Drowninginbooks

It's good hearing from others about feeling unsure in your skills at first. Thank you all.

Thanks. I always thought you had to have experience before becoming certified but I'll look into it. I did order an emergency nursing textbook off Ebay.

Hi everybody, I am a new graduate nurse who spent close to 10 months searching for employment. I was recently hired at a correctional facility in California and just started orientation. I really need some encouragement/advice please. I have been mostly passing meds, charting and doing wound dressing changes which has been a good experience. It's basically all coming back to me because I did this so much during school. Now IVs are a different story. I almost always miss. I had an RN who kindly helped me and now I realize I wasn't going it at the correct angle but I'm still super slow and am not proficient. Same with IV priming. I can work the pumps, hook up the IV to the pt and identify to pt correctly but priming IV tubing is something I suck at for some reason. I know we used different IV tubing during clinical. I am horrible with critical thinking skills and ask stupid questions continuously. I am NO good at emergency response. Where I work, RNs are considered leads during medical emergencies (such as during events of chest pain, inmate unresponsive, stabbings and such). Well during practice today I couldn't get the hang of it. I had a hard time leading and I couldn't prioritize. Yes I know my ABCs but I couldn't use my knowledge today. My mind was blank. I had no clue what to do. The other nurses there have had ER experience for the most part and as a new grad I've had no ER experience. I feel so incompetent and unskilled. I can't seem to critical think. I leave work feeling discouraged and stressed. I dread work each day. Part of me regrets taking this job. I went into nursing to become an OR nurse but those jobs are hard to get as a new grad. Alright, my pitty party is over. Any advice? Help?

I am currently taking Fundamentals of Nursing. I actually just started Monday and it's so crazy to realize I'm finally a nursing student! :redbeathe Good luck with your classes this semester and best of luck to you in the future.