Don't quit!!!
Stick with your job in the ER at the end of the month!! You will get excellent training in all areas and get a feel for what nursing is all about! Hang in there and stick it out for a little longer - don't make any life-altering decisions until you have worked in the ER for at least 6 months!
Every nurse has his/her "nich" - you will just have to find yours 8)

im an aide in a nursing home, on my way to becoming a RN. when we get frustrated, can we take a deeeeep breathe and think. Remember why we got started on this path to becoming a nurse in the first place?
What is important about being a nurse?
I believe one of the greatest rewards in what i have seen so far, in nursing, is the lives I am helping. sure someone else would be doing it if i was not there. But sometimes, what i may do might be just that little bit better or different enough, to make a huge difference in that patients life.
so, training is almost impossible. and there are days when you would just like to scream. But, anything worthwhile is never easy.
anything that is life changing and impacting wont be handed on a silver platter. And if it does come to me on a silver platter, i may not appreciate it as much or i may be suspicious about it.
so i encourage you. yesterday is over, we can not do anything to change it. tomarrow is not promised. But gather enough strength and courage to do our best , right now, today, in this moment. concentrate on making a difference and doing our very best in the moment we are in. Eventually, it will come easier, eventually, it will be a memory that you can be proud of. wow! i made it thru that one!!
and it can become a feather in your hat. you made a difference, even in that horribly difficult circumstance. and you ended up stronger for it.
God bless you and thank you for being a nurse and what a difference you do make in so many lives !!
thanks to every nurse within my written voice. even if no one else appreciates you--- I am speaking out that voice today to say THANK YOU
rascal

Nursing homes are always understaffed and the nurse:patient ratio horrendous. I encourage you to go with your ER job. You need to be somewhere that you have resources and support. I also encourage you to make sure that you get a minimum of six months orientation with an experienced RN. Request that at the end of the six months you have to option to extend your orientation if you feel you need it. I transitioned careers into nursing 14 years ago. For the first year when someone asked what I did for a living I felt I was lying when I said "nurse" and it took two full years before I felt confident my area - NICU. Feeling lost is normal when you are a new grad (at least one with any sense) but as you learn and grow you will find your confidence. Best of luck to you!

Thanks a bunch
:wink: Thanks to all of you that replied. I appreciate your concern and your comments. I hope that I can one day feel comfortable in my job. I want to be a good nurse. I just want to get over the fear..

Hey there. I agree with everyone else. Do not base you opinion of nursing because of this bad experience at the nursing home. When you do start your new job in the ER, give yourself at least one year before you decide to stay with this job or find a new one. Nursing is an incredibly dynamic and changing field. Although most will admit that we are underpaid for what we do, you will have more opportunities with this career than just about any other. Nursing is also highly rewarding. Be patient and good luck

MustangSally NEW GRAD!
Hi,
I'sm a fairly new LPn with 6 years long term care experience, and I would NOT accept charge nurse position at such an early stage in your orientation! It is not appropriate!...I ran into this same situation many times while working per diem and I went back to ask the advise of my instructors who are seasoned nurses and each and every one of them WARNED against it at such an early stage in orientation to the job unless there is another seasoned nurse on duty to support you!!!!......I in turn sought out better nursing homes to wok at where there was ample staff and plenty of orientation into the role of charge nurse. They are out there you must search to find them!......There is too much at stake to take on that responsibility without first being properly oreintated to the position to the point that you feel comfortable and confident in what you are doing! While nursing is stressful at times and to be expected. this type of added stress will do no good to you or the patients. and it is unessesary! Request appropraite orientation to the position before taking on the task. Sometimes all it takes is to speak up and remind others that you are new at this just like they were at one point in time!GOOD LUCK!!!
Bee

By all means give up your day job! Take the ER job and ask for lots of orientation. They don't want you left alone until you are comfortable. It's so different from a NH you will be amazed. I went straight to an ICU setting from nursing school and it was the best experience I could have had. I worked nights so things were a lot less rushed/stressed. I worked it for two years and later took a job in the same unit as Charge Nurse. Try not to get too stressed out when you start in the ER. It will be stressful but they won't require you know everything right away. It will get better, I promise. Good Luck!

Help me not to quit now
Brace yourself and go to the ER.
Your employeer is not showing you or your residents any respect. This is your liscense on the line!
The standard for comfort in any venue is: 6 months before you think you might be able to do it and a year before you feel comfortable.

Be sure the director of the er has an orientation in place. You need to have one (and only one) preceptor. If they do not have an orientation (specific to the ER), than ask if you can be prepared with a preceptor who would be willing to take this opportunity to create on as you go. You will be the best one to identify the needs. Be prepared to blow a gasket or two. Accept it. It won't be the end of the world.

When watching the other RNs, distinguish between efficient and lazy. Lazy RNs go out for smoke/coffee/gossip/TV breaks before orders have been carried out, pt's transported, discharged, etc. efficient RNs don't always get as many breaks, but their patients are taken care of.

Be prepared for 12.5 to 14 hr shifts with one bathroom break. The good news is you won't have to go more often than that, because you won't get time to drink anything!

You'll learn a ton and this is the knowledge base that will support you, no matter where you nurse! As I told an RN student, pick everyone's brain, stay out of the gossip loop and use "Sir' and "Ma'am" with the doctors.

If you dont' know contraindications, special considerations, or how to give a med, don't ask...look it up in a PDR (updated). This way, you'll learn about all the meds and be covered legally...
Same for facility policy and procedure. (Never chart "per policy and procedure" or "per P&P" unless you are prepared to quote it!

cover your own back...when the chips fall (and they WILL fall) no one else will cover you!

If you note a change in vitals or pt conditions, alert the Dr AND chart this alert!
Unless it is a code blue, have the dr write med orders hand them the chart and ask them to write each medication order. If you can't read their writing, make them clarify and chart the clarification. If something doesn't look right, question it. You'll learn more and may save someones neck!

Put you year in and don't expect much of a raise. Raises come usually after you leave and come back (depending on where you are).
It is worse in the mid west than on the coasts. Here, they refuse to recognize the nursing shortage.

Bottom line...guard your liscense. Keep a journal, especially of dangerous situations or practices. And be sure that you report them to the dept head in writing. (Resp[ectfully)

Good luck I agree, you'll fnd your niche (or niches). I've done ER RN (and charge), rehab RN (and charge), agancy ER RN and dialysis RN (charge RN and clinic manager) and camp RN in parts of the summers. Love it all. Still want to do OR and cardiac!

I feel you!!

I am exactly in the same position as you. Maybe even worse! i graduated from nursing school in May of 05 and being an immigrant, i couldn't work until I got my work authorization. From the time i graduated until I got my work authorization, one year had passed without me being in contact with the nursing world. I got hired at a nursing home last month as a charge nurse. I got a total of 4 days of orientation with the experienced LPNs. I had to talk to the DON before getting an extra day. Now i am on the floor by myself and every time I go to work, I pray that something bad doesn't happen. The staffing is horrible!! On night shift from 11p to 7a it's me (RN) and 2 CNAs for 50 patients with varying acuity. Needless to say the care given is inadequate. I can smell "lawsuits" all over the place!!! Fortunately, I will be starting at a hospital in a month or so in the ortho unit. I hope things wil be much better there.
Thanks to everyone who replied to the mail. I also benefitted from your words of advise and encouragement.

Well...
I do belive that when we are fresh out of school, other "experienced" nurses expect a lot of the new nurses, being that when we first come out of school we are very thorough with our assessments. The same thing happened to me when I got my first nursing job, but once you develop your own way of working, you'll also develop the passion for your job. Keep going!!!!