aheartsaverrn

Aww I posted something just like that last week. It really sucks when you meet someone hell-bent on making you doubt everything you know. I promise, you know more than you feel like you do, and that nurse didn't start out knowing all she knows. She sounds like she'd definitely make things worse on you if you showed weakness, so don't. When she gets a free minute, sit and talk with her. Tell her that you recognize how skilled she is and then ask her how she became that good and would she offer you any tips to be just as good? Lastly, if she is really a preceptor (not just someone the higher-ups stuck you with) then she mostly likely is receiving extra money for her "hard work". (Before I get some bad feedback here, I'm strictly speaking about how it's done at my facility). She doesn't deserve to receive it if she's treating you this bad and she needs to be restricted from precepting at least to keep her away from other new nurses.So speak to your/her nurse manager. This is the one time they saying is true: It's not you, it's her. Good luck!!!

I work on a tele/ICU step-down floor as well. It's a very intense job. Take PCCN (I can't wait to get to the point where I can take it) and see where you want to go from there. Many of the RNs on my floor have PCCN.

Thank you so much! I too feel there is a high amount of pressure on new-grad RNs. Yes, we have a license and a degree but we know so little about a world so big. I wish there were more people like you! How nice of you to break scrub and help the intern out!!

Thanks so much!!So kind!!

A helpful ghost? I need/want one!!

Although I know you can't go into details (and I respect that a lot), I hope my advice can help you. I got my BSN at an expensive and small private college. If you failed, it was a year until you could even apply again, and if it was a political/personality issue there's no way they'd let you back in. Plus, the environment was so hostile that it would be better to transfer to somewhere else. Some states will allow you to take the NCLEX-PN and let you become an LPN after 3 semesters of RN classes. So is that a possibility in your state? I can't imagine how difficult things must be on you right now. I'm sorry that happened to you. It happened at my school too (personality/politics problems).

My facility is mandating it for all employees as well. I didn't take issue with it because I take the flu shot every year, regardless. Also, it's no different to me than Hep B shots, Tdap, MMR, etc. My facility's policy is that we either get the shot or wear a mask until March or have a doctor sign-off with a good reason for why you can't take it. Because you mentioned such a reaction to the H1N1 shot, I doubt you having a problem getting a doctor to sign-off on why you can't take it, so don't worry. Since I'm a new-grad and just recently went through orientation, I knew about the policy way ahead of time and when I got to the floor many nurses were upset by this policy and are trying to refuse it. I can barely stand wearing a mask when I need to for procedures, let alone wear one for 12 hours straight, 36 hours a week, for almost 6 months. Also, I think it would scare a patient if you were providing routine care and were wearing a mask for it. I highly doubt any staff at my facility will refuse it for long once the masks have to come on. Most importantly, if at least one life is saved through this mandatory vaccination then it's most certainly worth it.

Thank you so much!!!

Wow that sounds stressful. I'm a new RN as well. As far as "how serious" it is really depends on how the patient is. How did everything turn out? Talk with your manager. Do you have a preceptor still or are you past that? What was your documenting like around this? Did you speak with the doctor? I know it's scary that we new RN's are the last stop-gap. I'm struggling with that as well.

Can someone please give me some helpful hints and maybe a peptalk? I'm a new RN and I'm really struggling. I never thought it would be this hard. I thought: I graduate, get my RN, get a job and everything will be great because I'm finally doing what I love. A preceptor has really done a number on me. I was on a busy and difficult unit where I had done a few other shifts with a tough but fair preceptor. On one of my last shifts my preceptor was floated to another unit and I was shifted to a nurse who had been very harsh and rude to me previously. She was relentless in making me feel inferior because I didn't have the same knowledge base as she did. Relentless questioning about things that a new grad wouldn't know, expectations for me to document things I didn't know how to do, and when I asked for help she would make things harder on me by continuing this behavior and raising the stakes each time, even yelling at me at one point. I was honestly trying my hardest. Another RN(not a new grad just new to this hospital) pulled me aside and told me that it wasn't me, it was the preceptor and that the same things had happened to her. Then she told me try your hardest not to cry or show weakness because she'll only make things harder on you. I don't know how I would have made it without that nurse's peptalk. I'm done on this unit, but that preceptor's comments have really stuck with me and I'm hurting because of it. One of her comments was basically how she knew I'd fail on my home unit because I was so terrible on this one and that I'd probably kill someone. I have no self confidence after 12 hours of absolute hell with this nurse. I don't even want to go back to that hospital. How do I get through this? Most importantly, this isn't an old-school nurse. This is a nurse who is only a few years older than me. I can see a new cycle of being "broken-in" in her.