When will critical thinking skills come?

[mzsuccess]

It's so hard for me to think for myself as a new nurse.

I get in situations and honestly don't know what to do.

I become like a deer stuck in headlights.

I've seen orders and I;m clueless!

One of my jobs I have the other nurses there and I'm sure I get on their nerves,

because if something I don't understand comes up.

I ask and I actually heard them discussing that I need to know this stuff.

I carry notes and everything! I only ask when I truly don't know, I at all means try to use my brain but I don't trust myself and my judgment.

My full time job, I'm the only nurse, so I have no support or no one to lean on. We have an on-call Dr but its like $150 per call and the Dr hates for us to call for non-emergencies.

I actually hear her calling nurses dumb and things like that. But for my patient's safety I will call.

Just like I had a client on novolog his BG was 110 ( I was taught 70-110) is the norm. But i knew he needed to cover his carbs for that meal.

But our charge nurse will look over things and try to cc everyone in an email if I make an mistake. Which is embarrassing.

I'm so tired of feeling incompetent and like a failure that I just want to go to school for something else but I love nursing so so much! All I want to do is help and heal people not to ever harm.

I get so frustrated until I think about quitting every single day!

I just needed to rant and vent. But have no one to vent to, all my classmates (well 3 ) who i still keep in touch with are doing fine.

[pro-student]

The most concerning part of your post is that you mentioned you are the only nurse which is not an appropriate setting for a new nurse. I know the job market as a new grad can be atrocious but you are setting yourself up for major failure and potentially endangering your patients if you don't have the support you need. If there is any way you can get out, you should.

As for the crux of your question, I would say that nursing is at least 90% mental. A great way to help develop your thinking skills and clinical knowledge is to constantly ask yourself questions about what you are doing. Why is this med or treatment ordered? What should I be looking for in a patient with x condition? How would I know if this patient was deteriorating? Look up questions you don't know after your shift or if you have downtime. The thinking skills you talk about only develop with practice.

If that's not working or you realize you actually don't or never knew the information to being with, work your way through a NCLEX review book like this. Start with the topics/sections that you need the most review of and just brush up on something everyday.

[GeminiNurse29]

Wow, the on call Md charges $150 a call? Am I getting that right?

Forget making them mad. As I reminded my coworkers when I worked nocs, the on call Md is making more than all of us combined to pick up their phone and give orders.

You sound like you're in LTC. I would find a place that is more supportive of new nurses. And remember, it'll take time to be comfortable at a new job. Review and look up what you don't know. Better to ask than kill someone and lose your license based on an easily preventable mistake.

[LunaTunaPineapple]

It comes with time ! I'm a new nurse as well on a MS Tele floor and I'm often caught in situations where I feel "clueless". I'm so frustrated from shift to shift. Don't give up , it gets better. You'll get wiser. Please , don't give up ! Don't compare yourself to others and if you can , find a more supportive work place with more experienced nurses you can learn from.