Tips for nurses in their first year of nursing

Ever have an "I wish I was told this" moment? Well, we all do as nurses regarding school. Here are some things I wish they told me nursing school (and some I wish they had emphasized more)----and what I told another new BSN nurse in a different thread (and it would be the same advice I would give any new nurse/grad):



You have achieved a great thing, graduating and earning your degree (BSN, ADN , LPN or Diploma). Now, the REAL learning begins......

Don't ever pretend to know what you don't. Be a sponge---watch and listen to what is going on around you. Take mental notes. Find mentors and emulate their good habits. Take note of the bad habits and avoid those.

Listen to your patients; they know their bodies better than you do.

Have integrity----be honest with yourself and others.

Stay out of the gossip game/circle. It goes nowhere and brings down morale, including your own.

Be on time! EVERYtime. When you are late, so am I. And I don't like to be late!

Stay organized as possible. Keep up on your charting and tasks as they come up. Dont' save it all for "later"---there may not be time, "later".

Do it right the first time, even if there IS "no time". Believe me, there is no time to "Do it over", either.

Plan for the worst; hope for the best.

Be someone they can rely on---and rely on yourself!

Take good care of yourself; eat well, exercise. It's the only body you got and you are gonna need it. Nurture the self. Nurses have a tendency to martyr themselves and neglect their own needs. Don't be one of them; it's a fast superhighway to burn-out.

Nourish the mind. Plan on spending a LOT of time investing in your continuing education as a nurse. The world of nursing/medicine is changing faster everyday. You are going to have to make a conscious and concerted effort to "stay abreast". It's more work than you imagine right now.....plan on it.

Learn assertiveness if you have not already. Lots of good books and conferences/seminars exist. Learn early-on you no are NO ONE's doormat. Also, know there is a difference between "assertion" and "aggression".

Work hard, yes, but don't forget to PLAY hard too! Have hobbies you enjoy. Your life is NOT your work, and while being a nurse is part of who you are, it need not *define* you.

Believe in your self and good instincts. Sometimes, "instinct" is what lets us know something is amiss or wrong with our patients. Never ignore that gut instinct. It's very often right! BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!!!!!

After 8 years in nursing, these things are things I have learned the "hard way"; hopefully you don't have to.

Warm, hearty congratulations to you and all new grads here. I wish you all good things in your new careers.

a few more tips:

- find a mentor- look for advice from a senior rn. this person should be different from your supervisor and can provide a soundingboard, giving you objective advice.

- don't be too hard on yourself. although exciting, it's also a stressful time. you're going to make misktakes- we all do. what's important is you work to correct those mistakes and learn from it. a sense of humor truly helps.

- be aware of corporate culture- use all your senses to find out what's accepted in your organization, i.e., patterns of communication, dress codes, etc.

in choosing your first job, consider:

1. orientation progtram for the new RN. a strong orientation and preceptorship will be what makes or breaks your 1st job experience, and possibly, even your career in nsg.

2. policies on continuing ed, including tuition assistance/reimbursement. this policy will also help you understand the employer's views on continuing ed.

3. work environment & attitudes of potential co-workers. what is your 1st impression of the unit during a walk-through?

4. nurse-to-patient rations, patient acuity, size of unit, mgmt. structure, staffing mix (rns relative to lpsn and nsg assts), availability of ancillary staff (housekeeping, dietary, unit secretary, maintenance, etc)

5. availability of mds (esp after hrs), autonomy vs.responsiblity of RNs,type of nsg care delivered (team, primary, etc)

6. type of work scheduling (weekend programs, M-F, 8-10-12 hr shifts, floating, overtime policy, weekend requirements, holiday requirements)

7. opportunity for advancement?

8. salary including shift differentials and cost of living increases.

9. benefits including vacation time,sick time, childcare, staff health services, parking, cafeteria.

tips for survival:

- think before answering
- take vacations
- remove energy drainers
- support co-workers
- treat yourself
- avoid aggravating people
- keep in touch w/yourself and your needs
- say no w/o guilt
- ask for help
- use available resources
- evaluate your growth and stay focused.
- re-energize

we are not superhuman- lest we not forget that. and we are no one's doormat. love yourself enough to avoid ANYONE treating you badly.
strive to treat each patient as you would yourself or a family member.

and take a deep breath.

peacefully,

leslie

ok fishy,

first, congratulations on 2 job offers.
is the 2nd job offer as an icu nurse/internship?
if so, that too, is an incredible opportunity.
don't get hung up with titles of whether it's a magnet hospital or not.
there is absolutely nothing wrong with being trained to become an onc nurse or an icu nurse- just make sure your orientation is adequate.

if you use the guidelines i've provided, you should have an idea what you're getting yourself into.
but being a mom first, i truly don't think you'd be happy with the long commute. you're familiar with the 2nd hospital and again, if you're being trained for an icu nurse, make sure your orientation is long enough. to get an idea, ask the magnet hospital how long their orientations are for icu.

but for now, i agree....go w/the 2nd job offer.
regardless of its' reputation, they are trying to improve themselves, the experience will be invaluable and you'll be able to sleep at noc,knowing you're that much closer to home to oversee your boys. after a year, if you're not happy, you can look for greener pastures or even maybe transfer from within the hospital....that you know so well. it just makes more sense at this time, to take job #2.

best of luck to you.
i know you'll do wonderfully.

leslie

I have only been a nurse for a little over a month. And I know one of the biggest fears is having to call the Doctor. So far I have had great success in not having a doctor yell at me (even the one's the other nurses have said aren't very nice) or treat me like I'm stupid. I don't know if it is luck but here are a few tips that have helped me out.

- Always make a list of the things you need to mention.
- If calling labs or test results I always look up what the previous one's were in case they ask.
- If I'm told I have a return call from a doctor I always grab the chart and take it with me in case I need to look something up (& so I can write the order)
-I try to anticipate what they will order so I can provide them with the right info needed for them to decide what orders they need to make
- When working nights I always go through all my patient's charts to make sure they have some type of pain medicine ordered or assess if pain is an issue with the patient so that If I need to get an order I can do it at a decent time of night. I have had several patients admitted with chest pain yet not a single pain med was ordered.

I also work on a floor with tons of different doctors, all of which none of their signature's look like their names. I have started to make a little book with a photocopy of each of the physician's signature and their name for easy reference.

Hope these tips help!

Two words: Be tough! also, be a sponge and soak up all the knowledge you can.

Ever have an "I wish I was told this" moment? Well, we all do as nurses regarding school. Here are some things I wish they told me nursing school (and some I wish they had emphasized more)----and what I told another new BSN nurse in a different thread (and it would be the same advice I would give any new nurse/grad):



You have achieved a great thing, graduating and earning your degree (BSN, ADN , LPN or Diploma). Now, the REAL learning begins......

Don't ever pretend to know what you don't. Be a sponge---watch and listen to what is going on around you. Take mental notes. Find mentors and emulate their good habits. Take note of the bad habits and avoid those.

Listen to your patients; they know their bodies better than you do.

Have integrity----be honest with yourself and others.

Stay out of the gossip game/circle. It goes nowhere and brings down morale, including your own.

Be on time! EVERYtime. When you are late, so am I. And I don't like to be late!

Stay organized as possible. Keep up on your charting and tasks as they come up. Dont' save it all for "later"---there may not be time, "later".

Do it right the first time, even if there IS "no time". Believe me, there is no time to "Do it over", either.

Plan for the worst; hope for the best.

Be someone they can rely on---and rely on yourself!

Take good care of yourself; eat well, exercise. It's the only body you got and you are gonna need it. Nurture the self. Nurses have a tendency to martyr themselves and neglect their own needs. Don't be one of them; it's a fast superhighway to burn-out.

Nourish the mind. Plan on spending a LOT of time investing in your continuing education as a nurse. The world of nursing/medicine is changing faster everyday. You are going to have to make a conscious and concerted effort to "stay abreast". It's more work than you imagine right now.....plan on it.

Learn assertiveness if you have not already. Lots of good books and conferences/seminars exist. Learn early-on you no are NO ONE's doormat. Also, know there is a difference between "assertion" and "aggression".

Work hard, yes, but don't forget to PLAY hard too! Have hobbies you enjoy. Your life is NOT your work, and while being a nurse is part of who you are, it need not *define* you.

Believe in your self and good instincts. Sometimes, "instinct" is what lets us know something is amiss or wrong with our patients. Never ignore that gut instinct. It's very often right! BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!!!!!

After 8 years in nursing, these things are things I have learned the "hard way"; hopefully you don't have to.

Warm, hearty congratulations to you and all new grads here. I wish you all good things in your new careers.

thanks for allll the advice ,it's well needed