Your first nursing job

[Redmaile]

Hello, my fellow nurses. I need some guidance. I just recently graduated nursing school a few hours ago. I still don't feel confident about being a nurse. When we we're running a simulation situation in skills lab in which our actions dictate the outcome of the client, I didn't feel confident. I knew most of the skills and understood the rationales and all that jazz, but I didn't feel 100% because I didn't pick up on everything as quickly as some of my fellow students. However, my clinical instructor, who is a strict ICU nurse thinks otherwise. So much so that in the beginning of our semester he told us not to ask him for a recommendation letter, and that he would offer us one if he thinks we are fit. He seems to think so and offered me one and my mentor felt the same during my leadership. I kept begging my mentor to tell me what I needed to work on so I can focus on that before I graduate, and he kept saying that I did very well. The little things I need to work on are just things I need to be doing everyday on the job, but compared to most of the student's he's mentored I seem to be doing very well. It seems as though everyone believes in me besides myself. My question is, is this normal? Has any of you ladies and gents felt the same or gone through the same experience?

I keep hearing that your first nursing job is the second phase of your learning. Is this true? Would going through the motions and gaining more experience help me gain my confidence?

[Carlalily]

If he picked you to give a recommendation then you're performing better than most new grads! If it helps, I just graduated and feel like I know nothing and am incompetent, but I know with the experience of a first job it will get better. I've heard everyone feels this way at first.

[zzbxdo]

Just take it and move on. Learning takes time and starts at the bedside.

[Nienna Celebrindal]

Here is my opinion on nursing school. Nursing school doesn't teach you how to be a nurse. It teaches you how to not drown your first year when you LEARN to be a nurse. I think you are being too hard on yourself. Take the LOR as a confidence booster and fake it til you make it.

[Frotastic]

I totally know what you mean, I also recently graduated and don't feel super confident. However, I think that gives us a lot of room to grow. Land a good new grad program and you'll be fine.