denaferrell

Patchouli, what you are describing sounds like exactly what I am experiencing. I work on a medical floor at a local county hospital..and it's the same for me. I feel like it's all about the task...no critical thinking, no time to really "care" for my patients. The nurses I work with are very supportive and assure me that it comes together in time. They keep telling me it takes about a year to really be comfortable, get your time management down, and start "thinking and feeling" like a nurse. I wish it wasn't this way....but I hear the same from everyone I graduated with. Good luck and hang in there.

Hi, I'm Dena. I'm 43 years old, took my boards and passed in May of "09. Right now I am working nights on a medical floor at the local community hospital and wondering if I am insane to be doing this! No orientation to speak of...6 weeks out and I have 6-7 patients a nite...bed alarms, insulin drips, chest pain and telemetry, wounds...you named it! The only thing I don't get much of are trach's and they do pop up occasionally. It is so busy that the other nurses don't have a lot of time to answer questions or help me out if I get swamped. I spend most nites terrified for my patients and my job! Is anyone else experiencing anything like that? Oh yeah, they have me working 12 of overtime everyweek...my body feels like it is literally falling apart. Joint pain, so tired all the time...am i just to old, or is it just an adjustment?