My first day as a nurse!

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2003
My first day as a nurse!
2
Thu, 11-04-2004 - 11:24am
Well, I had my first day as an RPN on the floor yesterday. It was a lot different from what I normally do (I worked as a PSW - Personal Support Worker - at the same nursing home, and now I'm working as an RPN there) and it was tiring in a different way. I have to give pills to 50 residents, and it seems that that is ALL you do!! I get there, listen to report, start the supper time med pass, have a break, then start right into the bed time med pass, and then I write out report and do any charting that might have to be done. It's pretty monotonous! And I was exhausted when I got home, with a headache to boot!! And even after I had my unwinding time, I couldn't sleep! I just had WORK on the brain! I guess that's because I'm still quite anxious about it. I mean, I'm thinking about what my first day will be like, when I'm all by myself. Yesterday and today are just orientation days, but I'm really scared about being ALONE! Well, I'm not really alone, there's an RN in the building that I collaborate with, and if anyone falls on the floor or something, it's not like I'm ALL alone. I'm just nervous about what will happen when something like that DOES happen for the first time! I know that my feelings are normal, but I never realized that giving out meds to 50 residents was such a tiring job! I'll get the hang of it after a few shifts, since it's such a repetitive thing. The hardest part is remembering how each resident takes their pills...with apple sauce or without, crushed or whole, disguised in food, etc. It can be very difficult! And then there are the residents that hang around my med cart with anxious behaviours. We have one woman who constantly gets herself out of bed, then comes crying to anyone who will listen to help her back to bed. And even if you do help her back, then she'll get herself out again and come crying to you again!! And when you have to concentrate on giving pills to people, you can't be dealing with residents like that. At one point I had 4 of them around my med cart, all with similar behaviours. The nurse that was giving me orientation said that I'll need to develop a deaf ear, and just try to tune them out, but it's hard when one of them is actually trying to run you over with her wheelchair!!

I just had to do a little ranting, sorry if I'm babbling! I hope that today is easier than yesterday! I am looking forward to getting a job in a hospital where I can do more than just give out pills!! ~Sabrina
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-26-2003
Thu, 11-04-2004 - 12:30pm
Wow, it sounds like a hard job! What kind of hospital is it? Are they psych patients or older adults or something like that? It would be hard to keep all that straight and get it done with people hovering around acting weird. It sounds like you'll do a great job, though! If I were sick, I'd want you for a nurse!

Congrats on the new job!!!

Erin

http://www.GlitterMaker.com/ - Glitter Graphics
Mom
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2003
Thu, 11-04-2004 - 12:51pm
Aww, thanks Erin! It's actually a nursing home, but this unit that I'm on has a lot of confused residents, with lots of behaviours. The lady who tried to run me over with her wheelchair when I wouldn't bring her back to bed is a prime example. She's got a lot of attention-seeking behaviours, and she was really bad last night! At the end of the night, 10 minutes before we were supposed to go home, one of the PSWs reported that she had been in another resident's rooms, trying to pull her out of bed and telling her she wanted to kill her!! My initial reaction was, see if we can get her some medication for her anxiety, but then she'll likely have side effects that will make her unsteady, and when she gets herself out of bed she'll be more likely to have a fall. It gets pretty crazy sometimes, and I guess I'm just nervous about being there by MYSELF when something like that occurs! I should have more confidence in myself, but I think it's fairly normal to be nervous like this. I just gotta get in there and do it... I know my stuff, it's just a matter of putting it into practice!! Thanks for the vote of confidence, though, that made me smile!! ~Sabrina