The stuff you don't learn in school

[CalicoKitty, BSN, MSN, RN]

I'm a few weeks off of orientation. The last few days I am feeling very overwhelmed. I realize how little school actually prepared us for nursing in the real world. In school, almost everything is patient care, and homework. At work, there is so much more. Right now, I'm trying to figure out how to stay on top of things that aren't "my job" - like making sure orders are put in correctly, making sure treatments (not mine) are done, making sure labs are drawn, making sure meds are correct. I realize overseeing these things is part of the duties of a nurse - I just have no idea how the experienced people do it all! I feel like a jerk when something is missed, especially if I said I'd make sure it would happen. A lot of nursing is dealing with the "system failures", which we touched upon in school, but I had no clue how prevalent it was. I think I really need to find a way to write stuff on my "brain" for the double/triple checks (my brain is a highly edited version of one I found here on AN!).

Any suggestions for dealing with the non-nursing stuff?

[Bringonthenight]

I would say nursing school taught me the skills, once you become a nurse though you have to learn time management and as you have described

[Bringonthenight]

Sorry I didn't finish:

So when you become a nurse you have to learn how to coordinate your entire patients shifts. As you described, making sure things get done.

Does this make any sense?

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Esme posts brain sheets here all the time. Drop her a PM and I am sure she will be happy to give you the links to them. I am seven months in and on those crazy busy days they save my life by keeping things organized and keeping me from forgetting things.

[elBSN]

PolaBar I would love to pick your brain about working at WHC- I was just offered a position. PM doesn't work for me since I haven't started 15 threads yet. If you could share your experiences, I would appreciate it! Thank you!