Riverrat2010

I also had a very short orientation period, (3 wks departmental, 1 week general hospital information) that lacked formal structure. I have been constantly struggling with time management for the last five months. I was recently assigned a mentor for two days to help streamline my routine. I discovered that I had been charting too much/too often and I was also given some tips for disengaging from a patient after their immediate needs have been met. I can't tell you how much better I feel about going to work now. I hope you can also find someone to help you manage the overwhelming stress we feel as new nurses.

Even though I'm from the midwest, I've encountered many Hispanic patients who had minimal proficiency in English. I speak Spanish, but I am not fluent and I have not had medical Spanish. I mentioned my intention of taking a medical Spanish course to one of my colleages who told me that I should take the course to increase my understanding, but that I should still use the hospital's interpreter or phone interpreter service due to the increased liability for a lawsuit that might be pursued if a misunderstanding occured. I'm taking an online course, but I will still use the hospital provided interpreter or phone service.