always smile and the whole world will smile at you

So yesterday I precepted and worked for 12 hours. I got there at 7am and didn't get a smoke break until 5pm. We were slammed, but no smoke break for 10 hours? That's some crazy shiz right there. I have to precept this Wednesday, Friday and next MWF and I'll be finished....and damn glad too! I need a break! Nursing school expects too much of their students. If we had done this precepting all the way through school then we would have learned a heck of a lot more than waiting until the end.

Those people who work in the hospital setting already have an advantage. For one, they know the ins and outs of everyday things, such as contacting the lab, knowing what to look for with certain patients, charting, etc... However, those of us who are just now getting our feet wet do not know the "little" things and shouldn't be looked down upon because we don't. Some people are patronizing and it gets my goat. I hope if I'm ever in the position to direct someone in the right direction I do not come across as a know it all, or act preturbed because they don't know. How else are they suppose to learn? Nursing school doesn't teach the hum drum things about the job, but only about the patients. I think they need to incorporate these things in our learning experience so we can be spared any feelings of incompetence when we are learning on the job. Just my opinion. My preceptor is really good with the positive feedback. She is tolerant and patient with my newness. LOL However, there are always others out there who don't have the capacity to be patient and those people make me crazy. Weren't they new at some point too? Grrr. Surely they weren't perfect, no one is perfect.

It seems like this journey will never end. I still have a "paper" due on Dec 7th and I haven't started. Haven't we already payed our dues? I mean we are working for free right before the holidays...I think that is enough and we should just be able to graduate already. This semester has made us do more busy work than any other, yet we've been the busiest we've ever been aside from all the extra stuff. This needs to be reevaluated. Stop giving us so many stupid papers and extra assignments to do and let us focus on nursing. UGH!

They train you for 2 + years for a specific career, yet when you enter into the field you feel like an idiot. I think as far as pt care, assessment, med administration and my skills go I have done fantastic, it's just the little stuff, as I said. Knowing what kind of progress note to write, knowing what paperwork goes where etc... That's the stupid stuff and the "easier" stuff, but it takes some time to really get it down pat. I'll get there and I am learning a lot, but I'll be glad when I'm on my own, learning my own way of doing things and feeling more confident in why I'm doing the things I'm doing.

Hope you all have a wonderful day, and OH..don't let others get you down. Some people like making others feel stupid. Just smile, always smile. Stupidity is not lack of knowledge, but knowing better and doing it anyway.