erin511

Hey everyone! I am a new psych nurse and have been off of orientation for about 3 weeks. I have worked in a school setting for the past two years after graduating nursing school so I am also feeling relatively new to the nursing profession. My orientation felt a little rushed because I was catchng on very quickly but I am still lacking confidence specifically when it comes to giving an IM. At my previous job I would often give influenza vaccinations but I am nervous about giving a medication restraint. I have not had the opportunity to participate or even see this occur and am fearful that I will not be prepared when the time comes. I'm looking for some tips and techniques from more seasoned nurses. What medications can be mixed (Haldol 5mg, Ativan 2mg, and Cogentin 1mg seems to be the restraint of choice at my facility) and how to shake the nerves of giving the injection to a combative patient with 10 people watching?! Any and all other tips for becoming a confident psych nurse would be most welcomed as well!! Thanks in advance!

I have been a nurse in a non-acute setting for two years and have just landed a hospital job on a psych unit. I am still in orientation but after just a short period of time have been left to do most of the tasks on my own. This is great because it helps me identify questions I may have when I am really on my own but I often feel like a moron since I am so out of practice for most things that I have been doing. My major problem is I cannot seem to turn my brain off when I am not working. I am constantly reflecting back on the shift, obsessing over details that may have been omitted. Particularly tonight I keep thinking about a notation that I did not chart on in the paper chart but did chart electronically and did notify all nurses about so that it would get passed off onto the next shift. I know that if there are further questions I will be called and I am working tomorrow so I can do a late entry note but I cannot shake this terrible feeling of "failure". I keep telling myself that I am learning and that I am bound to make mistakes because there are so many things to remember but I can already tell I am not getting any sleep tonight. Any suggestions (besides not forgetting in the future) to help keep my sanity and help to regain some confidence? What do other people do when they forget to document (I remembered as I was brushing my teeth and knew that it wouldn't make a difference if I called because the nurses all knew about the incident that I forgot to report on)? Sorry if this is a little longwinded...as you can tell I am a little stressed out! Thanks in advance!