Anxious About Starting New Job as New Grad

Nurses New Nurse

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Hello! I graduated with my ADN in May 2019 & my BSN in Dec. 2019 and finally have a job within the hospital setting. I have been out of real school since May 2019 so I am nervous that I have forgotten everything crucial that I learned (medications, disease processes, basic knowledge, s/s, ect.). I start my new job on a Neuro/Trauma PCU in April and wanted some advice about what I should be reviewing(if I even need to review), how to cope with the stress/anxiety of being a new grad nurse, and how to prepare for my new career? I know that school and actually working in the field are completely different but I want to be prepared and not feel or sound like a total idiot, if possible. Thank you for any advice & help!

vcRN, LPN

16 Posts

Congratulations! How did you obtain your BSN so quickly after ADN? Also, are you doing a residency? If not, then I assume if you do not have any patient care experience they would be willing to train you longer if you need the extra orientation.

allnurses Guide

Nurse SMS, MSN, RN

6,843 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Nobody starts out of school with a high level of those basic skills, such as IV starts and the like.

You may wish to review the pathophysiology behind the types of conditions you will see, which will include neuro issues as well as general med-surg. I recommend you review diabetes, COPD, CHF, CKD, ARF and how each of those impact one another. Most patients have multiple comorbidities. Neuro floors see a lot of strokes, so look at that as well.

Far and away the biggest challenge for new grads is difficulty with time management and a tendency to let their anxiety slow them down. There is a difference between taking prudent time to dot your I's and cross your T's versus obsessively reading things, check, recheck, checking again, rechecking. Think about how you will extract yourself from rooms with talkative lonely patients. Read up on the skill of delegation. On a neuro floor, your techs will be your lifeline. Get to know them. Formulate a respectful relationship with them. A good tech versus a bad one can make or break your shift.

Congratulations on getting started. Recognize you are going to feel very uncomfortable and anxious for anywhere from one to two years. It gets better, but it will take time. That is normal.

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