As a new grad nurse.. how do you know if it’s a matter of finding your feet or nursing may just not be for you?
As the title says I’m wondering how would you determine if the way you’re working as a new grad is per usual, as anyone else trying to find their way or if you’re just not cut out for nursing?
I’m going into my second week on the floor and while I have been improving very very slightly each day I can’t help but feel as though I was way more confident as a student and knew so much more???
Now I’ve started working I feel like everything I learned has left my brain and I’m starting all over. Not to mention my time management right now is absolutely atrocious, it’s almost as if someone’s holding their finger on the fast forward button because every time I look at the clock a whole hour or more has already passed.
I’m taking about 2-3 hours to completely finish morning medications. Last Friday I took even longer because I dropped a tablet. I’m hardly managing to shower and change beds for 2/4 patients let alone their wound care. Honestly I want to say it’s all happening amongst doctor and AH appointments, visitors etc. but every other nurse is managing to work through that? I also feel like I’m forgetting really important things and it’s making me look really incompetent. Today I was asked to do neuro obs and forgot how to measure their limb strength. A pt’s family member who is also their carer came in and was making comments (negative) on the care they’re receiving and queried me what a PICC line is and because I was put on the spot I just said I wasn’t sure even though I am aware I just couldn’t think at the time. On a different shift I was taking obs on a pt. Who hasn’t been doing well and their SpO2 was sitting low, I encouraged deep breaths and it still wasn’t improving. My NUM was in the room with a new admission and could see me taking longer so asked what was wrong, I explained, she then moved blankets over the pt., sat them up then put them on 1.5 L oxygen on nasal prongs which improved the pt. Significantly which I was grateful for but also felt ashamed I hadn’t thought of this beforehand.
Honestly I’m really worried that I’m going to miss or overlook something really important which will lead to something bad.
I also HATE handover. I feel like I’m public speaking. My CNE has had to jump in to add things I’ve forgotten. I don’t know what most of the abbreviations are on the sheets. I’ve started writing a handover in my notebook before it starts so I have more of an idea but I still forget things. I also forget/feel like I run out of time to look through doctors notes etc for care plans until I’m doing handover. A pt. Is having a sepsis work up and needed a urine sample, but I didn’t even read this until I was preparing for handover and the PM shift queried this and didn’t look impressed when I said I hadn’t realised.
Also everyone freaks out if I haven’t had my lunch break or stay back? I understand not wearing myself thin however today I stayed back half an hour to change a pt’s pad and do a bladder scan as I handed over to PM shift I would do this before leaving. After completing and letting the PM nurse know she was shocked and almost annoyed that I did it instead of leaving it for her, I do understand nursing is 24/7 and things can be left for the next shift but I’ve done that every single shift quite often to this particular nurse and I just feel slack.
Anyway, any advices would be so appreciated please. I know there’s probably more I could add that I’ve forgotten and probably will in the comments if needed. But pls pls help i can’t fault the ward at all everyone has been incredibly supportive so I feel this is purely falling on me and I need to kick my butt into gear