Agnetha

hi jen, i can understand how you feel but it sounds like you're being a bit hard on yourself. it would be wonderful if we could spend a year on a ward and know absolutely everything - but unfortunately that's not the reality. we have to be patient and build up our knowledge base in different situations - from the routine to emergency situations. how we do this varies from nurse to nurse. one of the aspects of nursing that make it such a satisfying profession is that no two days are alike. so i suppose what i'm saying is there is always an element of uncertainty in every day. it's finding the 'tools' that work for you in order to build up your own experience and knowledge, that will bring your stress levels down. personally i have found talking out my uncertainties with trusted colleagues has been invaluable. i have learnt many 'coping strategies' this way. when you open up to people you find that they experience their own uncertainties and lack of confidence. that's the benefit of having good team relationships and knowing the skills and expertise of the people you work with, so that you can depend on each other and support each other. no one knows it all! stay positive & patient with yourself. keep open to learning. keep sharing with your colleagues. let us know how you get on. i

The best advice I was given as a newly qualified nurse was to reflect on practice - using the guidelines set out in 'The Gibbs Reflective Cycle'. Breaking down experiences into 'what happened', 'what were you thinking and feeling' and 'what would you do differently next time' enables the nurse to turn even the worst experiences into something positive.