---

E-mail to a friend | Print This | Select Text Size:
Question:

Dear Donna,

I worked in the ED for more than 10 years after being in med/surg for more than 10 years. I now work med/surg again. I am unable to get my work done during my eight-hour shift. I am often forced to choose patient care vs. charting and completing paperwork. I have asked for my manager's help, and she is planning to spend time with me to observe and make suggestions. In the meantime, I drown every day, and my peers who work the shift after me get report late. I am under more stress than I can handle. Can you please give me sources and suggestions?

Doris

Dear Donna replies:

Dear Doris,

You don't mention how long you have been back in med/surg, but it can take some time to get acclimated to any specialty after being away from it for 10 years. I don't have to tell you it is a very different way to work than in the ED.

You'll have to be patient with yourself and the process and seek help and support to learn and grow. It's good that you spoke to your manager and she is willing to help you. You should also seek the support and help of other seasoned med-surg nurses (and CNA's or PCTs) on your unit. Most nurses are happy to help if you ask. Believe it or not, many nurses in your situation tell me they have benefited from reading my book “Your First Year as a Nurse: Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional” (www.nurse.com.ce/7010). Sometimes you have to go back to the basics in order to move forward.

I also suggest you join and get active in your state chapter of the ANA (www.ana.org) or the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (www.amsn.org). Immerse yourself in the community of nursing and thereby create a support system and increase your learning curve.

My best wishes,
Donna

---

Donna Cardillo, RN, MA, well-known career guru, is Nursing Spectrum/NurseWeek’s “Dear Donna” and author of “Your First Year as a Nurse: Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional” and “The ULTIMATE Career Guide for Nurses: Practical Advice for Thriving at Every Stage of Your Career.” Information about the books is available at www.Nurse.com/CE/7010 and www.Nurse.com/CE/7250, respectively. To ask Donna your question, go to www.Nurse.com/asktheexperts/deardonna. Find a “Dear Donna” seminar near you: Call 800-866-0919 or visit http://events.nursingspectrum.com/Seminar.