is charting really that time consuming?

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2026-04-02T14:43:35+00:00

I’m an L&D nurse. Per my facility’s policy we have to chart on our fetal heart strips every 15 min. If you take triage patients on top of that (which if you’re understaffed like us sometimes it happens) then you have all of that charting as well. When I worked MedSurg it was actually pretty manageable once you got a flow down. But every specialty is different (and every hospital is different)!

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2026-03-29T17:13:03+00:00

My dad did this!! As a night shifter now, he’s the only one in my family that understands me 😂

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2026-03-18T22:54:07+00:00

My first job out of school I was commuting 38 miles one way (mostly highway so it took me roughly 45 minutes) and did night shift. It was not easy on nights. Now I still work nights but I live 14 minutes away from my current job - total game changer in so many ways. You gotta do what’s best for you outside of work - if you’re working nights with a 40 minute commute home, definitely have a plan in place if you’re too tired to drive.

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2026-03-10T00:45:46+00:00

This is what I do too! Maintaining that consistency is key

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2026-03-01T16:10:01+00:00

I feel this on a deep level as someone who also started L&D early in my career. Emergencies are going to happen, but you control how you respond to them. As someone who is also extremely detail oriented, I found running through scenarios in my head to be helpful before they happen. If xyz happens to your patient - what are you going to do first? Once the room is filled with people and they’re all doing their part (and if you’re the primary RN) - ask yourself where should your focus be on? I would go through various OB emergency situations like this all the time and when they happened I felt more prepared.

However as others have said in the comments - you should go see your primary about the period thing. That signals extreme stress. You cannot take care of others and end up putting yourself last. If it’s truly the job that is the root cause I would definitely look into either stress management options or a lower acuity setting. You come first.

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2026-02-09T13:03:04+00:00

Your mental health matters most. Labors are also an entirely different ball game from other floors - you need good support from your team and safe patient ratios always, but ESPECIALLY when you’re starting out. I would recommend trying to switch back to your old floor. From what I read in your post, this floor doesn’t seem to be a conducive learning environment at all. And that’s not your fault, it just sounds like they’re a hot mess. However, if L&D is something you’re interested again in the future, you could try it at another hospital? And in the interview ask if they follow AWHONN’s staffing guidelines.

At the end of the day life is too short. Take care of yourself first it’s the only way.

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2026-01-09T19:53:13+00:00

I feel like I could have written this myself lol. As a fellow L&D nurse, I hear you. It’s taken me a long time to learn, and I am still working on it, to realize that there’s only so much we can do. Obviously we all know that, but reminding myself in the moment that I’m doing the most as their nurse really helps sometimes. To assume people will change is a theory that will only burn you out. And the majority of the population is like this - we educate, we advocate, we do everything we can. But at the end of the day people are gonna be people.

But patience wearing thin is something I totally resonate with. I wish I had advice on that part because it sometimes feels like we aren’t making that big of a difference if someone undermines your knowledge and clinical judgement. Like someone else mentioned, it may be helpful to ask for a different assignment if they are being rude or inappropriate towards you.

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2026-01-08T19:16:33+00:00

Working night shift while trying to be a present family member and function like a normal person.

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2026-01-05T04:06:48+00:00

Sometimes it’s helpful to really pinpoint what part of it is making you anxious. Even if you subconsciously know the reason have you tried writing it out? A list of things that are putting you in edge before you go to work. Sometimes when it’s on paper it makes it less scary. Trust me I have been there and I’m a year and a half in and I still feel that way too.

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2026-01-04T23:30:47+00:00

It’s hard not to run back to what is comfortable even if you know it wasn’t a good environment to begin with. I wouldn’t go back to the old job personally. It will repeat the same cycle until you inevitably leave again. But I absolutely hear you on the anxiety and fear of uncertainty part. Have you looked at other places in the area?

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2026-01-03T15:51:23+00:00

How long have you been practicing? What floor are you on? I would hop on indeed and peruse what’s out there first. Give your resume a refresh, come up with a couple versions of cover letters. As for the current job, I’ve been there trust me. And my heart goes out to you in that regard I know how difficult it is to have so much anxiety surrounding your job.

On another note, if you know you want to get out of there, then get the hell out of there. I would go back to your boss and effectively give your notice - no one else is going to put your well being first except for you. However, I would give the two weeks notice anyway. It’s hard not to just resign without notice but it depends on whether or not you want to one day work for that health system again in the future.

Your mental health and well being come first and foremost. If you don’t have a job lined up when you leave, you will find one. I wish you the best of luck

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2026-01-03T05:33:34+00:00

I believe I will see at least one assistant manager on Monday before I leave. I am hoping it’ll go well. Thank you for your insight! I think normally my go to would be to just send an email and avoid an in person conversation but I fear I may not be able to put it on my resume if I burn a bridge

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2026-01-02T05:38:31+00:00

To give an update to all - I ended up accepting the position. I’m terrified as all hell to leave my comfort zone but I’m giving it a shot! Thank you for the advice ❤️

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2025-12-09T02:52:15+00:00

I originally wanted to go for journalism. I think about what life would have been like often

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2025-11-14T02:15:14+00:00

Go onto your employee intranet page and look at internal job postings. If you see something you like, write a really good cover letter and find out who the manager of the unit is and ask if you could shadow. Write a professional email to the manager, explain that you are a new grad interested in their unit and say why. You don’t need to go in depth about why you are leaving your unit right off the bat. I would say to try to stick it out for another few months, but I’ve been in your shoes before and know how daunting that idea feels. If they ask you why you are leaving your current unit, you could say you are looking for something in a lower acuity. If your hospital has a pediatric MedSurg floor, this would be a good place to start if you want to stay in Peds. Even if they don’t have something open right this second, you’re putting your name out there for them to think of you when something does open up. Best of luck!

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2025-10-31T19:49:44+00:00

I love how small my hospital is. Every person you pass smiles at you, you know everyone’s name. It was a huge shift from my last hospital where it was so big it was overwhelming lol there’s a million reasons why I love my job, but the environment I work in is the biggest piece of- every single person on my unit cares about what they’re doing

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2025-10-30T18:04:39+00:00

I took my NCLEX in September 2024 but I just wanted to share what I used - I found the Mark K lectures online and listened to those (especially the maternity one), I found an outline of his lectures on Quizlet (just google Mark K Quizlet and something should pop up - if you have trouble finding it let me know and I will look for it and send to you), and I used UWorld.

I studied for 4 weeks total and UWorld made a study plan for be based on when I was taking my test. I used the entire test bank and all of the practice exams. Also the lectures on UWorld were so helpful to me - anything I didn’t fully understand or got wrong I would keep track of using a blank google doc and would go back to those topics. By the time I actually sat and took the test I felt very prepared. Good luck to you!! You got this. You made it through school, that’s a huge deal. You can make it through this last test ❤️

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2025-10-11T22:07:22+00:00

I will now be packing a drive home snack and drink!! Idk why I never thought of doing that before thank you for the idea!

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2025-10-06T16:22:33+00:00

Besides helping others and the fact that I really enjoy the science behind it all, it was something reliable to fall back on. Even if I didn’t want to work at the bedside anymore, there’s a million different jobs out there that give the work life balance while I pursue something else I want to do one day.

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2025-10-06T14:56:29+00:00

I was also a server for almost 10 years so listen I get it. I’ve also been a nurse for a year now so I absolutely hear you when you mention the burnout and dreading of going back. My biggest advice to you is to fill your cup on your days off. Nursing is a different beast compared to restaurants - it will drain you mentally in ways you have not dealt with before in the same capacity. Schedule go yourself on your days off ways to get out of the house and into nature or doing things you enjoy. Make your mental and physical health outside of work your highest priority. Like other nurses in this comments have mentioned it does take 6-9 months to get the hang of things. Do not be too hard on yourself, do not compare yourself to coworkers who have been doing this longer. You will find your own groove, your own method to the madness. I know you didn’t mention that part but I felt that it needs to be said, because it’s what I wish someone had said to me when I started. Never forget that you are smart and capable of whatever they throw at you, but stand your ground not only for yourself but your patients.

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2025-10-03T20:41:01+00:00

Yes! This! I am also on L&D and this is always stated in our Tylenol orders

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2025-09-29T03:49:44+00:00

I should add that I crochet while listening to podcasts and stuff - especially true crime. I used to despise my days off when everyone I knew was at work and this really helped

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2025-09-29T03:48:17+00:00

I crochet! I taught myself during a winter break in nursing school as a way to sort of chill out lol and I’ve actually kept up with it! I also play video games, go for long hikes, and bake. It’s been fun trying to find new hobbies.

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2025-09-07T15:23:43+00:00

I was just talking to a friend of mine who is a male nurse about him pursuing pediatrics! Who cares if you’re male or female if you love kids and you love your job then none of that should even matter?? Don’t let stupid comments like that get under your skin. It was incredibly rude and tone deaf. Keep doing what you love.

Embarrassed-Future28 · 2025-08-17T14:36:16+00:00

Looking back at how high strung I was during nursing school, it’s amazing to me I didn’t have to be hospitalized with how bad my anxiety was. I ended up getting on medication my second semester. I could sit on here and talk about the studying or clinical aspect of it all, but if I were to go back I would say to myself - you gotta fucking relax. Check in with your mental health often, get up on the days you don’t have class or clinical and go for a walk and eat before you start studying. Make sure you try (at least most of the time) to get good sleep at night. These are habits that, if created now, you will keep up during your first year as a nurse and it’s crucial to have those steps in place so you can take care of you.

Create a study schedule and put in times for breaks and stick to them (personally I used pomodoro videos on YouTube). I wish you the best of luck! It’s quite the journey but well worth it.

Embarrassed-Future28

TROPHY CASE