This forum has been a God-sent. Thank you all once again for your advice.

I did fail to mention what unit I work in. I am a PACU (post-anesthesia recovery unit) nurse. Probably not the best place for a new nurse to start off, but I thought the challenge would be good for me.

This weekend I will go to the bookstore and purchase the readings that have been suggested. Thank you so much to everyone who took the time out to help me )

This is definitely true. For me, it wasn't one big click though, but rather many little clicks. I'm just finishing up my first year on a unit that is notorious for "eating the young" and for being too acute for new grads.

Often, these clicks would be at some point in my shift when I would all of a sudden realized just how well I was doing. I remember many many months ago being completely flustered and unsure of myself while trying to figure out trach care.

Then a few days ago, I found myself giving a lecture/demonstration to three nurses on how to do proper trach care

"CLICK!"

This happens over and over again until you realize you are gaining an immense body of knowledge. Not a day will go by (and I mean in your entire career) where you don't run into something that you're unsure of (I've been told). So, dig in and learn learn learn!

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Nurse Sean
http://nursesean.com