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 ER, Cardiac Tele/ICU Stepdown.

What I hate is I can't sleep before my shift and am sick to my stomach and get diahrea--so I go into work already worn out from being up alllllll night. I can't even really relax and enjoy my days off! I've gone on Buspar for my anxiety which I'm not sure if its helping or not. I usually have a drink or two to relax and that has helped me get to sleep.

I'm almost at my 6 month mark (december) and I keep telling myself to stick it out for a year (which would be June) and then reevaluate but there are times when I leave work crying that I can't imagine being able to make it to the year mark. I'm just taking it day by day, week by week.

I feel the same exact way!!! If I could just make it that to that one year mark, maybe everything would be ok, or if not I could find something else! I have the same sleeping problems, I sleep just fine, until the night before my first day back, and then the anxiety hits, and I worry so much about the next three days at work. It was so bad last night, I cried all night, threw up, didn't sleep at all, that I had to call in sick to work. I feel so bad, but I was in no shape to go to work like that. I feel like my lack of sleep before work is causing me to make stupid mistakes at work... is there anyway to break this cycle?

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Specializes in ER, Cardiac Tele/ICU Stepdown.
I, too, am thankful for this post. I graudated in late June and started on a med-surg floor in September. I've been off orientation for two weeks and its been kinda dreadful. I had a few really good nights right at first, then everything has been awful. Thankfully, I great co-workers, and great managers, and a wonderful assigned mentor. Without their support, I don't know what I'd do. Usually I get through the shift ok, or at lease without crying. Then when I give report to the day shift I discover three or four major things I either forgot to do or didn't know that I needed to do at all. That's when I lose it. I run myself ragged all shift just trying to survive only to discover at the end of the shift that I failed.

Ditto on the running yourself ragged all shift and the oncoming nurse bringing up all this stuff that you didn't do. I feel the same exact way, I work my butt off all shift, bearly sit down, trying so hard to get everything done, only to find that there's something that I missed, everytime, it makes me feel like a complete idiot!

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Specializes in Neurosciences.

Another new nurse here. I graduated in May, took boards in June and started working on the floor I was a Nurse tech on in July. The pluses to that were that I knew all the staff and I was familiar with the hectic pace of the unit. The downside: some days it's overwhelming. It seems just when I have a "good" day, I'll come back the next and it will be horrible. I work on a Neuro unit with patients who have had strokes, seizures, and TBI's. Many of the patients are total care, meaning they must be bathed, fed, and put up in a chair 3 times per day. We have a 28 bed unit and on a good day we have 9 nurses and 3 CNA's. On a good day. Some of you may think that sounds reasonable and, sometimes I think it does too, but on the days one or more people call in sick it's awful. You don't know how many times I went home, feeling guilty because my patient did not get very clean (if at all), had no oral care done, let alone put up in a chair (requires at least two people and a sliding board). The things about nursing I find the most challenging are not the special skills (IV starts, blood draws, catheters, etc) because people don't expect me to know how to do those things well yet, it's the simple, basic things I'd damn well want for my family member. I cannot get these things done in a 12 hour day, even if I skip my breaks and don't pee (which I have done). I knew what I was in for when I agreed to work here and, if it weren't for amazing co-workers, I'm not sure I could keep doing this, but I would like to be encouraged by some seasoned nurses who tell me they can relate. Am I expecting too much? Is it too much to hope that I can clean, feed and properly assess my patients? Really?

This sucks.

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Specializes in Mother-Baby & Community/Public Health.

This is a great thread. I just passed my boards in October and started working last week. My first two days on the Mother-Baby (postpartum) unit were crazy and really fast paced. I thought I knew what I was getting myself into, but I guess not. There's so much to do in such little time. Thankfully I have a pretty good preveptor, but sometimes I feel so rushed to do everything for my patients. We only had 3-4 patients at a time, but had to prepare for discharges, new admissions, teaching, and of course making sure that the newborns were doing okay as well. I really wanted this job and fought for it and now I'm having some doubts. I already feel so anxious and queasy thinking of going back to work again. But then again I know it was only my first 2 days so I need to just tough it out for the next year at least and see what happens. My preceptor says I'm doing a good job so far and that when I feel so overwhelmed and feel like crying that I just need to take a deep breath, calm down, and do my best. I cannot even imagine how it will be like when I am on my own. I have 12 weeks to be with a preceptor. I plan to read this thread to get any advice and get some support since I am not the only one that feels so stupid and doesn't know everything about nursing. If only this first year could hurry up already like everyone else has said. :scrying:

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Specializes in LTC, case mgmt, agency.
What is the best way to give report where a nurse will not look at you and have an attitude regarding hand off reports.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

rosstat2

What I started doing was at home I made my own " sheet " with the information that the more experienced nurses kept asking me for and then I would just fill it in. It has made giving report a bit more organized for me.

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What I started doing was at home I made my own " sheet " with the information that the more experienced nurses kept asking me for and then I would just fill it in. It has made giving report a bit more organized for me.

I've done the same, and it's very, very helpful. It doesn't change the attitude of some nurses (nothing will except time, MAYBE), but it makes me feel better going into report.

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Specializes in Peds,geriatrics,jail,homecare,sub acute,.
What about struggling as an LVN? I'm losing my mind too! :D

I agree where is that support....I don't know about you I feel we work just as hard if not more to live up to "RN".I struggled a lot before I decided to lay off nursing two years ago.Hair falling out weight loss.(I'm a thin as rail as is) The emotional ride can take anyone of course.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Psych.

I guess I am having a multitude of issues.

I graduated in May with my RN and got my license in July. I am working on a Med/Surg (Ortho-Neuro) floor @ nights but I am having some serious problems.

First, my department is very clicky and I am not dealing with that well. As well as I have confidence issues and need some advice on how to improve on that.

Also, I just had a pt. refuse my care, causing me to doubt basically all of this, so I need some guidance.

Thanks :)

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Specializes in Geriatrics.
What about struggling as an LVN? I'm losing my mind too! :D

I hear ya I've been a LPN for a whole month now and I'm so losing my mind!

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
I guess I am having a multitude of issues.

I graduated in May with my RN and got my license in July. I am working on a Med/Surg (Ortho-Neuro) floor @ nights but I am having some serious problems.

First, my department is very clicky and I am not dealing with that well. As well as I have confidence issues and need some advice on how to improve on that.

Also, I just had a pt. refuse my care, causing me to doubt basically all of this, so I need some guidance.

Thanks :)

Clicks in nursing are something you cant avoid I'm afraid, one day you will find yourself part of one yourself without noticing. Just be your natrual self. Now please dont take to heart a pt who 'fires' you it happens to everybody and most time it is a case of they just dont like you and there is nothing you can do about it. Sometimes a pt is not a nice person and fires everybody. You will feel awful but put it into perspective one person in 6 months so you cant be doing that bad.

Use the experience positively reflect on the experience and see what you learn't from it, from all bad experiences we can all learn something turning it into a positive experience.

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Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.

Wow. What a difference going to nights has made for me.

I am feeling SO MUCH LESS STRESS now that I'm on nights. I know this isn't everyones case, but for ME, it has really helped a great deal. I'm a night owl so the hours are fine for me, no problems staying awake or sleeping or anything (thank god). I don't see myself ever going back to the day shift.....too much work and stress for less money.

The night staff I work with is so nurturing and supportive, I could almost cry! I feel renewed in my job and not as stressed out and I don't feel like quitting anymore.

I feel like I have the time now to assess my patients really well, to think about things things I am doing for my patients, to read their charts, understand their history, etc. I love it!

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Specializes in Psych, Med-Surg.

Hi,

I posted this in another forum, but I think that I might get more replies here...

I am a (relatively) new nurse. I spent my first year as a psych RN, which I loved and felt that I was good at. I was told that I should get some med-surg experience, so I left my psych job after a year and 2 months. I currently am on orientation in med-surg, but have become very stressed out over this job already. I feel that I have to drag myself in every shift. I'm not sleeping much, and I sometimes cry when I'm by myself because of the frustration. I don't find this work interesting or enjoyable.

My questions for the more experienced nurses:

How important is "the med-surg experience"?

I always felt in school that the floors were overwhelming, but I have interests other than psych (i.e. OR, OB) and I'm afraid that if I don't do med-surg, I won't have any other options other than psych.... Do you think that is accurate?

How long do I have to stay to make it "count"?

A year? 6 months?

Thanks for any advice that you can give. I am a hard worker, and was a relatively good student. I don't want to have to give up options other than psych, but I just don't know how how much more I can take.

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