Advice needed for new grad entering Med/Surg

TAB_RN · Feb 28, 2008

Hi Ndcon2,

First off, congratulations on your accomplishments! I too, have passed my boards and have started orientation on a cardiac telemetry/surgical floor. I am concerned at my level of knowledge as well. I will get 8 weeks of orientation at 40hrs/week. I was told that if I am not comfortable at the end of the 8 weeks, they will extend my orientation. I am getting alot of support and training, so I am confident that I will do well. You will as well. It is quite common for new graduates to feel as we both do. My manager asked me if I had any concerns and I could only state to her "Of course I do, I am hoping I just don't kill anyone". Of course I was joking, but it is quite scary to start out. She told me that if I wasn't worried, she would be concerned. You will have a lot of support through orientation, as well as after orientation. Use this time to ask questions and LEARN. We all start in the same place as new graduates.

Again, congrats!!

grantyRN06 · Feb 28, 2008

The only advice I have is take notes and ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask question for fear of being looked at as being stupid. No question is silly..and if you don't know or understand something say so. We all had to start as a new nurse(even though you do have the few that swear they were born nurses:uhoh3:) If there is something that is new to you write it down and when you go home look it up..just for your knowledge.( I still do this)Believe in yourself..don't doubt yourself. If your facility is anything like mine...the med surg floor is extremely fast paced, but you LEARN SOOOO MUCH!!!! You will be surprised how much you have grown when you have reached you 6mth period. Be open to constructive criticism. If you are not happy with your preceptor or feel as though your orientation is crappy, talk to your clinical manager or nurse manager. You don't want to wait until your orientation is almost over because they are going to expect for you to function fully and independently.

Good Luck!!!!

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Mar 2, 2008

Ask questions, and lots of them. Don't NOT ask questions because you are afraid of being seen as stupid. You will only be seen as stupid for saying you DO know how to do something (when it is clear you don't)! I have never, ever heard of any of the experienced nurses being annoyed at having to answer questions....it shows that you, the newbie, KNOW you SHOULD ask. And that's a good thing.

No one expects you to have learned everything you need to know in school. It's a jumping off point, nothing more. You learned how not to kill someone, and hopefully a few more basics along the way. :)

Want to succeed wherever you work? Learn to NOT get sucked into the gossip. You can bet your bottom dollar someone will grab you when you're alone, and start mouthing off about some other nurse who they don't like. She or he will watch your reactions, what you say, to see where you stand. The smart new nurse will be the one who brushes it off noncomittally, gets the subject changed FAST (not hard, if you're new you're bound to have a question you just have to ask then!).

Be open to suggestion. Answering "that's not how I learned to do it" more than a couple of times will brand you the one who doesn't adapt too well. Perhaps the way you learned it is fine, but perhaps the way you are being shown is better. Or faster, simpler, cheaper, or just the way THAT nurse likes to do it. In any event, smile, say thank you, and move on. You'll either choose that way or not, but making an issue of it all the time isn't going to win you any points. I work with someone like that: if I hear "in orientation, we were told to do it this way"one more time, I just may scream. I happen to know some of the stuff recently told in orientation is WRONG, based on the types of materials we are NOW using on the floor. And if the educator spent even an hour on our unit in the last six months, they'd know it, too.

Anyway....sorry for the vent, LOL....be confident in what you do know, too. I don't want to come off sounding like you DON'T know anything, of course you do, and don't always second guess yourself. You got through school, right?

Smile, be flexible. Volunteer for things when possible. Offer to help whenever possible, too; the nurse you help out today by giving routine meds (she's swamped, you're not, etc) may be the one who takes an extra five minutes next week to show you something you have no clue about. :)

When giving report to the charge nurse, please don't say "he's fine". We want numbers, specifics, details. Until the charge (or, your preceptor) KNOWS she or he can trust what you're saying, please don't be vague. I was once told "he's fine" and found out pt's blood pressure had been too high for expectations, urine output low, and the dressing saturated (when it wasn't supposed to be). The new nurse didn't see the problem, and figured "he's fine" was enough for me to know. Wrong. If you're giving too many details, you'll be told to move on with report :)

Hope this helps! I don't mean to sound discouraging, I hope it comes across as the opposite. We WANT you to succeed!!