When do you stop feeling so stupid as a new nurse?

We ALL can relate because we've all been there. And we all made it through mostly unscathed. Just hang in there. Keep asking questions. Keep educating yourself. If someone asks you a question that you can't answer just say something like " That's a great question. Let me go do a little research so I can give you the best answer". Then follow through and do it. You'll look like a genius. Find yourself a mentor that you feel comfortable going to. Most experienced nurses like to teach. As a nurse with 30+ years of experience I'm more than happy to answer questions from any of my colleagues. Oh, and the bladder irrigation thing. That nurse was wrong, wrong, wrong. He might have needed one but you just can't do something like that without an order. The Joint Commision frowns on verbal orders and if something went wrong while you were doing it without any order at all your butt would be on the line. Pulling a stunt like that could cause you to lose your license. I've never heard of any nurse losing it simply from being a little wet behind the ears. You'll be fine.

But don't date creepy patients.

I don't know. I have no nurse I can go to at my LTC job but the nurse at my other job is great! She likes to help but makes a habit of throwing me under the bus to the patients and they come back and tell me but shes helpful in a thousand ways. The nurses at my LTC job I was getting ready to clock out and heard a group of 3 of them saying that I ask to many questions! and I should know this stuff. I just feel its not coming along and everyday I'm scared that if something happens I won't know what to do. Also I'm the only nurse at my other job on duty so I'm the one they all come to with everything and its so OVERWHELMING!