new grad - intimidated...need advice please!?

Question

hi! i am a brand new rn in mn. i graduated in may, started working at the end of june, and came off of my orientation at the end of august. i have only been on my own for a few weeks, but i am intimidated, scared, and overwhelmed. i work with great nurses who answer my questions, but it doesn't change that i am so overwhelmed...how long will it take me to feel more comforatble? what can i do to help? what other nursing positions are appropriate for new grads that involve lots of patient contact with low acuity and stress? is that even possible?

Answer 1

Please try and understand that you have completed all of your university studies and your internship as a R.N. You have made a decision to go into a filed that most of the time is a high stress field.

I am a clinical psychiatrist since 1971 an I can tell you that when I performed my internship in a hospital located in Tokyo, Japan I spent two years making the rounds in every field of general medicine and two years in a psychiatric ward. Always having a "chief resident", looking over my shoulder an asking questions.

In the start I felt weak and sick from the stress & critical trauma cases that would come into the emergency room. As time went on all of these feeling went away. Ofcourse I never lost my love and care for the patient.

There were many doctors who were not able to apply their book knowledge to practical experience an ofcourse they were washed out and your career in medicine is down the tubes.

There were doctors who minds became blank when confronted with an emergency or asked a critical question by the chief resident. Doctors and nurses who threw-up or passed out in the emergecy room when a critcal trauma case came with with blood running all over the floor.

You will find with time & faith in God that you will get over the high level of stress and be comfortable in your surroundings.

Please if I may suggest "Mature Defense Mechanisms that you can condtion your mind with. "Behaviour Modification".

Altruism- Using constructive and instinctually gratifying service to others to undergo a vicarious experinece. It includes benign and constructive reaction formation . Althruism is distinguished from altruistic surrender, in which a surrender of direct gratificartion or of instinctual needs takes place in favor of fulfilling the needs of others to the detriment of the self, and the satisifaction can only be enjoyed vicariously through introjection

Anticipation- Realistically anticipating or planning for future inner discomfort. the mechanism is goal-directed and implies careful planning or worrying and premature but realistic affective anticipation of dire and potentially dreadful oucomes.

Asceticism - eliminating the pleasurable effects of experiences. There is a moral element in assigning vlaues to specific pleaures. Gratification is derived from renuniciation and asceticism is directed against all base pleasures perceived consciously.

Humor- (This is my big thing has I feel you always must find humor in your job to release the stress). Using comedy to overtly express feelings and thoughts without personal discomfort or immobilization and without producing an unplessant effect on others. It allows the person to tolerte and yet focus on what is too terrible and to be borne; it is the different from wit, a form of displacement that involves distraction from the affective issues.

Sublimation- Achieving impulse gratification and the retention of goals but altering a socially objectionable aim or object to a socially acepable one. Sublimation allows instincts to be channeled, rather then blocked or diverted. Feelings are acknowledged, modified and directed toward a significant object or goal, and modest instinctual satisfaction occurs.

Suppression- Consciously or semiconsciously postponing attention to a conscious impulse or conflict.. Issues may be delibertely cut off, but they are not avoided Discomfort is acknowledged but minimized.

Times is everything in a profession that has a great amount of stress and paper work. Time as a way of healing and making the mind grow stronger to the every day stress of your job.

Stop a minute, (if you can find a minute and do a "Yoga", breathing exercise. Take a deep breath through your nose and hold the air for as long as you can. (Think of something that is enjoyable to you), and let the air out through your month very very slow. Don't allow the diaphragm to force the air out of your mouth. You must control the release of the air so that it flows out very slow. You will be amazed how releaxed you will feel in a few seconds.

Last of all conditon your mind every day before work. Look in the mirror and tell yourself, "I love myself an I am a really good person". Very good conditioning for the mind.

I wish you all the best in your new position as an R.N. (The world does not have enough nurses/doctors).

I have complete faith in you that you will overcome feeling "intimidated".

Please excuse my english grammer as I am a French clinical psychiatrist.

Answer 2

Stay organized. Get one of those weekly organizers, or use the one on yahoo, or something, and put EVERYTHING in it... your class schedule, exam dates, when big projects are due, when you can register for classes, when the last day you can drop a class is.... carry it with you constantly. Meet with your major professor regularly, I'd say once a week at least. Also keep an eye out for opportunities like internships or scholarships you can apply for. Colleges let you sign up for a ton of classes at a time. I recommend signing up for at least one more than you think you can handle, then after going to the first few classes of each, drop the one you like the least. There's no harm in this at all, so long as you don't drop below "full time" student status. Don't take on too much at once - I'd say 15 credits maximum. Remember graduate classes are harder than undergraduate, usually. Also, remember to balance your classes. If you need to take a very hard class that you know you won't do well in, (like a C or D) balance it out with a class you'll get an easy A - that will keep your GPA from going too low. Ask around, experienced students will tell you what classes/professors to take, or avoid. And take advantage of the fact that most colleges offer free tutoring help. Be prepared for a few "bad" classes, no matter how good of a student you are. Stuff happens. Always drop a class instead of failing it. Usually you can drop a class even when it's halfway through the semester. So you should NEVER fail a class. Late drops don't look "good" - but it's better than an F that would kill your GPA. Finally, if you plan on going on to a PhD, you'd best get some research and teaching experience under your belt. The research element is usually covered by the thesis, but also get a job on campus as a Teaching Assistant, and teach a few undergraduate labs. This also helps pay for college. :-) Best of luck to ya!

Answer 3

I am working on my RN license now I have been an LPN for 3 years and a Air Force medic for 20 years when I get stressed out I think to myself, IT'S NOT MY EMERGENCY. Aside from finding a specialty like hospice or orthopedics I can't tell you how to beat the stress. Hang in there. and remember your 2 ABC's
Airway
Breathing
Circulation
and
Always
Be
Cool

Answer 4

I'm not a nurse, but it's hard to imagine any nursing jobs that aren't stressful.

You need to have some successful work experience behind you to feel more confident. It's sort of a chicken and egg thing, but there you go.

Continue to rely on the more experienced people til you get more skills and confidence.

Good luck.