Terrified of killing my patients/making mistakes/missing something important

Julz034 · Nov 12, 2009

Can't help you cause I'm not a nurse yet, but I have the same fears and I'm still in school! Yikes! I think it's normal to worry, and worrying is a natural response to keep you looking out for these possible mistakes that could be made. I would hope that within a year things will be better for you. I think like any new job it takes awhile to "hold it down" and this isn't only a new job, but new field as well. Wish you the best of luck, and I'm sure a nurse will respond and give you much more detailed answer from a nurses stand point. Good luck! Hang in there--you'll do great!

nurseme3, LPN · Nov 12, 2009

You're feeling are completely normal. Being a nurse, especially fresh off orientation is very stressful.

Cherybaby · Nov 12, 2009

What you are experiencing is completely normal. If any nurse ever tells you she/he did not feel stress during their first few months on a floor...they are fibbing to ya! It's very overwhelming to suddenly have your own caseload of patients to be responsible for. The one thing that I would suggest to you is to SLOW down. I know it may sound difficult...but you already made a very serious med error by giving meds to the wrong patient. Thank GOD that patient didn't have an allergy to what you gave them...or was taking something else that would have made those other meds contraindicated. NOT coming down on you. We've all made our share of mistakes. The important thing is what you do to rectify them. Make sure you always, always, always check and check again what med is going to what patient via what route. If it means slowing down your med pass a little, so be it. You will find your flow eventually...but for now, you are new...so don't try to keep up with the other nurses. Did you work with a preceptor before going out on the floor? Perhaps you need a little more orientation? Better still, see if you can get "under the wing" of one of the more experienced nurses and ask her how she manages. They may have some helpful hints for you.

Most of all...don't stress over your critical thinking skills. Those can't be taught. You either have it or you don't. You got through nursing school and clinicals...so obviously, you have something! :) Go easy on yourself. Make sure you take a scheduled break now and then. Remember to eat...low blood sugar and a very busy and overwhelmed nurse equals mistakes.

You're gonna be just fine. I promise you!

tewdles, RN · Nov 12, 2009

yup, normal.

The rule of thumb is that it takes about 6 months before you don't feel dangerous, and about a year before you feel comfortable in most everyday scenarios.

tdrynelle · Nov 12, 2009

Totally normal. I'm off orientation for 2 months now and still feel like that. I do have to admit, though, working on the night shift is way less hectic then days. Although you have more patients, you remove the doctor's bugging you part. Yes, you have to call them in the middle of the night and wake them up when things are going bad, but that's not an every day occurrence either. Might be worth trying in the beginning (I have also found the nurses on night shift are, at least in my hospital, very team orientated and very helpful - making it a great place to learn).

As for making mistakes, I agree with others. Just slow down. Better to get behind than it is to injure a patient. Personally, I say a pray on my way in to work each night, something like "God, please protect me from my patients, and protect my patient's from me. Give me the knowledge I need to keep them safe, and the courage to admit when I don't know something". It's my daily mantra, but it gives me a boost of confidence before I walk through the door...

karen11 · Nov 12, 2009

Here is another thought/slant: After graduation I worked a busy med-surg floor and felt like you did. I hated every work day and ran scared the whole time. Luckily I didn't make any med errors, but before I did I decided to take another nursing route. I got out of acute care and went to Home Health, then scaled down (but far from dumbing down and definitely a plus for me) Public Health. Home Health gave me confidence and great patient/assessment skills because you are focused on only ONE patient at a time and have the orders in your hand or they are given to you on the phone. It is rewarding because 99% of the time the patient's are sooo happy to see you. Additionally, you are able to follow their progress and feel you have made a difference in their recovery. Just a thought. It is important to get some acute care experience under your belt to buiild the confidence needed to go into Home Health, but in the end it is well worth it. If you have a BSN, Public Health is great as well. New grads (with a BSN) have gone straight into Public Health. I have done that for years and LOVE IT!! Good luck in your nursing career and find what makes you happy!!

teeniebert, LPN · Nov 12, 2009

The rule of thumb is that it takes about 6 months before you don't feel dangerous, and about a year before you feel comfortable in most everyday scenarios.

Thanks tewdles, I needed to hear that.

mich321 · Nov 12, 2009

I felt the same way when I was off orientation and probably for the first 3 months on my own until I switched to night shift. Night shift has been much better for me!

Littlepiggies · Nov 16, 2009

I just read your post and it literally could have been written by me. I'll be off orientation next week, and I'm terrified. I work on a busy med-surg floor, I also will have to take six patients, and I also run around with my head cut off. So much to do, so much to remember to do, so much to document..ect ect. It's so much harder than I ever though this would be. Some days I leave feeling really good about the day, and other days I leave feeling like I've taken 100 steps backwards. I feel your pain 100%.

mzjennx, BSN, RN · Nov 16, 2009

hi friends. i feel so reassured that im not the only new grad that feels crazy and unsure. im a new grad RN working on a med-surg/oncology floor. i was hired in June 2009 and was off orientation in September 2009. Been working rotating shifts with about 5 to 6 patients. sometimes i dont even have time for break. i get scared sometimes because we work with ill patients and you never know what could happen because they might have a change of VS, LOC or just coded. seems to happen a lot on the floor i work on. it never happen to me yet, but im so scared it could happen. i try to be careful, double check, and even come in early to learn about my patients.

im not perfect though. still working on my time management cuz im always feel busy busy. i once hung IV abx for my patient that was the right dose, time, route, etc, just labeled for another patient and got written up for it =( then i had this crazy patient who refused to be touched at night. i was so busy all evening shift that i forget to change her PICC dressing and when i tried, it was late at night and she wanted to sleep so she was yelling at me to leave her alone. i did not know what to do, but let the next shift know but i felt terrible for not doing it.

we screw up sometimes. i guess sometimes you got to learn from your mistakes to get better. i know i try my best to be there for my patients and give them the best care that i can and i know each and everyday im learning and getting better at being a good nurse =D i wont be an idiot for long and feel like an idiot. we will get better at being nurses.

JenPen2332 · Nov 17, 2009

I completely relate! I personally have this fear of pushing a med into the wrong port, being as most of the ICU patients have a gazillion IV lines all tangled up everywhere... My preceptor just looks at me as I obsessively attempt to untangle and label the lines and recheck, then recheck again before I push anything. It's quite comical.

Let's not even get into giving meds, I check the order so many times before giving it I dream about it in my sleep...

-Clueless in Ca