[kimmiejs]

Originally Posted by LAD_RN

I need some advice. I am a new RN of only 4months. I work on a cardiac step down floor in a michigan hospital. I have always wanted to be a nurse, ever since I was in 2nd grade. I knew there was a staffing shortage and that it would be hardwork. However I never thought 4 months after achieving my dream and starting my career I would already hate it. SInce I have started my job 9 nurses, on my floor alone, have quit. We constantly work short staffed and nurses are always calling in. I should also mention I work midnights. I love being a nurse and I am very disappointed at the way i feel. I don't want to leave nursing or the health profession but I don't know what to do. Everyday I go to work I am nervous and constantly feel that my license is in jepordy. I guess I am looking for advice on whether this is a normal feeling for a new nurse to have? What should I do? I would love to get involved more in the political aspects...in michigan we have no limits to patient nurse ratios or overtime. A persons health is the most important thing in life, without health there is no life....yet there really is no prominent political support for nurses. Atleast not in michigan. ANY ADVICE?

First of all you need to be congratulated on your accomplishment. All of us here can attest to the fact that nursing school was not an easy endeavor. Secondly, if I forget to to this in my first response, please forgive me. Welcome to the Nursing Profession. To start with it can be very difficult making the transition from student nurse to your new role as a RN. As you have settled into your new position you have probably noticed that your unit managers and peers expect more from you with less supervision and guidance. Even though this may be true just remember that a good nurse will ask questions and will not assume anything. With advances in medicine and technologies every day becomes an opportunity to learn something new. This holds true for RNS (like myself). I have been a RN since the early 1990s and there is no way I could ever know everything. That is why it is so important that you have resources at hand to help answer your questions. Most importantly it takes a good year of work as a RN to start to feel comfortable in your new role as a RN.

If you really feel that your current job is putting your license in jeopardy you need to transfer to another unit or to another hospital. A hospital with a good graduate nurse program will be the best. Your orientation as a new RN is extremely important. How long was your orientation after graduation?
I have found an article that I think will interest you. Good luck. Please update us on your situation.

http://healthcare.monster.com/nursin...s/orientation/

[stillearning]

Originally Posted by LAD_RN

I need some advice. I am a new RN of only 4months. I work on a cardiac step down floor in a michigan hospital. I have always wanted to be a nurse, ever since I was in 2nd grade. I knew there was a staffing shortage and that it would be hardwork. However I never thought 4 months after achieving my dream and starting my career I would already hate it. SInce I have started my job 9 nurses, on my floor alone, have quit. We constantly work short staffed and nurses are always calling in. I should also mention I work midnights. I love being a nurse and I am very disappointed at the way i feel. I don't want to leave nursing or the health profession but I don't know what to do. Everyday I go to work I am nervous and constantly feel that my license is in jepordy. I guess I am looking for advice on whether this is a normal feeling for a new nurse to have? What should I do? I would love to get involved more in the political aspects...in michigan we have no limits to patient nurse ratios or overtime. A persons health is the most important thing in life, without health there is no life....yet there really is no prominent political support for nurses. Atleast not in michigan. ANY ADVICE?

Hey LAD -- it's been nearly a month since your post -- are you still out there? What's the scoop? Have you survived your ordeal on the cardiac step-down unit?

It would be important for the rest of us to hear from you because, while this thread has wandered far afield from your original post, there have been a lot of responses from nurses who genuinely care that you make it through this tough patch and gaina sense of comfort & confidence in your new career.

Two insights I'd like to share with you:

First, you're a survivor. You told us that 9 nurses had left the unit -- just since you'd started your job! There's a term in psychology called "survivor syndrome." It is applied to those who remain after some natural (or man-made) disaster and feel overwhelmed, weary, unsure that they can or will go on. These folks also begin to doubt themselves -- in situations where they've survived an epidemic, for instance, they report feeling guilty that THEY LIVED while others, friends and family, did not. In your situation, you may feel like you picked a poor place to practice, like it is your fault that your career got off to a rocky start or that you're a "chump" for staying, so you'd best move on like theother 9 nurses have. You said you feel "disappointed in the way I feel." There's no need for that. Your feelings are perfectly natural and understandable, but don't get stuck feeling bad about yourself or your practice!

Don't be disabled by survivor syndrome. You're alive. Your career lies ahead of you. You chose this place to begin your life's work. You can choose to move on, to select a different setting or to see if you can change the one you're working in (although that is easier said than done). None of these choices is a "bad" choice. It is only when you see yourself as having NO choice that things unravel and truely go from bad to worse. As long as you recognize that YOU HAVE CHOICES, you will not become a victim of the place or the people who you work for or with. Consider your choices, and know that choice does put you in charge of your future.

Second, you are clearly wounded and afraid. You said in your original post, "I am nervous and constantly feel that my license is in jepordy" -- trust me, we've all been in some situation where we fear that our own professional future is being jeopardized by a workplace situation. Sooner or later, it happens to everyone. It is, in part, the end result of a very STRONG nursing history of taking responsiblity for the care of others. The public trusts us (the Gallup poll puts us at the top of that list year after year!) as so, when things around us go wrong, we naturally fear that our lively-hood is at risk.

Don't let fear run your career. Take your concerns to someone who can help (Whether you get the help you seek or not, just raising your voice keeps you from feeling like a victim!). That may be someone within the organization -- a manager, administrator, or even a board member. If that route proves useless, it may be the community who counts on this hospital for its care -- so perhaps the newspaper is your avenue for making your concerns known.

And, by all means, take care of yourself. Whether you stay or go at this point in your worklife, is entirely up to you. But please know, there IS somewhere else in Michigan for you to find fulfillment in nursing. There is a nursing department that will be thrilled to have you and your enthusiasm for nursing. I don't know if your present place will "morph" over time into the place you had hoped it might be, but remember, you have choices. Start a list of what you DO WANT in your career so that when you do hunt for the next job, the next healthcare system, the next manager or work-unit, you'll recognize the one you want when you see it.

Best wishes for a long and healthy career in nursing.

--p

[nursesong]

Hello New LAD RN
I remember the focus of Nursing school was effective communication, safety, patient care, (we actually practiced giving each other bed baths LOL )In reality we have wipe and run bath packs and sometimes are lucky enough to have a CNA to help. Adjusting from nursing school to reality today must be tough!
I work CCU where we are staffed 3-1. We get open hearts post op day 2 still with pacers chest tubes etc. We also manage active chest pain patients, acute CHF,AFIB, get all the heart caths... yes, 3-1 staffing and often no CNA. Once it was a little hospital where we shipped anything critical and we were staffed 2-1, go figure. We are new magnet but I'm not sure how that helps nursing really. It looks good on paper. The patients are wonderful, My advice is to learn what you can and if you are unhappy take your skills to another arena in nursing. There are may avenues to practice, home health, traveling, office, schools, etc etc etc. Burn no bridges and best of luck to you!

[LydiaRN99]

I agree with some of the other comments. It is not an easy road at first because no other job compares to nursing. There is ALOT that is asked of you and it can be very overwhelming. It can also be difficult because the old saying "nurses eat their young" can ring VERY true! Most hospitals in my area, are now using the mentor program. Basically they assign another nurse to you so that if you need to vent or have concerns, you can go to that person for advice and help. Usually these nurses have worked at the hospital for a few years, and can shed some light on the system. You should never be put in a situation where a patients life is in jeopardy. I think that some of the other responses are right, maybe try working another unit or hospital.

Good luck! Don't give up!

[TravelRegNrs]

Originally Posted by LAD_RN

I need some advice. I am a new RN of only 4months. I work on a cardiac step down floor in a michigan hospital. I have always wanted to be a nurse, ever since I was in 2nd grade. I knew there was a staffing shortage and that it would be hardwork. However I never thought 4 months after achieving my dream and starting my career I would already hate it. SInce I have started my job 9 nurses, on my floor alone, have quit. We constantly work short staffed and nurses are always calling in. I should also mention I work midnights. I love being a nurse and I am very disappointed at the way i feel. I don't want to leave nursing or the health profession but I don't know what to do. Everyday I go to work I am nervous and constantly feel that my license is in jepordy. I guess I am looking for advice on whether this is a normal feeling for a new nurse to have? What should I do? I would love to get involved more in the political aspects...in michigan we have no limits to patient nurse ratios or overtime. A persons health is the most important thing in life, without health there is no life....yet there really is no prominent political support for nurses. Atleast not in michigan. ANY ADVICE?

I think you have picked the wrong side of the clock to work on. First of all, nights are for those Nurses that have been in this field for some time. What's lacking is speed, educatiom from experience and everything is too new. Might shift is staffed much worse than days because most don't want to be up all night.
I'm a day shifter thru and thru. I would give anything to work your shift but my eyes close at 2 am and I'm unable to finish the shift. I've tried 3x in my career and forget it!

I've been in this field for 28 years now. Get those 2 years of experience in and then do travel nusing if you can. It's fun and you would make more $$$. You just need more time at what you're doing and you're good to go.

[Mom-n-More]

Well, I'm late into this, so sorry for bringing this up again if it is already a lost topic. Lad, I think you should look for a different nursing job. If you are always working short, and if that many people have left since you started, chances are it is just a crappy job. Not all nursing jobs are like that. Obviously nursing has it's bad points, and everyone has their bad days but overall you should enjoy your job. If you feel that much dread when you're on your way to work, then I'd say try a different job. Maybe try a different area of nursing. Don't just give up on nursing. It is worth it to find your place.

[ruby43]

I have been in nursing for 18 yrs. as I mentioned in a previous message. I have had good and bad, ups and downs....it is everywhere...and lately, things seem to be shifting to more paperwork, documentation, and many issues that do not seem to be related to actual hands on patient care. It is a difficult adjustment. One thing I would like to say is that remember, being a nurse is only a part of who you really are. It is an integral part of your personality and life, but it does not define you as a person. Remember what you did and who you were before you even became a nurse....focus on that. I agree that changing jobs or scopes of practice may help...I have had different types of jobs over the years...just to keep my sanity and to take a break from one place after awhile. It is a rewarding career, but it takes time to "find a niche". You are making a difference in your own way. Think of how your patients and you relate to one another....ultimately, that is the important thing. All those other "annoying" things come with the territory. Take care.

[nurse1stik]

Lad RN you may forever hate it or you may get used to it. IT IS VERY HARD TO BE A NURSE, NOT JUST ANYONE CAN DO IT. If you have not heard that yet form regular people you will hear it. It is very true. Your floor sounds like it has big problems. Maybe you should leave also.... I apologize in advance to your boss for the suggestion.... But, as a new nurse you need a good first time... if you know what I mean. I have been a nurse 17 years....looking for a new career as it has been hard. But, I loved caring for people and I made a difference. But, it wasn't as I expected for sure.
:luck:

[hsieh]

you wrote us in august - what's up now? like it any better? got a new position?

[Mcouch]

Originally Posted by LAD_RN

I need some advice. I am a new RN of only 4months. I work on a cardiac step down floor in a michigan hospital. I have always wanted to be a nurse, ever since I was in 2nd grade. I knew there was a staffing shortage and that it would be hardwork. However I never thought 4 months after achieving my dream and starting my career I would already hate it. SInce I have started my job 9 nurses, on my floor alone, have quit. We constantly work short staffed and nurses are always calling in. I should also mention I work midnights. I love being a nurse and I am very disappointed at the way i feel. I don't want to leave nursing or the health profession but I don't know what to do. Everyday I go to work I am nervous and constantly feel that my license is in jepordy. I guess I am looking for advice on whether this is a normal feeling for a new nurse to have? What should I do? I would love to get involved more in the political aspects...in michigan we have no limits to patient nurse ratios or overtime. A persons health is the most important thing in life, without health there is no life....yet there really is no prominent political support for nurses. Atleast not in michigan. ANY ADVICE?

My advice is to change jobs! Working conditions are a lot like that in a lot of places. If you could find a smaller facility with better nurse /patient ratio or maybe you will end up like me too anal retentive to be a Med/Surg nurse. Shoot for a specialty such as ICU/CCU your patients may be sicker but I have found that I can handle 2-3 patients with a million tubes and lines a lot better than I can handle the mayhem of a med /surg/tele setting. I discovered this 7 months after entering the field and I too was miserable. I soon transferred to OR and have done OR/PACU/ER/ ICU for the last 29 years.
The sod the instructor fed you is just that. You are in a dangerous situation and your employer doesn't care. CYA - I now take travel assignments so that I can have more say so in the hours I put in each week, overtime, etc. I still get caught in a bad barrel at times but there is a light at the end of that tunnel and I put that facility on my DNR list (do not return)