Written up already!

[littlefeet]

I need some advice. I am a new grad....I have been working for three weeks (about 8 shifts) and I am feeling very lost. I am working on a gyne unit that has lots of general surgery and medicine patients. I had 5 buddy shifts that I worked with an RN ( I haven't written my registration exam yet) I am casual so I get called in for most of my shifts. I got called in for four night shifts. I was assuming I was going to be acting as an LPN because on nights there is one registered nurse and one LPN per team ( each team consists of 16 patients usually). When I got there I found out that I was not the LPN I was the "registered nurse" for my team. I objected to it of course because I had not been trained as team leader and I am very new. They told me that I would be fine and that the other nurse on the other team would be there if I needed assistance. My first night went okay but I didn't get a break because it took me extra time to keep up. My second night two of my patients went bad and we had to call in a CCA and the respiratory team. I guess there were orders for q2h urine measurements on one of my patients and I thought that my LPN was taking care of this for me but she wasn't. When the doctor got there the next morning and found that this hadn't been done (urine output was very low) he yelled at the day staff and wrote up an incident report to go in my file. The other staff on my unit think that it is unfair that a new grads like myself keep getting thrown into these situations because we are short staffed and there isn't anyone else to cover the shifts. I feel like working as a new grad with 16 patients to care for is risking my license. I need to know if this is just cold feet because I am new or if I have a valid concern. I am afraid that maybe I am just not going to be a good nurse and maybe I have chosen the wrong profession. I did very well in school and all of my clinical rotations but when I had a patient load then it was only max of 6 patients to care for. I need some advice about what I should do. Please if anyone has anything for me I would really appreciate it.

[wolf_funk]

my advice to u in future is, know your limitations, what u can do and what u can't do, and what back up u have, do not ecept a situation if u are not happy with. I understand management are under pressure too but they should not put u in that position, and u said about the lpn u thought they would take care of the q2 urine measurements? did u deligate this job to them? we can all make mistakes the positive from this is u can learn from it and this will make u a better nurse u are doing fine chin up ok. wolfie