Support Stickie for New nurses who are not coping

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I have read through lot of threads recently regarding new nurses who feel they are struggling and not coping with being an new RN. So I thought it would be good to start a support thread where all new nurses could post about their feelings and experiences. You are not alone, all new nurses feel this way and if they dont I would be extreemly concerned.

Specializes in LTC, Med-Surg, Hospice.

I too am a new grad with just under 6 months experience. Does it get easier, I surely hope so...remember...we have a "choice" to view things as stress or as frustrating...we must choose to "focus" on who it is we serve...our patients...which is why we've become nurses~!

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After working as a nurse for a year now I can in fact tell you : It does get better!

There will come a day when you don't have to ask anyone for advice, help, or clarification. Not saying you will never have to ask, but there will be one day soon that you realize that you didn't have to stop and ask, you just did and thats when things really start to feel like they will work out.

After a year I feel much more confident, and I can honestly say that during the first few months there were times when I felt like the stupidest person alive and I felt that all my coworkers were out to get me... while some of them could have definatly been a little more helpful and friendly, I now realize that they were just trying to survive this stressful job as well!

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what are you doing now

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Heys I am also a new grad been on the job a little over a month.I also am okay until a crisis then it seems everything I have learned goes out of my head.I findthat when I am at home I snap at family I was not in the habit before.I am going to be honest here .I find nursing okay.I like making my pt feel safe and taking care of them,however if I knew then what I knew now I would have went into pt or resp therapy or occ,therapy.I have noticed their salarys are good.they are becoming comparable in my opinoin,they have half the stress the nursing profession needs to under go an overhaul.Better pt ratios better pay for the skills.i also wonder if some nurses who eat their newbies are those who feel they are in competition with new nurses,I say to you stop it as nurses we (in my opinion) are placed on a pedastool expected to work miracles ,we are human help us we need safe pt to nurse ratios, we need good orientations,we need consistant orientations, and all of us new or seasoned nurse need each other,we need to stand shoulder to shoulder ,be it RN or LVN.

thanks I will get off soap box now:redbeathe:yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah:

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.

I work in a CCU, and it's actually going fairly well. I just don't like the work. I've been there a bit under two months, they put us through this great critical care class where you learn so much. I'm doing one of the best out of my "group" of new grads they tell me. But everyday I dread going to work. I just trudge through the day, do everything I need to do, and when report rolls around, that's when I'm finally having a glimmer of hope that I might survive another day.

I check my phone and email every day hoping another job has responded. Nothing yet...

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Specializes in neurotrauma ICU.

Im soooo glad to see that I am not the only one who is struggling. I have always been an overachiever, did quite well in nursing school, etc. But I am seriously questioning if it was a good idea to start out in ICU. During my interview my manager told me that he likes to hire new grads because we don't have bad habits, and I was told by another manager that he was "quite impressed" with me during the interview. Based on these things, I went into the job thinking that it would not be too much for me to handle. (FWIW, the only interviews I got were 3 different ICU's, none of the med-surg units I applied to even called me back!)

Well, I feel like a total moron at this job. I am going into my second month and I just feel like I am getting worse every day. When someone (espeically doctors!) asks me something I have a complete brain freeze. I still don't understand half of what I am supposed to be doing or where to find things. I am supposed to be off orientation in another month or so and the idea of being on my own scares me to death.

I'm even starting to get paranoid! I saw my preceptor chatting with the manager and immediately thought, "they are talking about how terrible I am!" Believe me, this is not my usual state of mind.

It will get better, right? Not to sound snotty, but I KNOW I am generally smarter than some of the nurses in the unit (seriously, a few of them are quite unblessed with common sense), and they are good nurses. I keep telling myself that if they can do it so can I.

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Specializes in pediatrics, oncology.
Im soooo glad to see that I am not the only one who is struggling. I have always been an overachiever, did quite well in nursing school, etc. But I am seriously questioning if it was a good idea to start out in ICU. During my interview my manager told me that he likes to hire new grads because we don't have bad habits, and I was told by another manager that he was "quite impressed" with me during the interview. Based on these things, I went into the job thinking that it would not be too much for me to handle. (FWIW, the only interviews I got were 3 different ICU's, none of the med-surg units I applied to even called me back!)

Well, I feel like a total moron at this job. I am going into my second month and I just feel like I am getting worse every day. When someone (espeically doctors!) asks me something I have a complete brain freeze. I still don't understand half of what I am supposed to be doing or where to find things. I am supposed to be off orientation in another month or so and the idea of being on my own scares me to death.

I'm even starting to get paranoid! I saw my preceptor chatting with the manager and immediately thought, "they are talking about how terrible I am!" Believe me, this is not my usual state of mind.

It will get better, right? Not to sound snotty, but I KNOW I am generally smarter than some of the nurses in the unit (seriously, a few of them are quite unblessed with common sense), and they are good nurses. I keep telling myself that if they can do it so can I.

As I was reading this post, I actually had to check and see if I was the one who had written it! I relate to this soooooo much. I just started my 3rd month, I'm also in an ICU, and I feel like it's just getting worse and worse every day. I don't have anything helpful to say to you, because if I did maybe I wouldn't be going crazy myself! I guess we just need to hang in there and hope it gets better? :(

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Specializes in IMCU.
As I was reading this post, I actually had to check and see if I was the one who had written it! I relate to this soooooo much. I just started my 3rd month, I'm also in an ICU, and I feel like it's just getting worse and worse every day. I don't have anything helpful to say to you, because if I did maybe I wouldn't be going crazy myself! I guess we just need to hang in there and hope it gets better? :(

You have the answer...Hang in there! Sounds as if you are both doing great. I am on a busy IMCU we have 3 very sick patients instead of 2. About the only diff is that we don't do a few of the drips they do in the big units, and we don't do continuous dialysis and of course dont' have invasive monitoring, but other than that our patients are pretty much the same. I was so overwhelmed at 3 months it is ridiculous. The only reason I didn't quit is because I am not a quitter and if I had quit I would have felt it got the best of me. I don't let that happen.

By the 8th or 9th month, the changes were amazing. The learning curve is very very steep, but as I have said before, the rewards are great. Sounds like both of you are right on time.

Mahage

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Specializes in neurotrauma ICU.

Thanks shinyblackcar and Mahage!

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Specializes in Peds and Well baby.

Believe it or not ALL nurses had to learn how to nurse "on the job". I almost quit a few times. There are some things that just will take time. The last writer was right; at around 8=9 mths you start to feel like a nurse. Some of the more difficult medical talk starts to make sense and you quit feeling so stupid.

Hang in there. Most importantly, ask questions, print your hospital's policy and procedure clinical instructions and learn them. It will come, promise.

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Specializes in ICU.

wow. i thought i was the only one.

help. i'm not doing well and I don't know what to do. First time poster.

I graduated cum laude and sigma theta tau, 2 months ago. I was hired onto an elite unit in critical care and was so happy and excited. Within my first 30 days, I was disciplined for problems with multitasking and making mistakes on my charting. However, I get consistent praise from patient families and high marks on communication skills with families and doctors. When a new preceptor scared the pants off me, I just couldn't do anything right. It's as if the fear of demonstrating my skills in front of her wiped my memory out completely. It was a day from hell. I made a critical mistake and hung a drug incorrectly. Right rate, wrong line. No harm came to the pt but the preceptor wrote a 2 page documentation regarding her concerns of my ineptitude. I'm shattered. I seem to do well with learning when I kept the same preceptor and had time to think before acting. WHen I was told that I am not going to make it if i can't be safer, faster and with better documentation, my heart just started sinking. I'm a second degree BSN with prior experience in technology, sales and health education and I"ve never felt like such a failure. I can't sleep. I can't eat. I feel depressed. i'm on the verge of tears about feeling so stupid. The CNS has written a plan that I am to follow to improve or ... there's not be a mention of what "or" is but i assume it's being fired. It's entirely possible that this unit was too complicated for me as a graduate without any prior hospital experience but i feel so trapped. I don't know what to do. Do I continue to try and do my best? Do I agree with my preceptors assessment and leave before orientation is over to try and get another unit job that is less acuity/ more repetitive? Will I be left without an opportunity to transfer?

My CNS says my alternatives are to stay and try harder, leave the unit and apply for other jobs in the org ( would i get even a recommendation?) or to quit altogether.

I'm getting so depressed. I am trying so hard. I feel like such a failure.

I have problems with organization when faced with a new type of patient or experience.

Can anyone help me? I have noone to talk to.

I am seriously considering leaving nursing The very thing that drew me to it was seeing nurses transform my family when my mom was ill. I vowed to be a compassionate advocate for patients and their families. Being with them has always been the best part of any day. But not if i can't be safe. Not if i could harm someone. I couldn't live with myself.

help?

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Specializes in Acute Mental Health.

Wow, a brand new nurse and ICU! I would be so lost and scared to do anything. I'm just amazed that new nurses can handle icu at all. With no general med surg to go on, it has to be more difficult to get it all when I wouldn't even have a good grasp on the general stuff. I'm so sorry you're going through this. I wonder if you can transfer to a med surg unit for a year and then reapply for icu?

I hope you decide not to give up though. You worked hard to get to where you are. Finishing at the top of your class doesn't tell anyone how good of a nurse you'll be, but I know you worked hard. Hang in there :nurse:

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