when will I feel like I have a clue what I'm doing?

kessadawn, BSN, RN · Mar 9, 2011

It will take time, trust me, I would be more worried if just a few months off orientation you claimed to be super competant and know everything! I think I started feeling more confident after that first year on my own. You are NOT a moron, and as time passes things will become second nature for you. Teaching families can be intimidating for all of us, I think, depending on the subject matter and how much they already know. Is there a senior staff member you can bounce things off of for advice? The best advice I can offer is just be patient, it WILL happen, and suddenly one day you will jump in and help out a new nurse yourself, and realize "wow, I made it!" Good luck!

chancie · May 9, 2011

Let's see I've been at my PICU job for about 11 months now (and it was my first nursing job! New grad! AH!) and I'll tell you I still have many days where all I can see is everything I have done wrong. I leave work feeling like a moron a LOT. BUT I don't tell you that to discourage you, just to remind you that everyone still feels like that from time to time. And it does get better. When I'm not worrying my socks off about my last shift or patient I took care of, and actually look back at where I started and where I am now, I do see improvement. It gets better! I still get pretty nervous going into work, but it's no longer the sick to my stomach, up all night kind of nervous. Just continue to ask questions. Oh my goodness I still ask soooooooo many questions it's crazy. And don't worry too much about what to say to parents. If you don't know something, tell them you'll go find out! They usually don't get upset if that is your response. And hey, you can always go ask the PICU docs to explain the situation too. I've found that to be very helpful to me and the parents if I still am confused about something we are doing. And parents like to see that doctors and nurses are working together as well :) Good luck to you. Don't worry, you'll be great! Hang in there!

RNNPICU, BSN, RN · May 18, 2011

Don't worry about that feeling eventually it gets better, that feeling that everything is wrong is just you going back and self checking. Sometimes that is important and can help you grow. As the days become weeks, months and years, you start thinking less about what went wrong and more about what went right. Since the learning curve is so huge in the PICU, everyday is a new learning experience. I have been a PICU nurse for 5 years and I still am learning things. It does get easier, and the talking to families also becomes easier. Start with printing off info on the meds they are on and talk about them - that way you can start with something you know, since you have been giving those meds, it should be an easy topic - read the sheets first because there might be something on there that you didn't know before - this comes from a past incident I had, and all I could say was that is interesting I hadn't heard that beofre.

firstlight · May 19, 2011

Give yourself time. It will get better. Many of us felt like you in the beginning and sometimes feel it many years later. We are always learning and trying to do our best for the patient and so we are highly critical of ourselves.

Take Care