What a difference a year makes

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Specializes in CICU.

Right now, I am two weeks shy of my one-year anniversary as a working RN.

I still have so much to learn and experience, but what a difference between how I feel today versus 6 or even 3 months ago. I am even starting to leave at a decent time =)

Hang in there, it does get better, and you will eventually begin to feel competant.

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Specializes in Family Medicine.

Thanks for the encouragement, it means a lot! I'm 5 months in and discouraged at times. I look forward to increased competence. It's been a "two steps forward, one step back" kind of learning experience.

Congrats on making it this far! :)

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Specializes in General Medicine.

Ditto!! 1 year for me as of next week! I remember when I first started, seeing the other new nurses who were 6 months-1 year in and thinking to myself "there's no way I'll ever be that competent". Well guess what, we are them now!!! Unbelievable how quick this year has flown by.

I have to say I still feel pretty terrified though. I had a good reality check yesterday on my gen med floor - there was a code early on in the day, and then late afternoon my pt decompensated and had to go to ICU. And that's when I realized I still had no idea what to do when we whipped out that code cart, twice no less. Thank God for my amazing RN coworkers, who all at once jumped in to save my butt (and my pt's) that afternoon, while I just stood by and tried to figure out what the heck to do. And now I know a little bit more :)

Two steps forward and one step back is the perfect description.

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Yayyyy! Im so happy for you guys, Congrats! Im 3 months in and counting down until im a RN for a year,only 9 more months to go!

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Specializes in CICU.
Thanks for the encouragement, it means a lot! I'm 5 months in and discouraged at times. I look forward to increased competence. It's been a "two steps forward, one step back" kind of learning experience.

Congrats on making it this far! :)

Thanks! And congrats to you as well. Still have rough nights, but even on those nights I feel alot more in control of myself, and the situation, than I used to.

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Specializes in CICU.
Ditto!! 1 year for me as of next week! I remember when I first started, seeing the other new nurses who were 6 months-1 year in and thinking to myself "there's no way I'll ever be that competent". Well guess what, we are them now!!! Unbelievable how quick this year has flown by.

I have to say I still feel pretty terrified though. I had a good reality check yesterday on my gen med floor - there was a code early on in the day, and then late afternoon my pt decompensated and had to go to ICU. And that's when I realized I still had no idea what to do when we whipped out that code cart, twice no less. Thank God for my amazing RN coworkers, who all at once jumped in to save my butt (and my pt's) that afternoon, while I just stood by and tried to figure out what the heck to do. And now I know a little bit more :)

Two steps forward and one step back is the perfect description.

This first year has gone fast, looking backwards at least!

Thats the thing for me - things are scary until I DO them, then I realize it isn't always the big deal I thought it would be. It seem like every night I encounter something new.

As for the codes, working step-down I have experienced several and it does take practice. The funny thing is, now, there are even newer staff that I end up coaching in these situations (because the more senior staff are running the show, and I am still the "runner". Once, I had to get a med out of the code cart - and the whole time I was thinking "why am I doing this? I have NO IDEA where to find what I need!" (I did find it, and the patient did well =)

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Specializes in Critical Care (SICU/Trauma).

I just passed my one year in June...and looking back on it, I have grown a lot as well. At my first job out of nursing school, I got laid off after a little over a month due to financial issues within the company. Of course, I took it personally to mean I was a terrible nurse. However, my second job ended up being a huge improvement. I have now been working in a surgical ICU for almost a year and have learned so much. I'll be entering the Navy Nurse Corps in September. Seriously, what a difference a year can make!

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Specializes in CICU.
I just passed my one year in June...and looking back on it, I have grown a lot as well. At my first job out of nursing school, I got laid off after a little over a month due to financial issues within the company. Of course, I took it personally to mean I was a terrible nurse. However, my second job ended up being a huge improvement. I have now been working in a surgical ICU for almost a year and have learned so much. I'll be entering the Navy Nurse Corps in September. Seriously, what a difference a year can make!

Congrats on joining the service. I have thought of that myself, we'll see if I can get my BSN before I am too old to join up :rolleyes:

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