What do you wish you were told prior to graduating nursing school

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If you can travel back in time and tell yourself something prior to graduating, what would you tell yourself?

Do you tell yourself to continue nursing? How about telling yourself about pursuing that masters degree before having kids? Wish you could of taken that opportunity for travel nursing before settling down?

Any regrets? Tell me your thoughts...

Guest757854

498 Posts

I wish i could have told myself to not take any crap from anyone once i became a new grad.

Davey Do

10,476 Posts

Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
If you can travel back in time and tell yourself something prior to graduating, what would you tell yourself?

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Grobyc82

57 Posts

I remember during my third week of orientation, I was taking care of this guy who seemed to be preoccupied with his phone. He asked for a xanax and I had been busy with the guy next to him doing am care. I had told him just give me a few minutes because I was in the middle of cleaning up this guy and then by the flip of a coin he screamed "No, I am not going to wait! Get me my xanax! I remember freezing and just not saying anything at the time. I remember not wanting to cause any drama because I was new so I just finished up with the guy next to him and just got the xanax.

Now, I don't take crap from anybody.

Kitiger, RN

1,834 Posts

Specializes in Private Duty Pediatrics.

I wish I had been told that there was more to nursing than hospital work. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I did my first year as float in the hospital. The chance to cement my knowledge was perfect. But when I bid in on a floor to switch to days, my world started to crumble. (I was getting married, switching shifts, and bidding in on a new floor, all at once!)

I am not able to multitask well. I had to learn that it's OK to switch from a job that demands multitasking to one that allows me to use my strengths, things like good interpersonal skills, attention to detail, strong desire to bring comfort, and willingness to go the extra mile - like doing complete PROM instead of just what I could do during a quick bath.

I wish someone had told me to not be so hard on myself.

Grobyc82

57 Posts

A lot of us are hard on ourselves when we get out of graduation. We expect the training we receive to be sufficient and sometimes even management expects us to operate at a level we may or may not be at.

Time and experience just like anything else hones our skills and knowledge. Realizing this as a new nurse will help deter most anxieties about performance than anything else.

Crush

462 Posts

Specializes in Case manager, float pool, and more.

* I wish I had been told not to take things so personally. ( as a new grad )

* I wish I had been told how many amazing people would touch my heart and life. I would have then gone to nursing school much sooner.

* I wish I had been told there will be days where you will go home emotionally drained but still think your job is totally worth it.

* I wish someone had told me I would love nursing so much I would be going back to college for my MSN.

* I wish I had been told how much I would grow as a person by getting into this field.

MrNurse(x2), ADN

2,558 Posts

Specializes in IMC, school nursing.
A lot of us are hard on ourselves when we get out of graduation. We expect the training we receive to be sufficient and sometimes even management expects us to operate at a level we may or may not be at.

Time and experience just like anything else hones our skills and knowledge. Realizing this as a new nurse will help deter most anxieties about performance than anything else.

This! The following article is what I think every new nurse needs to hear, as well as crusty old bats who have forgotten what it is like to be new.

https://allnurses.com/first-year-after/welcome-new-grads-1105161.html

ruby_jane, BSN, RN

3,142 Posts

Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.

Chart everything appropriately but also keep a book of the odd things that happen; the things you can't put into the chart but might be relevant later; the times when you manager or a co-worker won't answer an email but give you a verbal response (either immediately email "My understanding of the conversation we had on X date about Y subject is....) or WRITE IT ALL DOWN!

NightNerd, MSN, RN

1,130 Posts

Specializes in CMSRN, hospice.

I definitely echo "don't take crap from anyone." I'm here to help, but don't take advantage.

Learn to give yourself credit, even when others don't recognize your hard work. Sometimes it has to be enough that you did what you could, even if your patient, the doctor, your manager, etc. didn't see it.

Recognize when you've had enough, and always have an idea of what you might want to try next. We can't do certain things for our whole careers, and that's okay; you did something important for the time you were there. Don't feel like you have to stick it out for years and years if it's burning you out.

Julius Seizure

1 Article; 2,282 Posts

Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

Kitiger, where did you end up finding your niche?

flowerpowerntx

76 Posts

I would tell myself to stop trying to go for the glamorous nursing specialties (ER, ICU) that everyone else wants and just listen to your heart.

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