What am I doing wrong? Argh...

It does get better. You will develop a routine and although things always will happen to disrupt your routine it'll be a baseline start. For example I chart as I go unless my patient is crashing or something needs done urgently. I find it easier to chart my assessments right after I do them and to chart events as they happen. I can chart a patient assessment in 5-10 minutes. We also chart by exception here and have computerizied charting. I find that if I leave my charting until last then it takes me twice as long to do and I'm sure I miss more details because its more difficult to remember than if I do it then and there. We have computers in each patient room so it's easy to chart as I go room to room.

I also chart as I go. We do not have computer charting where I work so I carry my nsg notes w/me & chart as soon as I assess each pt. I usually work med surg & have 7-9 pts....I would have trouble remembering if I put my charting off until later, & I want it to be accurate.Where I work our notes are four pges long & we can initial the norms & hand chart the exceptions. I do not double chart. The ones that wait & chart until later in the shift are usually the ones in a fizz trying to get done. There are of course exceptions....If things are going nuts then you may have to put charting off until later, but as a general rule when I finish assessing my pts my charting is done. I am a new nurse too, & this is how I was taught, works for me. Good luck & you might give it a try & see if it will work for you.

It will get better!!! You won't feel comfortable on the floor for about a year so don't get discouraged. Organization is the key to getting done on time. There will always be days where you stay over, it just happens don't let it get to you. At least when you leave you know you got your work done and the patients got the care they needed. There are a lot of nurses who always seem to be at the desk doing nothing, and where I work its the ones who are lazy or about to retire. Just ignore them. I am sure there is someone there who you can go to if you're have trouble. If you're behind, don't be afraid to ask someone for help. They won't think that you're not able to handle it because you're asking. At my hospital we have six patients for each nurse and night shift gets 8 to 9 so I know how it can be. Just hang in there and trust me, things will get better!

Dont let people sitting around stop you.. Ask for help if you need it. It could be very well that they dont have the same type of indepth patients you do but if someone is sitting there is no reason they cant pitch in and help. If you are having to stay late and people are sitting there is a problem with teamwork on your unit. Dont be afraid to ask. Let them B&M if they want, but your reasoning to your manager if asked is that if they had time to sit why wouldnt they have time to help you so you can get out on time and the hospital not have to pay overtime.

Hang in there. I felt the same way when I was a new grad on a busy med/surg unit. It will get better. I think being a new grad on a med/surg unit is difficult because the diversity of the patients. It's alot to take in at first. After a while I was able to get into a routine that worked best for me. In time I think the same will happen for you. Good luck!

I had the same experience as a new nurse on a basically Med-Surg floor (with tele).

With experience, I can see that yes, I was slow, but also that I was getting the heaviest assignments, and the least help from techs. My assignments became much better once I started being able to charge, and I realized it was because my fellow nurses were giving me better assignments, knowing I would be choosing their assignments the next time I worked. I'm not trying to encourage a victim mentality, but OTOH, I was so very hard on myself all that time, when half of the problem was my assignment, not me.

You also sound like a very conscientious nurse-- that turning every 2 hour thing for one patient. The techs should really be doing a lot of that, but perhaps you know they won't, so you step in.

ITA with the comment that if other nurses are able to sit and chat, there is a problem with teamwork on the unit, and you should hit them up for some help even if they B and M. It's about the patients, right?

I also agree with charting as you go. This can be especially important when it comes to things like suctioning trach patients-- if you don't note it on the bedside chart each time you do this, your patient's discharge planning may not take into account the copious secretions he can't cough up himself.

Try not to be hard on yourself. Do your best, ask for help, and try to look up one thing you had a question about, each shift. Makes work way more fun.