Should I quit nursing?

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Dec 25, 2012

zorro_wrangler said:

Yes, quit now.

I think you may view this differently after you graduate from your program.....Happy Holiday.

kay0324 · Dec 25, 2012

It seems like you mostly need to get time management down. Stick with it if this is your dream. The floor you are working on might turn out to not be for you but put your time in. Everything gets better with time =)

shermrn · Dec 25, 2012

Stick with it, as others have said it takes time to get some level of confidence and comfort with the job. One thing that I find helpful to organize my shift is the "brain sheet", look around on the internet to get some ideas on what others use. Try starting a new post asking for submissions/ideas that people use to organize their shift.

shermrn · Dec 25, 2012

I guess I didn't read the previous posts well enough, make use of those brain sheets.

Do-over, ASN, RN · Dec 26, 2012

I had 13 days (shifts) of orientation before I was turned loose, and no, it did not seem like enough! I don't think I ever would have felt ready though.

Over two years later and I can tell you that it does indeed get much better. One day, you will find yourself guiding the new people and wonder how you came so far, so fast.

For me, it was a year to feel OK, and about 18 months to feel like I could really love my job =).

Bronte03 · Dec 26, 2012

Initially we all feel incompetent and some staff will moan and groan about us. However, they too went through the same emotional trauma. You have worked really hard to get where you are' To quit now would achieve what after all those hours of countless worry of failing exams etc?

Each step you take is positive no matter if you may think otherwise. The frustration of not knowing, not being fast enough, not giving that report on time causes both you and the new shift irritablility.

However in weeks and months to come inch by inch you will achieve and learn and that will never change in any part of your life. It's early days, as PP have suggested night shift is an excellent way of learning skills and not feel so incompentent. You will also learn different skills and generally nurses will teach you simply because it's one less thing they will have to do and they have time. Most times it isn't that busy and you can update your knowledge with meds and just talking. Having said that some nights can be a nightmare but they too help your feelings of inadequecy. You don't have time to feel incompetent or slow everyone depends on each other, no matter what happens you are a team and unlike day shift there is time to discuss what happened at some stage. day shift do not have enough time to scratch themselves.

However my best advice is when you have to go to the bathroom, GO otherwise you'll end up constipated like most nurses.. Then you will feel very irritable not to mention uncomfortable.. and drink heaps of legal fluid.

In years to come how do you think you may feel if you give up now? Relax and breathe and good luck.

MaleRN4 · Dec 26, 2012

Hi,

First I want to say that you are not alone! Many nurses feel this way within their first year or so after graduating. I began in an ICU and there were many days I felt I like I had made the wrong career choice! To be honest after 6 years in nursing I still have days where I question my career choice. I worked 4 years in ICU then made the decision to transfer to the PACU. Although I love the work in PACU, I dislike all but 1 of my co-workers. Nurses can be mean and especially older nurses who are burntout and really need to retire or find another job. I guess my point is that there is no perfect job. It really comes down to you taking some time to yourself and deciding if you want to stick it out until you have more experience or just change career paths altogether. Nursing is tough! You will be an experienced nurse one day and that helps but there is a lot to nursing that sucks and will never change. I will always have to ask questions and will never know everything. You either suck it up and find a way to deal or find another profession. There are many days I don't get a lunch break. After 6 years it doesn't bother me anymore. Is it fair? No, I just clock no lunch for the day and go on down the road. Many nurses will sit around and complain about it all day. In fact most of them spend more time trying to find a way to get out of working than actually working. Anyway, that is something that only you can decide. I myself am back in school in a nurse practitioner program. I do not want to end up at the bedside at 50 years old unable to walk around the PACU because my body is torn down from all the years of bedside nursing. Basically I don't want to end up like all the old hateful women that I work with. They are miserable and I do not want to end up like that. My advice to you is to go to work with your head held high and tell yourself that you can do anything! Remember, you are there to take care of the patients. You are not not superwoman you are human. So just do your very best to help your patients and even on the worst of days leave knowing you did your best. Good luck to you!

Aongroup1990, CNA · Dec 26, 2012

I truly hate when nurses complain you have a job for the lord's sake and your complaining. some people would love to have the position. deal with it. plain and simple its what nurses do right.

fasnv · Dec 26, 2012

Are you serious? You shouldn't even in nursing right now if you don't want that. Keep going...Or take a break! Have a vacation for a few weeks (2-3weeks). Then, you'll be alright.

MN-Nurse, ASN, RN · Dec 26, 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!

It gets better. Almost every new nurse on my floor, including me when I started had very similar feelings.

Anna-s · Dec 27, 2012

Quote

What you are feeling is completely normal! Adjusting to being on your own is a difficult transition. 4 weeks of orientation is FAR too short! You mention there are some nurses you feel comfortable with. Maybe you could "adopt" one as your mentor??? Just make sure they have their stuff together before choosing (of course, you can choose more than one!).
Try to prioritize your day. Look at med times, wound care/treatments that you need to do. You can do it on your report sheet at the bottom. Start your day by making "rounds" to each of your patients... "Good morning, Mr./Mrs. So and so! My name is ___ and I will be your nurse today. Is there anything I can do for you right now? Are you having any pain?" Keep it brief and to the point. If there is an immediate need, attend to it then if you can. If not, attend to it when you bring medications in. I will usually tell my patients an approximate time that I will be back in the room with meds and ask them if I can bring them pain medication, etc at that time. They almost always say yes. Try to cluster your care for each patient and get as much done as you can at one time.

Keeping a checklist of what charting needs to be done, phone calls/emails, etc. is helpful too. You'll soon find yourself in a "natural" routine. ("Natural routines" don't always work though, so you do have to always be on the lookout for better ways of doing things).

As for report, try to follow SBAR Situation (The patient is Mr/Mrs. So and so, age, date of admission, patient of Dr. ____, here for _____, code status is ____) Background (Medical history) Assessment (physical assessment, any lines, drains, tubes, individual supervision, feeder, transfer status, etc.) Recommendation (Your professional opinion regarding what the next step should be... keep in mind, this will not always be carried through because of differing nursing opinions, but it gives the oncoming nurse something to consider).

It is often difficult to get done with everything before shift report time, but everyone needs to find a way to be ready for report on time as often as possible (we all understand that at times it just isn't going to happen, but it should happen most of the time). It is so frustrating to start your day running 30 plus minutes behind because someone wasn't ready, not to mention the potential problems the patients may have (missed accuchecks, late meds, etc.). This is where planning your day (with flexibility built in) will come in handy. Ask trusted nurses for tips.

Try to keep casual conversation to a minimum during report, as well as opinions about the patient's personality and body! Believe it or not, I see this daily. I once had a nurse take 30 min (GRR!) to give me report on two patients, who were NOT complex! Half the time was (seriously) spent on describing the physical shape of the person's orifice! This was NOT a medical ailment of any kind... just the way the person was made. Completely inappropriate! (Not to say that this is what you do, it was just an example to illustrate the importance of sticking to the facts in report).

I used to actually ask nurses that I trusted to "guide" me during report. You could try this too, you'll learn quickly what other nurses want to know in report.

Sorry so long... just a lot of info I wish someone had given me. ?

Thank you veryyyyyy much for the helpful tips!

Anna-s · Dec 27, 2012

\ said:

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!!

Thank you very much for the kind words and the helpful tips! I have been working on charting (as I go) but it is still an issue.