Scared to Death!!!

Workedhard2bRN · Oct 31, 2009

You're feelings are normal. It just means that it's important to you to do a good job. Your time management and documenting will come with a little time. Sometimes unfortunately it may seem like the experienced nurses were never inexperienced, but guess what - they were. Now is your time. Remain a learner now matter how much experience you get and you will do fine.

oramar · Oct 31, 2009

That is rough but very few people get through nursing school without having a rotation that doesn't go well. You are not alone. Hopefully you will have some good experiences soon.

nursemike, ASN, RN · Oct 31, 2009

I think you probably should be scared--a little. It's a big responsibility you are taking on, and it's gonna be hard, at first. Time management is a challenge. You can't really learn it in school. About the best you can expect for your first year or so is to get the important stuff done in as timely a manner as possible, then catch up the rest as you can. It's not impossible to meet a nurse who hits the floor ready to run--for all you know, you might be one of them--but most of us struggle, especially for the first year or so.

But nursing for real can be very different than nursing for a grade. In real life, you do get points for effort. A nurse who shows up on time and works hard will be an assest to a unit, even if it takes a while to develop. If you have a solid work ethic, you'll learn everything else. (Plus, you already do know more than you realize.)

You'll probably be fine. Having the sense to be anxious is a good sign. Cocky nurses often don't do very well. Of course, confidence is important, too. You will want to find the ability to at least appear confident as quickly as you can, at least to your patients. It's okay to admit you don't know everything, as long as you know you can find out.

Time management is hard to learn, and it seems like the best way to learn is by doing it. Part of the problem is, there never is enough time. For me, at least, in my second year as a working nurse, I was busting my butt to do things I didn't even know I was supposed to do in my first year, and by the time I was getting most of that down, my responsibilities grew, because now I was an experienced nurse and expected to take on more stuff. I think it's pretty much like that for most nurses.

Still, I recently started doing charge, and one of the nurses I work with has recently started doing nursing. I was telling her that we are in a similar position, in that neither of us is entirely sure what we're doing. The difference is, I've already been through what she's going through, and not knowing what I'm doing me doesn't worry me as much as it used to. I've already managed to become at least a marginally competent nurse. After that, I figure there isn't much in life that I can't do.

If you don't occassionally feel like giving up, you aren't getting you money's worth. But if you don't give up, you'll be fine. In the end, maybe the key to being a successful nurse is just being too dumb--or stubborn--to do anything else.

nyteshade, BSN · Oct 31, 2009

I remember the same exact feeling after I finished my PN program too. You will learn a lot more when finished with school. I think that the fact that you are so concerned and want to do better you will be a great nurse.

Jules A, MSN · Oct 31, 2009

Don't let one bad day at clinical shake your confidence in yourself. Sure as a new nurse you will have a ton to learn and it is scary but you can do it, just like we all did. :)

trmr · Nov 1, 2009

don't let a few dirty rocks on your path stop you from the journey, or even slow you down. Its a scary profession but you'll be fine. We continue to learn as we go which helps us become more confident.