I will be finished completing the Associate Degree Program in December. I am doing my Pedi clinical which I am finding very difficult. I feel that I did not get alot of hands on clinical experience.. never inserted a foley, never suctioned, not alot of wound care.. I feel like I don't know half of what I shuold know to start working as a nurse.
The more this rotation goes on the dumber I feel. I am so afraid to get a job and not know what I am suppose to know.
Did anyone else ever feel this way. What do you suggest? Should I keep going on and studying?
I worked in the home care field, which doesn't give alot of experience with techical stuff.
Yes all true, but from what I've been hearing, many facilities are putting more on the NG new hire. Just talked to a friend NG in a level I trauma. The "orientation" was barely 1 month, and part of that was class. This person tells me what I am hearing more and more of. Full time is very rare. People are being hired part time only. This prevents time needed for orientation hands on with a preceptor, really seriously cuts it down to nothing. They get little training and are told to hit the floor and grab a seasoned nurse if help is needed. Problem being most staff is under 2 years and also have had limited training. The experienced nurses are rarely seen consistently to be mentors. When experienced nurses are on they get the most critical and cannot step away to help someone else. I've been hearing this for other positions as well.
My advice stands, be proactive while in clinical to get the experience you need!!!! You might not get all the training you expect on your first job. Often you are told you will get a decent orientation, but the tricky part is they will say, no you don't need all that orientation -- that you are doing fine, and toss you out on your own very quickly. When in reality you are not at all ready. You make too many errors, or ask too many questions, you are OUT and another NG is quickly hired.
MJB2010
1,025 Posts
Its normal! The ones you have to worry about are the ones who graduate and think they know everything. Those people are dangerous.