Uncertainty/Etc. (My same old story...)

perfectbluebuildings, BSN, RN · Oct 30, 2005

You know what, in reading over this post and thinking I answered a lot of this for myself. My attitude needs work... optimism is something I should maybe think about, and positivity and not shooting myself in the foot right off the bat every shift by thinking about what I will screw up and going home thinking about everything I DID screw up. And figuring out ways to learn what I don't know instead of complaining that I don't know it. Plus, developing a thicker skin to co-workers, would definitely be a good idea.

OK, I am sorry for wasting your time... I'm gonna go now... thanks for listening!

jnette, ASN, EMT-I · Oct 30, 2005

You know what, in reading over this post and thinking I answered a lot of this for myself. My attitude needs work... optimism is something I should maybe think about, and positivity and not shooting myself in the foot right off the bat every shift by thinking about what I will screw up and going home thinking about everything I DID screw up. And figuring out ways to learn what I don't know instead of complaining that I don't know it. Plus, developing a thicker skin to co-workers, would definitely be a good idea.
OK, I am sorry for wasting your time... I'm gonna go now... thanks for listening!

:chuckle :chuckle :chuckle Good JOB, Rachel !!!

You hit the nail on the head, and all it took was getting it off your chest and down on the "virtual" paper.

You can begin by making a point of counting every good and correct thing you DID do each day.. do this on your drive home. Then get excited about those things.

Then, and ONLY then, you can go over those things which made you uncomfortable or unsure. Write them down on a piece of paper. Next time you go in, discuss these items with a colleague or your NM... be sure to reslove these items and get the answers you need. That way when these things come up again, you will have your answers on how best to deal with them, rather than allowing all these "questions" and insecurities to accumulate and get out of control.

Determine to find the answers to those things EACH DAY that you have questions about. This is how we learn.. not by getting all upset over what we don't know, but by finding the answers !

And always remember to recognize those things well done each day.. and celebrate them !!! :balloons:

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

jnette, ASN, EMT-I · Oct 30, 2005

P.S.

Rayrae... another thing you might try.. if you have questions about a patient's condition.. and you wonder about calling the doc, etc... you might try going through your med surge books at home on these conditions, and refresh your memory... attempt to figure out just what's happening with this patient... what his/her needs might be.. where's the imbalance in homeostasis.. what are the "alerts", red flags, possible interventions....etc.

Brush up on each "question" you found bothered you for that particular day. Pretend to be Scotland Yard.. and go about finding the answers you need.

Allow each occurance which causes you the "insecure" feeling to become a CHALLENGE... and resolve to find answers ! You will gain far more satisfaction by figuring it out yourself this way, than simply asking colleagues, etc... and you will also retain it better ! :)

But, if in a bind, and you need answers quickly, don't ever hesitate to ask for direction... even if it DOES make you feel "stupid".

These things take TIME, practice, and EXPERIENCE. None of us have all the answers all the time. We all learn as we go.... I'm still dumb as a broom about a LOT of things. But I let it bug me in a DIFFERENT way... I have purposefully developed a "NEED" to know... so I go home and look these things up, and study them until I'm satisfied.

KatieBell · Oct 30, 2005

jnette gives great advice.

:yelclap:

Try reading up on the most common things seen on your floor. You will beable to anticipate treatments and complications once familiar with them. Because you will be reading with specific patients in mind, you will- as Jnette pointed out- retain much better than when it was just a chapter in school

Best Wishes.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Oct 31, 2005

We all goof up. While no one wants to make errors the ones you made aren't all that horrible. So, what you do is correct them and move on. Some good advice has been given you here, but I'd like to add one thing. That is to ask yourself "why?" When you have a situation where you think you need to call a doctor, ask yourself why do you think you need to call him. You should always have an idea in mind of what you expect to get out of the doctor with your call. Most of the time it will be an order for something (med, labwork, test) but sometimes it will be to very simply notify him of something that can't wait until his next visit to the patient. Then, if you're still unsure, ask one of your more experienced RN colleagues or the supervisor, "I have this going on with the patient and I think I should call the doctor because maybe he'll want to order such-and-such. What do you think?" If the other nurse agrees, get the chart and the patient's nurses note in front of you and sit down and call the doc. You'll be a little more relaxed, give your back and feet a needed rest for a few minutes and are in a position to write down any orders the doctor might give you.

I suggest that you should start writing those tons of questions you ask of others on the back of your report sheet, especially if you take it home with you. Otherwise, get a little notebook and write these things down. That way, when you get home you won't forget these things and you can sit down in the comfort of your home and do a little study and review. One of the problems with the healthcare professions is you need to learn a lot of facts while in school. It's quite another thing to put the facts with real world situations. So, when you get a patient who, let's say, is a diabetic with some complication of diabetes you should hit your textbooks again and review diabetes and why the different complications occur. I guarantee that you will start to look at diabetics a little differently. You'll start to also look for other subtle signs and symptoms of other complications of diabetes that may not have become big problems for the patient yet. Do you see that what you are doing if you do this is kind of taking your same role as a student? The difference is you had no choice in the patient you got, you have no official instructor at your side, and you have to find the discipline within yourself to carry this through. This is what will put the icing on your cake you started in nursing school. Your education did not end with your graduation. It is continuing for now. It will take 6 months at a minimum, but probably more like a couple of years before you realize that you also know those "DUH" things you talked about in your post.

Let me just comment on the perceived snub you got from someone after you had been an hour and a half over the end of your shift. I'm a big student of game-playing and I look to game theory when people exhibit some unacceptable or uncalled for behaviors. It fits in this case. Giving you a snub or even talking a little more sharply than usual (I know you didn't mention that, but I threw it in because it's appropriate for what I'm about to say), is a game behavior when someone doesn't want to confront you directly. What this person is saying is kind of along the line of "you had your whole shift to get your work done, now you're encroaching on my territory. Go home, already." However, the way it comes out is in rude language, sassy behavior, a dirty look, deliberately refusing to talk to you at all, or a big loud sigh that sounds more like a scoff. The idea of this game playing is to make themselves feel superior. It actually has nothing to do with you. They are totally on one of their little ego trips that you just happened to intrude into. Just ignore them. When people play these little ego games a reaction from you only feeds their behavior and is intrepreted by them as a successful zing--to you. Most of this goes on pretty much unconsciously too! We all participate in these little games now and then and they are always done for our own benefit. So, take a snub for what it's worth--nothing.

If you were not cut out for nursing, your instructors would have found a way to cut you from the herd a long time ago. You would have also been in your manager's office getting some kind of written or verbal warning. You didn't say anything like that had occurred, so I think you're probably functioning at a level that is expected for a new grad.