Advice For The New Nurse Entering Med-Surg

Specialties Med-Surg

Published

Here is your chance to give some advice and counsel to new RN's and LPN's entering their first clinical job as a nurse. What advice would you give them?

I am going to make this a sticky so that it is always available on the top of the forum for our newer nurses to see right from the start. Looking forward to seeing some of the great advice that our experienced nurses can lend to the newer nurses ..... :balloons:

Specializes in CVSICU.
My advice is when you get handover for a "difficult" patient make it your challenge to ask him/her what is the one thing that you can do for them to make them feel better. Quite often it is something minor to us, like keeping the curtain pulled around the bed, or a hot cup of tea in the middle of the night. To someone lying in bed feeling ill, it's the little things that mount up in their mind and become big things.....which reflects in handover as "difficult" :nurse:

Wow.... GREAT advice!!!! :yeah:

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Specializes in CVSICU.
3 months? Are you serious? I just graduated this december and I started my first job as a casual float and only got 12 shifts - 8 shifts on one floor and 4 shifts on another as a new grad. THat was the maximum allowed. I even asked for more but they said no. 3 months on one floor seems like a pretty sweet deal to me. I haven't finished my orientation yet and I really don't know how I am going to survive.

But I have no choice. Beggars can't be choosers in this job market.

Let me preface this by saying I'm a new grad as well and COMPLETELY understand how hard it is to get a job. But what you're talking about seems really scary. I'm not saying that you can't handle it (I have no clue as to your abilities). I can only speak for myself and I know that the license I busted my BUTT to get isn't worth losing due to inadequate training. IMHO, a few more months is well worth the wait to protect myself and others. No judgement here, I promise. Just my :twocents:

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Specializes in New PACU RN.

I was looking for 4 months and this was the only place I got an interview for. I would have looooooooved a longer orientation but unfortunatley the hospital scrapped their new grad training a few years ago and a person fresh out of school with no experience gets the same number of training shifts as a nurse working for 30 years.

Scary? Hell yes. It's sink or swim and I hope to get out before I burn out/jeopardize my license.

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How do I know if this post can keep going? I am starting Nursing school in January 2012 and will have a ton of questions. I am thinking of going into med-surg.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical, Hemodialysis.

Thank you all for contributing to this thread. I am an "almost" grad (Graduation is this Saturday) and I have accepted a position in Med-Surg. :D

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Thank you all for contributing to this thread. I am an "almost" grad (Graduation is this Saturday) and I have accepted a position in Med-Surg. :D

Congratulations!!!! I wish I were in your shoes! I don't start school the program until January 2012.

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3 months? are you serious? i just graduated this december and i started my first job as a casual float and only got 12 shifts - 8 shifts on one floor and 4 shifts on another as a new grad. that was the maximum allowed. i even asked for more but they said no. 3 months on one floor seems like a pretty sweet deal to me. i haven't finished my orientation yet and i really don't know how i am going to survive.

but i have no choice. beggars can't be choosers in this job market.

i agree florence nightinfail i am also only getting 12 shifts of traning one month. i would love to have 3 months of traning! ilovenana your scarying the cr*p out of me! i start my month training in july. nervous! hope you both are doing well! good luck!

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Specializes in OR/DR/RR, Surgical Unit.

I love this thread. I am also a new grad working in a med/surg and I am an IEN. I find it really difficult but you are all correct, everyday gets better. I like the phrase "there is no dumb questions". Now that I'll work without a buddy, I am not afraid to ask. Its better to ask than to make a serious mistake. Please keep advice, suggestions and comments coming as those are very helpful esp. emotionally.. :) thanks you made me feel competent, even if I don't before I stumble on this thread. :)

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I don't want to scare you but I'm in my 4th week of training on a Surgical floor and I couldn't imagine being on my own after just a few days! In school one of our teachers told us that if a job was not going to offer you sufficient training time then NOT to take the job, you're only setting yourself up for failure! Again I'm not trying to scare you and I wish you all the luck in the world! Just thought I would share! :)

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Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.

Thank you for making this thread! I am a new grad starting on a med-surg/telemetry floor in July. Even though I completed my med-surg clinical and my capstone both on this unit, I know working there as a new grad and eventual RN is a whole different ballgame, meaning I will have my own patients more than ever. Looking forward to reading all these posts before my first day!! :)

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Specializes in Med/surg;correctional;nursing homes;OR.

Hello New Grads...

The only advises that I can give to you are,make sure you have a good preceptor and be in a good preceptor program for new grads. Ask questions,even if it's a simple one,because all questions are important. Be in the thick of it,even if it's a hard or challenge Patient,because all your experiences will replicate on different patients. keep you ears open,because other nurses will discuss their experiences with other nurses. Stay out of personal problems and politics....they cause arguments. BE PATIENT...you will get the handle of it within time. Stay on top of your nursing knowledge buy doing CEU's and your nurse educator. Remember,your Nurse Educator gets a pay check too,so use her to your advantage. Be at on time and don't call out because it's a beautiful day or " I don't feel like it" mood. You have your schedule days off to chill out and be with families or friends. Make sure you invest in nursing books and how to do charting and electronic charting and a legal aspects of nursing to keep you undated on legal matters. I have over 26 years in nursing under my belt and I'm still learning,because technology is constantly changing. The main factor in Patient care is LISTENING and getting the story straight. I hope this little advise will help.

Good Luck,in you New Career as an Nurse.

Cindy:nurse::yeah:

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Thank you for making this thread! I am a new grad starting on a med-surg/telemetry floor in July. Even though I completed my med-surg clinical and my capstone both on this unit, I know working there as a new grad and eventual RN is a whole different ballgame, meaning I will have my own patients more than ever. Looking forward to reading all these posts before my first day!! :)

Congrats you will do fine you are going to enjoy it. I graduated LVN school 7 years ago then 3 months started med surg it was so amazing it was not that bad just remember that your pts are human and you are just helping them get better the pt load can be scary but use your priorities and your critical thinking. I am finally in Rn school you have way more of a foundation than when I started and that is good I functioned as a nurse and did the same as Rn only know do I see the difference but it is mainly paperwork. You go and be proud of being an Rn

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