About to Start Final Placement - getting scared

[Daisy_08, BSN, RN]

i about to start my final placement on a palliative floor (shares wing with medicine so i'm sure i will have med p/t too). i'm doing it in the city i love, at the hospital i want to work at, in an area that i'm interested in so i want to make a good impression.

i'm wondering how i should prepare. any advice from preceptors, recent grads or people who work in this area? i'm looking forward to it but am also getting nervous as i think about it. any advice would be great. thanks!

[Annaiya, NP]

I don't know what a "final placement" is. Can you explain that better? Are you a new grad or a nursing student?

Any time you want to make a good impression just do 3 things:

1. Be enthusiastic! People will notice if you are truly interested in the work and your patients. Take advantage of any opportunity to you have whether it is starting an IV or helping a patient eat breakfast. No one wants to work with a nurse who seems uninterested and "lazy."

2. Be prepared. Have any helpful reference materials close at hand, so if something comes up that you are unfamiliar with, you can look up the information quickly. Have your stethoscope, scissors, pen light, etc. on you, so you never have to say "wait let me go grab that."

3. Be on time. In fact, be early. If you show up 15 minutes early everyday and have your patient information gathered, your bag tucked away and are ready for report that will get noticed, since most people barely get there on time. Even if you spend 10 min. sitting around, that is much better than risking being late due to traffic or something. The prior shift wants to give report and go home, and no one wants to work with a nurse who comes to work late.

[ocean waves]

Hello. As a good nurse, it is very normal for you to be "getting scared" about final placement in clinical nursing work. Nurses can use that "scared" feeling as a constructive tool to guide them to ask professional questions to their nursing instructors and/or to experienced nurses about any nursing task or decision about which you are not sure. As the saying goes, "better to safe than sorry". I agree with the writer who said "be prepared" with your own appropriate supplies and your own, good quality, small reference books available(for example, have a good, current nursing drug reference book so you can quickly look up key precautions for quick med questions). Best wishes!

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

I would agree with the previous posters. Also know that feeling scared or nervous is normal, but you will learn as you go. I am a new RN starting my first job next week. I have been taking some time to review meds and things myself. Don't worry too much and good luck :)

[carolmaccas66, BSN, RN]

Hey final placement is scary, scary, scary! U want to pass and also learn heaps.

What I did was ask TONS of questions, do a bit of extra study in the area ur working in (but don't overload yourslef), and each shift make sure u understand exactly what is expected of u and what level u should be working at. Also if u can't do something/don't understand something, DON'T just go ahead & do it cos of time pressures or whatever. Always get someone and ask.

I also did meds a bit slower & studied a bit more pharmacology & certain conditions, whilst running questions thru my mind, ie: why am I giving this med? Why has this been ordered? etc. It kept my mind active & then everything - like all my knowledge & skills - just sort of came together in the end. Also I was petrified of making med errors, so I am very strict with checking name bands, etc.

You need to try & also gain as much confidence as u can, very important, but hard when u don't have much experience. Use all the resources on the ward and hospital that u can as well.

Good luck! U will be OK, just have confidence in urself & always start the day with a smile (though you will be dead tired), it does make a difference if u try to be happy & remain positive.

Let us know how u get on.