Hi all. I'm a new nurse about to start my 5th week on a ENT/Urology floor. I'm about half way through orientation at this point. I hadn't had any previous experience with nursing except in clinicals during school, and I was a CNA at a long term care facility before. I'm finding the job incredibly overwhelming and difficult. I feel like one of my biggest downfalls (besides learning the flow of the unit, the different surgeries and procedures...) is keeping up with my patients. I try to write as much down as I can before I start my shift, but I feel like I forget to do so much. Just simple things like remembering to chart I's and O's, forgetting to chart that I removed an IV, or that I have to take a blood glucose right before bed. I'm feeling a little unorganized, but I also think my new preceptor has been acknowledging orders and not telling me, because for example, yesterday she had told me to stop the IV on a patient and saline lock him, but I hadn't read anything about his fluids stopping. Sorry about the long post, but does anyone have any suggestions for me starting out as a new nurse? I'm thinking about asking to extend my orientation. I feel like there's so much that I don't know. I guess I'm looking for some hope that people started out as flustered as I am right now and somehow managed to become a great nurse. I was never at the top of my class in school, I was just an average student. I'm starting to doubt if I can do this! Thanks for your input.