This December would be my first year after nursing licensure.
I have been working in the Med Surg Floor for 3 months now. i work night shifts. i had 2 months of orientation and its been a month now since i worked own my own. i have good and bad nights. this past few weeks was always been the bad nights. specially last night.
I feel like i am struggling nurse. i feel like im so slow with everything! charting, giving meds, discharging patient and admitting patients. i ask so many questions to my charge nurse and other nurses and i feel like im such a pain and just added trouble to their work. they are not saying anything to me but i just feel like they had enough of my questions. i feel so frustrated and just feels down because i dont think i am productive enough as a nurse. i want to be the best nurse that i can be but some of the things i really dont know like chest tubes, some med clarifications, blood transfusions and other nursing procedures.
sometimes i cry when i get to my car after work because i feel like i messed up. like surgery check list that i didnt not even go half way and when the nurse asked me did you do the check list i just said no.. the patient is scheduled at 1300 hr and i just thought that the next shift can do most of it because i stiil need consent from a family member because the patient was not capable of signing anything.
anyway.. it takes me double the time to admit and discharge patients than other nurses. and sometimes i forget to do some of the charting and i just remember when i get home. i just feel so frustrated, discourage and sad.
will i ever feel competent enough?? had other nurses felt the same way?? am i alone feeling this way??
I graduated nursing school in December. My dream job is a L&D nurse, but of course they want someone with experience and frankly, this is the only job I've been able to get so I took it bc i needed it. I just started my first nursing job May 10. I've only been on the floor for 2 weeks now. My very first day they went ahead and assigned me 2 patients ON MY OWN. NO PRECEPTOR! I had a complete meltdown! I didn't know what the heck I was doing. The charge nurse saw the distress on my face and asked me what was wrong. I just completely broke down. She helped me for the rest of the day. Every day since then I was assigned with a preceptor. Then this past week, they started assigning me pt's on my own again except they gave me an RN who is responsible for helping me when I need it.
A few days ago, the only other RN who was there to help me was a night shift RN. She volunteered to work day shift because we needed her. Other than her and I, there were only 2 LPN's. Needless to say, she was completely rude and basically left me by myself. She would come ask me if I needed help every once in a while but she said it in such a way as though she didn't really care if I needed help or not. And when I actually needed help, I couldnt find her anywhere.
That night, I ended up staying til 8:45 getting things done. She left at 7:15. An LPN stayed with me until 8:45 helping me get everything I needed to get done. If she wouldn't of been there and offered to help me, I would've been there til midnight!!!
At this point in time, I dread going to work. And starting tomorrow, it'll be my 3rd week on the floor, and I'll have 3 patients to myself. On my off days, my mind is consumed with "Did I forget to chart anything?" "Did I write down that Dr's Order right?!" (half our dr's our foreign and i cannot understand a word they say and I keep having to ask them to repeat themselves). It's even consuming my dreams!!!!!!!
This has got to get easier. I come home crying almost every day. I just feel like i'm incompetent. I don't know if I can handle it!!!
Wow, I know just how you feel, I'm still with a preceptor but so overwhelmed I just want to run the other way. This is pure craziness and I am totally dreading being "on my own in 2 1/2 weeks, I feel like I don't know anything and getting things done on time? What a joke, half the time I don't understand why I am doing things. I had to sign a 2 year contract or pay back money, I wish I would have NEVER done that. I am STUCK in this craziness for another 23 months. We are so busy on our floor there is little to more often NO time to pick my preceptors brain, so I feel like I am not learning what I need to learn to be a "safe" nurse. Why do hospitals operate this way, do they truly not care about patient safety?
hi there. when i read your post, i thought it was me writing it. Its going to be my year anniv today as an Med surg rn. After 6 months it has gotten better than the first time i wrote this post. But still, everyday is a learning experience. Till now i find Med Surg tough but i don't regret being here anymore. I am just ready to be in a different nursing field because my legs hurt already from all the running and walking . (i really want to go to home health). i hope everything will be better!
I find myself running (well, if we were allowed to run, I would be running!) up and down the halls my whole shift and I don't get why the other nurses don't seem to be walking briskly too? I have been on the floor 2.5 months, and have been off orientation for just over a month now. I am still very task oriented, and sometimes have no clue what is going on with my pts besides what med I have to give them next. When you have 8 pts it isn't always possible to actually read their charts and look at their whole picture (plus we are all computerized and the medical hx are so lacking it isn't even worth clicking on them to read!). I didn't consider myself a stellar student when it came to clinicals, so I am surprised that I am actually able to handle as many pts as I do. I am lucky to work with other nurses that are always nice to me when I ask questions. I have discovered that if I don't start passing morning meds at least an hour early, there is no way I would get off the unit by 7:30 (that is, if I have more than 5 pts I start early, which is most often the case). Nursing is much more challenging than I thought it would be, I am looking forward to feeling like an RN instead of a poser ! When does that happen ?
I graduated nursing school in December. My dream job is a L&D nurse, but of course they want someone with experience and frankly, this is the only job I've been able to get so I took it bc i needed it. I just started my first nursing job May 10. I've only been on the floor for 2 weeks now. My very first day they went ahead and assigned me 2 patients ON MY OWN. NO PRECEPTOR! I had a complete meltdown! I didn't know what the heck I was doing. The charge nurse saw the distress on my face and asked me what was wrong. I just completely broke down. She helped me for the rest of the day. Every day since then I was assigned with a preceptor. Then this past week, they started assigning me pt's on my own again except they gave me an RN who is responsible for helping me when I need it.
A few days ago, the only other RN who was there to help me was a night shift RN. She volunteered to work day shift because we needed her. Other than her and I, there were only 2 LPN's. Needless to say, she was completely rude and basically left me by myself. She would come ask me if I needed help every once in a while but she said it in such a way as though she didn't really care if I needed help or not. And when I actually needed help, I couldnt find her anywhere.
That night, I ended up staying til 8:45 getting things done. She left at 7:15. An LPN stayed with me until 8:45 helping me get everything I needed to get done. If she wouldn't of been there and offered to help me, I would've been there til midnight!!!
At this point in time, I dread going to work. And starting tomorrow, it'll be my 3rd week on the floor, and I'll have 3 patients to myself. On my off days, my mind is consumed with "Did I forget to chart anything?" "Did I write down that Dr's Order right?!" (half our dr's our foreign and i cannot understand a word they say and I keep having to ask them to repeat themselves). It's even consuming my dreams!!!!!!!
This has got to get easier. I come home crying almost every day. I just feel like i'm incompetent. I don't know if I can handle it!!!
Oh my!! This facility should have offered you a preceptor for at least 6 weeks before allowing you to work alone. Did you ask about training during your interview? I am currently on the job hunt, a certain amount of weeks of training is mandatory in my book! Although I desperately need a job I would never accept a job offer where I didn't get adequate training...my license is too important.
Oh my!! This facility should have offered you a preceptor for at least 6 weeks before allowing you to work alone. Did you ask about training during your interview? I am currently on the job hunt, a certain amount of weeks of training is mandatory in my book! Although I desperately need a job I would never accept a job offer where I didn't get adequate training...my license is too important.
I don't know what the heck they were thinking, but I finally did get a preceptor... i was with her almost 8 weeks I think? I feel a lot better about most things now... it's still so stressful and i feel like i'm forgetting things all the time..and i still hate it... :/
That's how I felt to but I left after 3 months. I really hated waking up in the morning. I just found a job in a SNF and it's a different stress level. Instead of 5-6 patients you have 20 or more patients and all your doing is pushing the cart of meds and passing them out----that is your stress. The shifts are 8 hours and you pass meds for 5pm & 9pm. For most patients, you try to give them 9 oclocks as well because there isnt just enough time. Charting and documentation isnt as detailed as the hospital, and you dont chart on everyone. Only certain peeps that have certain insurances and if they have a g-tube. Assessments----dont really exist unless they are a new admission or if there is something new about the patient like chest pain, decrease in LOC, etc.basically, you only assess the peeps if they have to be assessed. But wherever you are, nurses gotta protect their licenses right? I haven't hit the 1 month marker yet, and Im still trying to figure out which is worse-hospital with 5-6 patients or having 20 + patients.
:lvan:I'm glad I found this site and now know I'm not alone! I'm still in orientation and my coworker say your never ready to come out of orientation but you do. Probably true. I go into work being told I've been given the hardest full load assignment because I have my preceptor for back up. But many times she gets caught up helping other people and not me. I run around not knowing what to do next because I just had two pts. leaving the floor at the same time and haven't assessed or given them meds yet. I feel like I forget things and when I tell my preceptor I'm overwhelmed, I'm told I'm doing great! I am happy to say I haven't broke down at work and most of all my pts. have had their needs met. That same day with that load the PM nurse told me in report that she had to go into the closet and cry several times during the night with my pts.!! She was so scattered I didn't finish report until an hour later. Somehow so far I have had the strength to stay positive even during these times but later at the end of the day when I'm there 2 hrs after I got off I'm like, wow really what just happened?!?! My unit says they would like to give me days like this so when I'm alone and have days like this I can handle them better. I was originally told I was going to be eased into being a nurse but that was from my nurse manager and everything else is coming from my coworkers. I've had several days like this so far and to say the least its been a struggle. Any words and advise on time management is extremely welcomed and appreciated!
Specializes in Ward Nurse and everything in between.
i am part of this group. the floor i am in is categorized as med-surg floor, although sometimes pedia patients are going in there too. in a month, i already had two incident reports (one was really my mistake, the other was just endorsed to me). i felt like giving up, especially clinical practice. sometimes i don't feel competent enough and felt like i'm the only one who make mistakes. my schedule is too erratic (just a reliever, underpaid even) and the admins are expecting me to be almost perfect. i am trying, God knows how hard I try but sometimes errors are errors and no matter how you prevent it, they show up in most unexpected places.
The consolation that I am getting is that I am not the only one who had made mistakes. But don't get me wrong, I don't use that as an excuse. It's just like I'm feeling normal.
You're NOT a failure!!! If anything...the system is failing you! Nursing is a very difficult and unusual job. The training should really be much longer, because you can't possibly encounter and know how to handle such a wide variety of physical & mental health issues in just 3-6 months AND organize your time AND effectively understand all the required paperwork/dealings with doctors/hospital policies. Oh, and I forgot to mention, preceptors come in all different sizes, shapes, colors (and moods). Hang in there...you will feel bad often...just try to get used to it, and not take it personally. Let yourself cry a little if you need to (some days alot), and make sure you have people on the "outside" to vent to. Know there will be days you'll think you're crazy for choosing the profession.
I am on my second week on a neuro med/surg floor...Im so scared. I dread going and the entire day before that is all i think of. My preceptor is amazing and the staff are great and that is what gets me through my day. i feel like all of you, and soon enough we will be that experienced nurse!!!!
i just feel so frustrated, discourage and sad. 
. (i really want to go to home health). i hope everything will be better!
instead of a poser 
! When does that happen 
Oh my!! This facility should have offered you a preceptor for at least 6 weeks before allowing you to work alone. Did you ask about training during your interview? I am currently on the job hunt, a certain amount of weeks of training is mandatory in my book! Although I desperately need a job I would never accept a job offer where I didn't get adequate training...my license is too important.
RN_Ashley
7 Posts
I AM SO GLAD THAT I AM NOT ALONE ON THIS!!!!
I graduated nursing school in December. My dream job is a L&D nurse, but of course they want someone with experience and frankly, this is the only job I've been able to get so I took it bc i needed it. I just started my first nursing job May 10. I've only been on the floor for 2 weeks now. My very first day they went ahead and assigned me 2 patients ON MY OWN. NO PRECEPTOR! I had a complete meltdown! I didn't know what the heck I was doing. The charge nurse saw the distress on my face and asked me what was wrong. I just completely broke down. She helped me for the rest of the day. Every day since then I was assigned with a preceptor. Then this past week, they started assigning me pt's on my own again except they gave me an RN who is responsible for helping me when I need it.
A few days ago, the only other RN who was there to help me was a night shift RN. She volunteered to work day shift because we needed her. Other than her and I, there were only 2 LPN's. Needless to say, she was completely rude and basically left me by myself. She would come ask me if I needed help every once in a while but she said it in such a way as though she didn't really care if I needed help or not. And when I actually needed help, I couldnt find her anywhere.
That night, I ended up staying til 8:45 getting things done. She left at 7:15. An LPN stayed with me until 8:45 helping me get everything I needed to get done. If she wouldn't of been there and offered to help me, I would've been there til midnight!!!
At this point in time, I dread going to work. And starting tomorrow, it'll be my 3rd week on the floor, and I'll have 3 patients to myself. On my off days, my mind is consumed with "Did I forget to chart anything?" "Did I write down that Dr's Order right?!" (half our dr's our foreign and i cannot understand a word they say and I keep having to ask them to repeat themselves). It's even consuming my dreams!!!!!!!
This has got to get easier. I come home crying almost every day. I just feel like i'm incompetent. I don't know if I can handle it!!!