Scared to Death of working in the Hospital....advice?

[anangelsmommy, ADN, BSN, RN]

I am taking my boards next week and as long as I pass, the hospital where I did my clinical has asked me to apply for a job....they are hiring new grads. Only one thing, I am scared to death to work there!! I was really psyched but now that I am actually possibly going to work there for real, it scares me silly! I did clinical there for 2 years but I never had more than 2 patients! Now I know I will get 5 or 6 patients probably!! Any advice?? Is learning how to juggle the patient load part of your orientation? as a new grad, I am realizing they never went over this, they taught us prioritization but it was all only on paper and even when we had two patients, it was usually one complicated and one not so complicated.

please give me advice!! Oh and I guess I should let you know that I have been working as an LPN but I do homecare so I have been very comfortable with one patient. And I am suddenly realizing that my fellow LPNs that work in long term care, at least had the benefit of multiple patients.

[Nurseinprocess]

Take the opportunity if offered and run with it :)! In clinicals I had up to 4 pts in my last clinical rotation before I graduated in December, but I wouldn't say that I was up to speed on all of them and was keeping up with new orders or anything like that. I was hired on a med-surge floor (mostly surgical pts) after I passed my boards. I went from shadowing RNs for a couple days to picking up two pts, to quickly getting 5-6 pts of my own (under the guidance of a preceptor, but I only went to them if I had a question). The census was pretty low during my daytime orientation so I usually only got 3 pts. I switched to nights and started with 7 pts right off, then two shifts later I had 8! Thankfully I should normally get only 5-6 pts, but now I know I can handle 8 (which should be the max). You will learn to handle a bigger pt load as you go. I think it's important to chart as you go so you can keep up and not fall behind by the end of your shift (we are totally computerized, which is wonderful!). You will learn to do fast focused assessments so you can handle the pt load. Don't be afraid! Just dive in and take each day as it comes, and know that you gain knowledge from every shift you work.