"ease into" nursing???

[jjjoy, LPN]

Does anyone have advice how to "ease into" nursing practice (I mean for someone who already is licensed as an RN)? Is it even possible?

I think if I were to succeed at clinical nursing, I would need an environment where I could be "sucessful" fairly soon. I hear that many nurses feel like they don't really get it for a year. I don't think I could make it that long, fumbling along, wondering if I were competent or not. Having to assume that if I didn't get fired, I must be doing well enough.

I think if I were working with just one type of patient (or very specific condition) I could more quickly become competent in that area and build my confidence there and feel like I have something to offer my patients and colleagues (as opposed to feeling like a drag to the unit and a fake to the patients).

Even with specific patient types and conditions, there's the problem that so many work environments overload the nurse with tasks. I don't think I can handle (and I don't want to handle) being both a newbie AND dealing with a workload that experienced nurses have trouble juggling.

I don't see how med-surg is a recommended starting point for new nurses as it seems like one of the most stressful and difficult areas of nursing. Yet if one starts in a less challenging area they face the threat of being pigeonholed and not being able to move to another area.

I'm rambling because this is something I have very mixed feelings on. Maybe I'm asking too much and am simply not cut out for clinical practice.

Any thoughts?

[jjjoy, LPN]

Since this didn't get a response previously, I'm bumping it up.

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

Look at nurse internship programs as a way to become involved in a specialized area without "serving your time" in med-surg.

[deeDawntee, RN]

Personally, I started in long term care, then a home care, a vent house, then a TCU before I started in the hospital where I did ortho, then telemetry, then ICU. Now let me tell you if your goal is not to feel incompetent as you reach a level of experience where you think you will feel competent, that is not going to happen. Feeling insecure happens each time I start a new area of nursing.

Competence is something else altogether. Is a new nurse competent who knows how to use the resources available to him/her? Is a new nurse competent when he/she knows when to ask for help? I think new grads mistakenly think that the goal is for them to be totally self-sufficient on their job. That just never really happens. You don't reach mastery without utilizing all the resources available to you as fully and as often as possible. We are ALWAYS helping each other out. We are never doing it alone. I may be the one responsible for my own patients but that means I will rally whatever support necessary to be certain they get the care they require. You are only as competent as the support you rally for your patient.

Assessment skills take practice and that competence comes quickly when you start your first job, if you ask for help. In other words, have another nurse listen to lungs when you listen to lungs etc so that you are hearing the same thing....you get the idea.

As experienced nurses we really don't ongoingly struggle with the charting etc, unless we have had a patient go bad or a code etc. Then staying over to do charting can happen for everybody occasionally. Hospitals don't want to pay overtime, so for the most part it is set-up so most people get out on time most of the time.

You need to give yourself a lot more credit. You made it through nursing school. That is the best predictor of success as a nurse there is. That's what it is supposed to do. How many people didn't make it through? Many, I will bet on it. You can jump this next series of hurdles as well! The best part this time, is that you will be getting paid while you do it. So, DO IT, jump in and you will be amazed at yourself! You have skills that you don't even know that you have. I promise.

See yourself as a success and you will be successful.

:yeah: you can do it.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I am sorry that you are feeling so conflicted. Have you considered talking with a nurse recruiter to get an idea of what type of specialty floors would be available? Would you consider ICU? Though intense, it is specialized. Personally, (and I preface this with this is only my opinion), I think RNs should work some amount of time in acute care so that they know where their own patients fall in the contiuum of care.