pumpkinspice555

Doctor didn't write an order to hold. So one nurse told me, even though I gave it, it's their fault too technically for not having an order tol hold. It's ok though, I got an update and they said the patient ended up going to surgery hours and hours later. Patient was fine and I didn't get written up or anything. Just definitely learned from this experience that's for sure!!

Absolutely!! It's just frustrating that I'm learning when I do the mistakes, and not before the mistakes. Like for example, one time I didn't put the clave on the PICC line and I didn't clamp it, and blood backed out. It was scary and a definite learning experience for me on how to deal with PICCs. But, I am learning so so much every shift and I'm learning so much from all my mistakes!!

One of my patients was scheduled for surgery in the morning and I completely forgot to hold the AM heparin dose. I gave the AM Heparin. Luckily, i realized that I should have held it right before I gave report to the next shift. I paged/called the MD and the day nurse/charge nurse were notified promptly. Luckily, the patient wasn't scheduled for surgery right away in the morning. Do you think I could get fired for this mistake?

I'm on the same boat as you. I'm a new nurse, done with orientation in a few weeks. Work is so stressful for me. I made a med error too a few weeks ago, and gave a BP med too soon than I was suppose to. Fortunately, no adverse events happened and the patient was stable! I documented, notified physician immediately, and filled out the appropriate med error paperwork. It just sucks, there's just too much to do, it really is difficult to sometimes stop and really think critically. I am getting better at that, and ever since then, i've been super careful with my medications and time, but it's still so incredibly easy to make mistakes. I try to slow down, but my floor is so busy, sometimes I have to just keep going. Luckily, I am able to ask questions and for help when I need it, so I will ask my preceptor every single time I'm not sure about the timing of a medication or dosage or if I'm not sure how to do a skill. My floor is really helpful. But I don't want to depend on them too much, you know. It's just overwhelming, praying to God to help me get through this!

I've only been working for about a month and a half, a few more weeks of orientation and then i'm on my own, but I feel already burned out and tired.... Is this normal? I think it's bc I'm new and I always have work on my mind even when i'm at home and i'm off. It's so much responsibility, it's exhausting from time to time. What should I do?

That's just sad how some nurses go out of their way to put others down in order to feel good about themselves. Because of the many different personalities (a lot ugly, but not all) is the very reason why I don't want ICU! At least not as a new grad. But once I get more experience in med surg, maybe I'll be open to going there. I just don't have an ICU quick paced know everything right now personality....

Thank you so much for this great great advise r2d2az!

I agree with Not a Hat. I am a new grad myself, and starting a new job. I feel unprepared and I don't feel like my school has prepared me at all for the real world of nursing. It's incredibly tough when experienced nurses expect us to know what they know, i'm not saying all are like this. But there is quite a bunch, at least in my hospital. For the most part, I had 8 hours of clinical (one day) a week and was mostly assigned to 1 patient. I worked with various nurses: some nurses brushed me off and didn't want to take the time to teach me the skills and some were excellent teachers. Now, I understand that the day shift nurses are incredibly busy, but I felt I wasn't practicing skills for a whole day. During clinical, I mostly did bed baths, bed sheet changes, etc. In one clinical, the nurses used us students to purely do vitals, change bed sheets, and empty urinals (that's it). I had practicum in OB and now I have a job in medsurg. I feel inadequate, but I have heard that the nurses on my unit are mostly patient and non-judgmental toward new-grads. So i'm very happy about that. I think the education is different between the more experienced and the newbies. To the experienced nurses: We new grads respectfully request that you be patient with us and try to remember what it was like being new grads with minimul experiences. Some of us haven't done some of these "Simple skills." New Grads: Keep your head up high. We will get through this confusing and tough time of getting oriented on our units. (: 8-12 hours one day a week and caring for only ONE patient, just isn't enough time to truly practice all the skills we "should know" and adapt to the nursing world. In my years of nursing school, I can say i've done only 2 successful IV's, 1 intermittent catheter insertion, 1 foley catheter insertion, and no NG tube insertion (an opportunity for me just never came up during my 8-12 hour 1 day a week shift....). But I guess as a new grad, all I can do is keep my head up high and take it one day at a time.

Honestly, I would just say thank you for interviewing with me and I hope to work with you. I made it two to three sentences when I wrote my thank you emails. Just a sincere thank you would suffice. By the time you've written the thank you emails, they most likely already made their decisions. So, you writing paragraphs of what stands out about you won't help your case anymore. Everything should have been displayed already in the interview. You don't have to remind them. I doubt they will want to read an essay, they are busy employees too. So just say a simple thank you! And leave it be (: Good luck and keep us updated!

Thank you so much for your support! I start orientation tomorrow. Orientetion week is intro to working in the hospital: general employee benefits, safety, etc. and computer classes as well. Although I'm not on the actual floor just yet, I am incredibly nervous because I haven't done nursing skills in months. I hope and pray they are patient with me. I'll try doing the best I can, as well as watch nursing skills videos....

Oh ok. My orientation is 10 weeks about. And the director said if I need more time getting comfortable on my own, I can still work with a preceptor for a few more weeks.

How exciting! I'm a new grad myself, and I'm starting on Neuro Trauma Intermediate Care. If all goes well on this unit, in about a year, I"m thinking of trying to float into ICU trauma. I don't wanna jump right in to ICU, I kinda wanna get my feet wet first and then see where it goes (: But, I can definitely see a possibility of me being in Trauma ICU.

Thanks for the awesome advise! I start next week.

Ok, Thanks. I hope and pray it all works out. It would absolutely be terrible to be sacked after only 90 days on the first job!

Hi, I am a new RN and I am starting my first RN job very soon. People keep telling me that in every hospital there is a probation period, meaning if they don't like your work after X amount of days, they let you go..... Is this something I should be worried about? I am already anxious and nervous about my first day as a brand new RN, and I haven't done nursing skills in months and months. Does anyone know people who have been hacked by not being sharp or quick enough at the job?? I mean, what are the standards exactly? I hope they don't expect new RNs to just know as much as experienced nurses.....Any advise is helpful and very much needed! Thanks.