To Mars and back. in one night...... help

Nurses New Nurse

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:uhoh21: hi guys, i really need someone to talk to. I am a new Lpn as some of you already know from my previous post. I started working at a sub acute, rehab, facility, its very fast pace. I started 2 week ago and i was told i would get two week orientation, and more time if i did not feel ready. Yesterday was suppose to be my last day orientating , when i got in to work i was told that i would be on my own, i told my DON that i want another week , she looked at me as if i had 5 heads. For my two weeks i did not feel that i learnt as much as i should, some of my preceptors were more into geting there work done than really showing me the ropes.

Anyways me not being a quitter isaid you know what i can do this, so they put me on the 6th floor which has about 10 ltc patient and the rest sub acute , this floor is the only floor that has ltc patient, with a total of 24 patients ( this floor is label the slow floor).

I started off on the floor trying to get my blood sugars done, and then i had 24 patients to medicate and treatments, plus we had 2 new adissions, at my facility , they are always a lot of admission and the LPN's AS WELL AS THE RN do their own assessment, head to toe, plus doing the forms , plus call the doctors and transcribe in the MAR, one nurse does all of this on one shift, if the admission is on your side you have to do it, even if its 5 or 6, plus get all your other work done. Last night i was so overwhelmed i wanted to go to MARS, i wanted to cry i was so stressed and confuse, and then i started messing up. I took forever to paas my meds, and then some of the patient was outf there room and when 2 of them came back, i totally forgot to give 5pm meds to them, i feel so horrible, i told the supervisor, i did not get to do one of my admission, and i left work at 2:00 am , my shift is 3 to 11:30.

In the beginning before i took the job the DON told me it was a very tough place for a new grad, since its very fast pace, they are always adssion, since its a huge facility , and you never know how many new adission you will get on your floor, and the 11 to 7 staff, have a problem taking over your work. On the opposite side of my floor there is a male nurse an older gentleman working and he seems annoyed when i ask him questions, but i am new and i need all the help i can get, and also this morning the nurse that took over my shift called my cell to tell, me she cant find the admission papers for the new admit i did not do and plus, how she needed blood work to be done today and i put the form in the wrong place so she cant get her blood drawn until monday.

help me please i need advice, i feel so incompetent, i feel like i have been working for this for so long and now i dont want it, i dont want to be a quitter, but i already feel sick to my stomach to go to work tomorrow, i have a class mate, who is now working on her own 2 weeks there and she says she cry every night, and that she leave 2 or 3 am every day and her shift ends at 11:30. what should i do? i feel so stressed i dont even want to go get my rn in january any more. reply soon:trout:

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Specializes in Clinical exp in OB, psy, med-surg, peds.

OMG! I am so sad to hear what you are going through, but I am in the same position, as a new RN I only get 3 weeks orientation and most of the preceptors were just trying to get their work done, and every night I live work late, and my hubby gets mad, but no one would help me, I too work 3-11:00, and it is so sad that we have to go through this, but all the best to you.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Oh my gosh to both of you! How awful....I just find it hard to believe that these places expect so much with 2-3 weeks of orientation. Please consider looking for another job.

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Specializes in Clinical exp in OB, psy, med-surg, peds.
Oh my gosh to both of you! How awful....I just find it hard to believe that these places expect so much with 2-3 weeks of orientation. Please consider looking for another job.

I am trying to look for a new job by January, if the lords grant me this favor, but for now I have to do this, cause I need the money, thanks

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i am going to try and see if i can survive there until my probation ends jan 31, i dont even know if i can stand a week, but i will try to give it my all. I keep wondering if i did anything wrong, i am driving my self nuts. People that are not in the profession, cant understand why i would need more time and what is causing so much stress, but some people just dont get it.

pray for me guys

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Definitely try to look for other jobs. 2-3 weeks orientation is definitely not a lot of time. Yesterday I was on my second day of orientation on the floor and I was so overwhelmed, even though I only had one patient to myself. I can't imagine being out of orientation for 2-3 weeks! Good luck!

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Specializes in home health, neuro, palliative care.

Keep in mind that if you stay at a job you do not feel competent performing, and something goes wrong, it is your license that is at stake.

I don't know what area you are in, but out here, several of the hospitals have new graduate programs that are much more thorough than a simple orientation. Best of luck finding a better situation. Keep us posted.

~Mel'

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Specializes in Telemetry, Nursery, Post-Partum.

2 or 3 weeks of orientation is just cruel! I had 6 weeks when I first started (on Tele) and 6 weeks when I moved to the nursery. And many people were telling me I should ask for more if I needed it, because 6 weeks didn't seem long enough to them. Good luck, try to get more orientation if you can. And also remember, it will take a while to get your shift organized so to speak, so no matter how long your orientation is, it is rough your first few weeks (or longer) on your own.

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I am also a new LPN and I also work in a subacute/LTC center. My orientation was a month and then I was let out on my own but my run was only 16 subactute patients. I know how you feel though because after a month of doing the 16 patients I was put on a LTC floor with 30 patients and it was horrible!! The first night I didnt get done till 1:30 in the AM (I work 3-11). It took me a good 2 weeks to get comfortable and get done by 11PM. If I were you I would either find another facility that is willing to give you a decent orientation. It still is going to be hard but it will help!!

If you decide to stick it out where you are just rember to breath and that the more you do it the better it will get. For the first 3 months at my facility I didnt feel like I had any clue!! I am there 6 months now and it is a whole heck of a lot better!! Hang in there!!

Hugs!!

heather

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg,Cardiac.

So what happens if you got a sign on bonus to stay for lets say one year and after two months you know you will not make it for that one year. Do they give you hell or do you have to stay the whole year. Has anyone changed jobs after getting a sign on bonus?

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I think with the sign on bonuses, if you leave before the time you committed to, I don't think they give you hell but they will NOT be happy. I believe you have to pay back the sign on bonus.

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg,Cardiac.

I thought so but I wonder if they add intrest and all that good stuff. I got $3000 to stay for one year and it's now 6mos and I found another job that I really think I will like at a better location and more base pay, better incentive, basically what I always knew I wanted and I would hate to bypass it coz I don't know if I'll get this oportunity again.

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