Should I quit nursing?

vwgirl22 · Dec 24, 2012

Agree with all of the above posters. I am also a new grad in med-surg. I understand your frustrations and that you are overwhelmed. Please do not take this the wrong way, but be grateful you even have a job. So many new grads wold kill to be in your position, running around like a crazy person :) So, what do you do? Make your own brain (use word). Make a grid with time down one axis and your patients names across the other. Write your meds and tasks in each hour slot. Don't look at the whole shifts tasks all at once, look at it hour by hour and prioritize! Don't wait till the end of your shift to chart, chart as you go so you don't get behind or forget things. Use you aides (if you have any). Talk to your patient- ask them what they need from you today and what time they want things--that way you can plan it out instead of them springing things on you. Don't rush. Late meds are better than wrong meds. Last but not least. Don't cry. Instead of feeling like a failure, look at everything you accomplished during the day! After a really short orientation you should be extremely proud of yourself for being able to take the patient load at all! Keep your chin up, wipe those tears and smile! You ARE a good nurse. It WILL get better. Stay strong and don't quit!!

nurseladybug12 · Dec 25, 2012

I am a new nurse on orientation as well and it is overwhelming. I am going on 10 weeks in orientation on a med/surg unit. I think at 4 weeks I was still learning their electronic charting system, pyxis, their routine, etc I could no get focus on the actual nursing part until I got that all down pat and I am still learning the electronic charting. 6 patients is also a lot to handle, I am barely able to do it now as well. If you feel as if you are not giving the safest care, perhaps you could talk to the manager about following another nurse for a couple more weeks or maybe even apply to another hospital that has a longer orientation and work and hope it gets better while you wait for something else to come along. It will get easier though, I think with 2 weeks left to go until I am on my own I am feeling so much more comfortable than I was just a few short weeks ago.

Ntheboat2 · Dec 25, 2012

I had many professors warn that the entire first year we'd all be going to work just hoping to get through the shift without anyone dying! Sounds morbid, I know, but they were realistic in letting us know what we were in for. On that note, I'd say what you're feeling is pretty typical.

trueblue2000 · Dec 25, 2012

You should not quit nursing, not now. At this point you need to be strong, resilient and persistent. Forget nursing school and NCLEX: this is the real test of whether you have what it takes to be a registered nurse. This is trial by fire. You quit now you are going to live with a feeling of failure the rest of your days. It will haunt you the rest of your life. You can quit nursing if you decide you do not like it or it is not for you but to quit because it is too hard, too difficult, only 4 weeks into orientation is not acceptable! Quit after you have proven to yourself and the world you can do this, but not now. Look at all the less educated, less competent and less accomplished nurses all there, they all passed the test you are going through now, they all made the transition from new grad to experienced nurse. YOU CAN TOO. It is always darkest before dawn. Never quit!

IndiCRNA · Dec 25, 2012

Anna-s said:

Hello,
So I have been working as a nurse on a medical floor for almost 4 weeks now. I am already off orientation( since last week) and I have a full load (5-6 patients). I am truly overwhelmed. I barely take my breaks and I am running around the whole time. I had many near misses and I feel that my co-workers think I am incompetent! I give my report late and I am allover the place when I am doing it. I don't know if I can do this anymore! I did very well at school ( I am a new grad) and now I feel like a total failure! I usually cry after my shift is done and I hate going to work. I only have few helpful co-workers that answer my questions and ask if I need help! The rest are old nurses that have been on the floor for years and are just there to do their job and leave! I am scared to make a mistake, I am scared to fail and I am mostly scared to be a bad nurse!

Almost 4 weeks and you are already off orientation? Sounds like you have been thrown to the wolves. Of course you feel overwhelmed. Since nursing school has little to do with the real world of nursing it is not suprising that those who do well in school struggel on the floor.

I hate it when hospitals do this to new nurses. Any possibiliety you can get a job in a hospital that actualy cares about it's staff and provides a decent nurse residency program? I suggest staying away from Magnet hospitals if you need good training.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Dec 25, 2012

Anna-s said:

Hello,
So I have been working as a nurse on a medical floor for almost 4 weeks now. I am already off orientation( since last week) and I have a full load (5-6 patients). I am truly overwhelmed. I barely take my breaks and I am running around the whole time. I had many near misses and I feel that my co-workers think I am incompetent! I give my report late and I am allover the place when I am doing it. I don't know if I can do this anymore! I did very well at school ( I am a new grad) and now I feel like a total failure! I usually cry after my shift is done and I hate going to work. I only have few helpful co-workers that answer my questions and ask if I need help! The rest are old nurses that have been on the floor for years and are just there to do their job and leave! I am scared to make a mistake, I am scared to fail and I am mostly scared to be a bad nurse!

Being overwhelmed is natural and normal for your stage of the game. I'd be far more worried about you if you weren't.

Take your breaks. There's a reason why, when the oxygen masks descend from the ceiling of an air liner, they tell you to put your own mask on first. Take care of yourself; or you won't be able to take care of anyone else. Take appropriate lunch, snack and potty breaks. Most everything (well, probably not CPR) will wait for you. You'll be better able to prioritize and think critically if you take care of yourself!

You're not a total failure -- everyone's first year id like this. But your co-workers probably DO think you're incompetent. You are! Nobody comes out of nursing school totally competent and I'm sure you're no exception. You work hard over your first year of nursing to BECOME competent. Sounds as though you're right on track for that. Don't be afraid to ask questions of those old nurses. They may be somewhat gruff -- or not -- but you'll get the best answers from them. They know more tips, tricks and shortcuts than those newer nurses you're probably more comfortabe asking . . . but they won't share unless you ask. Old nurses are often very tired of being snapped at by newer nurses when they offer advice . . . I myself am tired of having a clearly incompetent new nurse snap "Do I LOOK incompetent to you?" when I offer suggestions. The correct (but politically incorrect) response to that would be "Yes, you look incompetent, and that's why I'm trying to help."

As far as mistakes -- you'll make them. Everybody does. The thing is to not make the same one more than once or twice, and to recognize a mistake when you've made it, admit it, and immediately set about trying to mitigate the damage. Believe me, you'll get a lot more respect from your colleagues from being open and honest about mistakes and your attempts to rectify them than from doing nothing for fear of making a mistake, or from denying you made one and trying to cover it up.

Good luck to you. That first year is rough. Let us know how you're doing from time to time. we've all been there.

zorro_wrangler · Dec 25, 2012

Yes, quit now.

FutureNurseShammy · Dec 25, 2012

You're not a quitter. Just pray and Ask God to help you. Even if you're not a christian, just say a little prayer anyway. It helps. You're not a quitter so dont QUIT! Bc you just might regret it...

Sadala, ADN, RN · Dec 25, 2012

Ntheboat2 said:

I had many professors warn that the entire first year we'd all be going to work just hoping to get through the shift without anyone dying! Sounds morbid, I know, but they were realistic in letting us know what we were in for. On that note, I'd say what you're feeling is pretty typical.

Yeah. I see a lot of threads like these and I find them to be quite unsettling. It sounds like an extension of the nightmare that is nursing school, only worse. GREAT!

Sadala, ADN, RN · Dec 25, 2012

To the OP, I see threads like this all of the time. And I see a lot of answers with people saying it gets better. So hopefully, it gets better (that's my fond hope and dream at any rate). Good luck to you, I wish you well, and some peace. Especially over the Holidays!

aima12 · Dec 25, 2012

I was you 6 months ago. Someone I respect adviced me to stick with it (my job) for at least 3 months. She said by 3 months if I was still as an emotional and scared glass ball then we'd re-evaluate the situation. 3 months in and I was still nervous, but not crying before and after every shift. and Now, Im kind of able to figure out what's what without having major anxiety...most of the time. Give it 3 months and then re-eval.

ianursing22 · Dec 25, 2012

I'm so sorry to hear that you feel that way, but like what others said, you've been there for only for weeks and it must be expected that you will not be as efficient as old staff. Don't compare as to how efficient you are to them, so that you will not feel pressure. Take your time...I'm pretty sure everyone starts at the very beginning and feel the way you feel now! It's good that you vent out your feeling in here, at least you have an outlet. You can always talk to someone when you are already overwhelmed with anything so you will not carry the load alone. I am hoping that you will get more confidence as time goes by!