Struggling new nurse

Jen0918, BSN · Mar 31, 2020

Hi all, I graduated in May 2019 with my BSN. I passed my NCLEX-RN on my first try in November with 75 questions. I did not take my NCLEX-RN right away due to moving, having some personal issues with family going on, and have extreme test anxiety. I have 8 years of prior experience as a C.N.A. ranging from 7 years of nursing home care and trachea and ventilator care. Then 9 months as a C.N.A. in a hospital. After my NCLEX in November, I couldn't start applying for jobs because my license number didn't go through until December. I thought that I was going to be able to start in the bigger hospitals around where I moved to but they would not hire me due to not being a graduate at the main school in the area, not being employed for eight months, being a new graduate, and at the biggest hospital, it was because I didn't apply to their nurse residency program before I graduated. I ended up getting a lot of job offer for community hospitals that were about 45min -1hr away. I chose one that was about an hour away and similar to a size that worked at when I was a C.N.A.

I started my job at the beginning of March on a general medical-surgical unit at the hospital. I knew this was going to be challenging and that some days were going to be better than others as that is the beauty of nursing. I really wanted to work in the hospital setting and start out on med surgical unit which I am. However, I was wondering if anyone had any tips for me? My preceptor is a fairly nice person but does not really explain how I can fix the issues I am having. Also, I feel that she is talking about me behind my back on how I am not catching on to things. Additionally, I feel that she really likes to take over certain situations. For example, when I am giving a report at the end of the shift she likes to interject what she has to say instead of letting me finish and then talking. She has done this multiple times when we are in patient rooms as well. She has also said that I am having trouble with organization, getting a rhythm down with the day to day, talking with the doctors, and trouble with IV therapy. Does anyone have any tips to help me fix these issues? I am so scared they are going to fire me because I am not up to speed on where I should be and that I am too slow or that I don't have the knowledge/ critical thinking that I should have. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!