Why do I hate this

justmanda · Jun 8, 2006

Nursing is a culture, a way of life, it is exciting you live , eat and breath nursing. All who enter should aquire knowledge and skills that enable nurses to cope with stress. All must be treated with dignity and respect including the nursing staff. The behavior of the doctor is not acceptable, are you not able to approach, management concerning his behavior.

---->I don't nor do I want to live, eat and breath nursing. I like to leave the stress and the job behind when I go home. Uh oh...wait, I'm on this board talking about NURSING! Would that come under the Living, the Eating or the Breathing category :)

justmanda · Jun 8, 2006

Yes, it gets better. What you are struggling with is multi-tasking. As you become more proficient and acclimated to the job you will become more savvy about heading off problems before they even happen as well as learning where those little nooks and crannies are that meds can hide in that you forgot to look in. This all comes with experience and time. As you become more proficient in your skills and tasks you will have more time for some of the things that you don't seem to find enough time for right now. You should be starting out each shift with a To Do list either written or in your head. It will help you get back on track whenever you get out of focus. 30 years as a nurse and I still go in to work with a To Do list in my mind. If you are finding any particular skill or nursing function that you feel you are particularly weak in right now, then do a little self-actuated remedial course in it.
May I make a suggestion? Chart checks. Charting. Brains. I would set a time that I needed to start chart checks, let's say an hour before the end of my shift. I would start checking for orders. As I checked each chart I would make some kind of mark on my report sheet ("brains") so I'd know I checked that particular chart. If I get called away I only have to pull out my brains to know who else's chart I need to check. Less info to have to keep on my mental To Do list that way. Make whatever you use for your brains work for you. Same thing goes for charting. Scribble something on one chart and mark off that it's done on your brains. There were many times over the years when I clocked out, but stayed to finish up paperwork. I'm not saying it's the right thing to do, but sometimes when you are learning it's the only time at work when your time is your own to manage as you want.

I agree 100% You don't know how many hours I wasted as a newbie going back to charts a million times to see if something was missed. Now, once it is checked off on my list, I don't give it another thought. Chart check DONE! Instead of Chart check STILL DONE, chart check STILL DONE, chart check STILL DONE. Oh...the time I wasted.

justmanda · Jun 8, 2006

I'm also a new grad in my forties orienting. I really hate it. I have no idea if I am making acceptable progress and never hear anything except what I didn't do. I was never even shown where things were. I really hate what I'm doing but I've sent my sights on being there a year just to prove to myself that I can do it. I hope I don't find out on my last day of orientation that I suck. I guess I will be more proactive with requesting what I need and finding out if I am doing ok.

Someone will always think you suck...no matter how good you are. That is just the way a lot of nurses are, unfortunately. If a nurse following you has a busy day, she will find a way to blame it on the shift before her. Not all nurses, but a lot. If your shift is not all tied up with a big pretty bow, you will get "the look" and a sigh and then will be bad mouthed after you leave. I'm telling you this for a reason. There is NOTHING you can do about this. It is just the way it is. So don't waste a second of your time thinking about it. Just do a good job and find satisfaction in that instead of what other people think of you. Now, to all you nurses who feel compelled to send me a snippy post about my assessment of the above mentioned nurses, don't waste your time. My intent is to prevent this poster from needless stress put on her by her co-workers. The job is stressful enough without trying to please the unpleasable....and I have NO DOUBT that each of you work with a couple of these types.

justmanda · Jun 8, 2006

You are cerainly not alone. Just about all my friends from nursing school are miserable, as am I. We are all about 2-3 months into our first jobs and it is so much harder than any of us anticipated. What is frustrating me is I don't know how to help myself. I know that organization and prioritization is key, but how do I get there. How do I get organized?!?!? And I am terrified of the phone, everytime another dept calls or I have to call a doctor, they always ask me something I don't know. I try to stay on top of things, but I feel like it is impossible to know the patients entire chart when there is so much else going on. All nurses have told me it takes about 6 months - 1 year to feel better. I wish I could fast forward that time.

You don't have to know the entire chart. Just have the chart in front of you when you talk to the doc. Tell him "give me a sec I have the chart right here" You don't know how many dumb things I've said to a doc, and you will too. It will give you a funny story to tell your friends. Don't be afraid, then you will avoid it and never become comfortable. The phone calls from other departments....I probably say "I don't know, hold on" a couple times a shift. I get the chart and give them the info. Don't sweat the small stuff. You're expecting yourself to know everything? Nobody else expects you to.

justmanda · Jun 8, 2006

Wow! The preceptor stories I'm reading are frightening! I have an AWESOME preceptor. I'm also a new grad (41-yrs old, though), working in the ED. So as you can imagine, we get everything from MI's, to broken limbs, to chapped lips. (Yes, really!) I go from completely overwhelmed to thinking "I can do this!" Usually it's the former, though. Last nt I had to stick a 5-yr old boy w/butterfly to get blood. All the while, he was jerking and screaming. They don't teach you how to do that in nsg school!
And do you know how hard it is to do an in-out cath on a lady? You would think finding that hole would be easy, but it looks different on EVERYBODY! Really! And yes, I took anatomy, but still! I pray for em to have a tampon in so I can rule out a hole! ha! (Geez, this would be vulgar if you weren't a bunch of nurses reading this!)
To think I'm going to be responsible for 4-5 rooms in June scares me to death. I'm not nearly ready. Fortunately, they "precept" you for 12 weeks in the ED. I will probably take every week!
Good luck to all other newbies out there!
Jodi, RN

I can cath a lady from across the room but have a HORRIBLE time with men, for some reason. It always gets hung up on something and I practically have to give the guy a hand job (with all the repositioning of the member) to get it in. Someone in nursing school told me (regarding female cath) "You will see a little star" And I look for the star every time and get it.

Goldenhare · Jun 8, 2006

The surly doctors just come with the territory (and most of them aren't bad). You'll get used to them in no time....just like after awhile mothers aren't bothered by the sound of shrieking kids.

I think you are right about that!~ :lol2: