Will I get better?

[Shawnpea]

I am a new LPN and it feels like I am working with 10 thumbs. I am finding that I may not like pediatrics because my heart aches for the children in their condition and I don't like seeing the parents stressed with sleepless nights. Many of the parents are super cautious, which I have no problem with. Some of them have been giving meds to their little one for decades and here I come along with green thumbs. Will I get better?

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

With experience comes confidence, competence, and eventually expertise. Not only are you learning your job, you are also acclimating to the difference between nursing school and working as a licensed nurse. It will get better, although there will be days where it feels like a new start as new treatments, higher acuity patients, and new technology necessitates learning the ropes.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Not everyone gets better with time ... but most people do improve if they make an effort. Keep trying to improve -- practice with the equipment, read up on things you don't know, find a mentor that can advise you about troublesome areas. Make a learning plan for yourself and you will probably improve.

But ... getting better at the skills will not guarantee that you will like the job. Do you like it? Is it the type of work that you want to do for the long term? I couldn't tell from your post. If you like that type of nursing, it will help motivate you to keep improving. If you don't like it, you may find that not having your heart in it holds you back from improving.