you never know. You've got to be happy in the end, right? Good luck to you!

I am a new nurse and 1 week out of orientation. My orientation lasted a little less than 3 months. You know how it goes.....I feel worse when I'm not at work than when I'm actually there: nervous, scared, fear of the unkown. I work on a very busy telemetry floor where even though the patient ratio is great (4:1) it feels like a lot more because we move patients around to frequently. Our acuity is pretty high so although it's tough, I learn a lot! We get a lot of patients on Cardizem, Amiodarone, Heparin, Dobutamine drips. We titrate a lot. Plus a lot of vented patients. All my co-workers say I'm doing great and that I'm a fast learner but oddly enough, that doesn't help how I feel. Maybe for a second, but nothing more than that. Anyone have any advice on how I can manage this whole thing? Is it just a matter of time until I feel comfortable? It just annoys me that I can't stop thinking about work when I'm not at work! Any advice is much appreciated!