50YO new nurse dreads work

CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN · Jul 27, 2007

look for the mentor!

try finding someone who loves nursing in your department and latch on, find out the little things they do to improve their efficiency.

please consider giving your job more than just 3 months, you'll grow from this experience no matter how unpleasant it is. sometimes you'll find yourself laughing about those hellish shifts you dreaded the whole nine yards through; sometimes these awful shifts teach us nurses the mostest.

aren't the comments above mine great! everyone speaks their mind...we have such cool members to this website ;-)

blueheaven · Jul 27, 2007

The shadowing thing is wonderful. You get to ask questions, see how the nurses interact with patients. Don't just go one day, go a couple of times. This way you can get a better idea of the "lay of the land". Good luck finding your niche. Med surg isn't for everyone.

BandEmom · Jul 27, 2007

I promise it gets better.

I went home crying so many times my first year. Nursing is always tough but that first year is awful for everyone. I worked med/surg for 2 years before switching to cardiac/icu stepdown. I do still have to work med/surg every now and then if i get floated or need extra hours, and believe me i dislike med/surg - but after about a year something kind of "kicks in" and you start "getting it". That happened for me and it makes it much better. That first year in "the trenches" as I called it really does help you gain confidence, learn what the doctor-nurse game is all about and improve your critical thinking. ((hugs)) hang in there!

hikernurse · Jul 27, 2007

I started work in the NICU (just a few weeks ago :)) as a new grad and I feel completely overwhelmed; there are so many new things to learn and it will take years before I am able to care for all of the patients we get. That said, I really like it.

One of the reasons I like it is that many of the babies are there for several weeks so you get to know most of them and their families. If you hate where you work, there's no shame in finding something you do love. Most NICUs have extensive orientations and at least where I work, the other nurses are very willing to help.

santhony44, MSN, RN, NP · Jul 27, 2007

I'm right behind you in age but have been in nursing a lot longer.

I think, at this age, I would not be willing to put up with a job I hated indefinitely- particularly if it was physically stressful. Personally, I don't have the stamina I had 20 years ago. I wouldn't give it any more than six months.

I would probably stick it out until I'd made six months and in the meantime be looking at my options. Shadowing someone in any job you think might interest you would be an excellent idea.

When you reach the six months, you may find that you like it much better because you're more comfortable there and have improved your time management and so forth. If not, then that's a reasonable time to say "this is not for me" and go on to something else. If you like the employer, just not this particular floor, keep an eye on the job postings- take a look every time they're updated. If something comes up that you think you'd like, try to talk with that department head and see if it would be worth your while to apply for that job- even if you haven't been on your current floor quite six months. Expect your current supervisor to hear about it, though. you may want to have a talk before you even start looking at other positions.

Get as much sleep as you can and take the best care possible of yourself. I loved nights but I know they can be difficult or impossible for some people to adjust to.

Good luck in finding your niche. I believe there's something out there for you!

psalm, RN · Jul 27, 2007

Don't be afraid to ask for assistance with some things that can be done by others! If I have a pt. that requires alot of my time, I ask another RN if he/she can give a PRN IV push to another one of my patients so he/she doesn't have to wait for me.

The first year of nursing can be trying. It is nothing like the book-learning, where you have plenty of time to talk to the pt. and hand-hold, all the equipment is in working order and the lab and pharmacy are at your beck and call, lol. Hang in there!

HM2VikingRN, RN · Jul 27, 2007

I personally don't subscribe to the year in med surg adage. I think people should follow their interests. My public health instructor NEVER worked in the hospital following nurses training. She has gone on to have a very fulfilling career.

bigsyis · Jul 27, 2007

I agree with Emmanuel. Even though Med/Surg can be overwhelming (especially on days) the variety of things you see and experience are things that will form a good solid base for your future practice. Even if you transition to NICU, and things are done in a different way on tiny people, the theories are the same, and the tests and procedures can be pretty similar. Knowing the hows and whys of tests, meds, and treatments are as important as recognizing illnesses and anatomy. At 3 months, you are still surviving your baptism by fire! It is quite a jolt to go from student clinicals to the real deal every day. You are likely on sensory overload.

As some have suggested, get yourself some break time, however and whatever works best for you. There are some threads going on right now about stress, so I won't go into stress-breaking suggestions.

DO NOT sell yourself short. If you are a good, competent worker, you are likely expecting yourself to be ready to handle anything at any time. In theory Nursing School prepares us for that, but the practice of it is entirely different. One must continue the learning process as long as you are in Nursing. The day that you quit learning you become a dangerous Nurse! Avail yourself of any opportunities to observe or question more experienced Nurses. In a couple of months you will be looking back with amazement at how much you have learned. Then when you look forward you will realize that this profession is wide open to those who are willing to work and learn.

Also, regarding the charting-find out how other Nurses on your floor chart. If their notes are complete, imitate their way of charting. You want to be sure you have everything noted, but we tend to be a little too wordy at first.

Good luck to you, from one who is about to turn 56.

CRNAGAL · Jul 28, 2007

I thinking getting off the night shift will help alot. Its hard to get acclimated into your new job when you are perpetually exhausted and not feeling yourself. I stupidly took a straight night position on an intermediate cardiac floor when I was a new nurse, combined with a one hour commute each way. Anyways, I was exhausted, couldn't get restorative sleep, felt isolated from my family, and was beginning to get depressed, my cat died, it was really just a dark time in my life. That all led me to really hate my job. I lasted 3 months, just felt like the situation was killing me. So I applied for, and got a position in a CCU close to my home with a day/pm rotation. My previous job, as short as it was, was a great stepping stone in landing a position I really loved. Plus, I slept in my own bed every night, it was great. So I guess my point is that maybe some of your stress would be relieved if you could just get off the night shift! Its easier to think clearly during the light of day, at least for me it is! Hope this helps.

havepatients · Aug 2, 2007

THANK YOU and HUGE HUGS to all of you caring nurses who responded to my post. I have soaked in every word and have been really touched by your encouragement. I feel like I just had a therapy session and came away with helpful advice I can use

This site is awesome....it's the only place I can go where I feel totally understood and can relate to my fellow nurses!

God bless you all for taking the time to write!

Nancy

Ruby Vee, BSN · Aug 3, 2007

hi fellow nurses! i hope all you seasoned nurses can offer some advice.
all my life i've wanted to be a nurse, so when the "empty nest" arrived, i went back to school and got my rn at age 50
i've been working at a highly acclaimed hospital on a med/surg floor for 3 months now, and i'm so disenchanted, disappointed, and disheartened. i dread going to work! i thought i would love nursing but i don't. i'm shocked and overwhelmed with the amount of charting, the stress level, and the little amount of time i have to feel like i'm connecting with my patients. i feel like school barely prepared me for nursing, and most of the shift i feel like i'm behind. sometimes i have to stay 1-2 hours overtime to finish charting. i work nights (which is wreaking havoc with my body & mind) because day shift is intolerable (the insane pace and stress). all the nurses who've been there over a year say it was the same exact way for them. oh great.
i didn't want to work in med/surg but all my teachers and almost every nurse i talked to said to get one year there first. everyone says the first year as a new nurse is extremely hard and stressful. i just don't know if i can handle 9 more months of feeling like a zombie, dreading going to work, and generally being so sad that i'm not enjoying my
job. i'm a hard worker, very self-motivated, and wanting to pour myself into nursing.
i do not enjoy the type of nursing i'm doing, but i do like getting to know my patients and i love doing procedures, like starting iv's, stuff like that. i think i want to try nicu, but how will i know if i will like it? i'm certain that i haven't found my "niche", but i'm not sure how to find it!
is this how all nursing is? did i go into this with the wrong expectations? should i not have gotten a job in med/surg? for those nurses out there who love their jobs, how did you find the type of nursing that you love? are all day shifts insane? should i try to find something else now, or put in my one year of med/surg? please help!thank you!

the first year is tough. it takes a while for you to feel as if you know what you're doing, and that you can manage your shift. there's no way to speed that along; you just have to put in the time and work through it. it will get easier! i'd discourage looking for a new job before you've been there about a year. for one thing, you're so new you don't know whether you will like med/surg when you get a bit more experience. once you gain confidence, you may love it. even if you don't, if you stay a year you'll gain experience and have a better idea what you do and don't like about your present job so you don't jump into a new situation that will make you equally unhappy.

good luck! we've all been through it.