Dear New Grad Nurse

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Hi, new nurse here. If you could go back in time what advise would you give new grad You? Advice for daily floor things, best career moves for starting out, ect. Is there anything you would've done differently? What would you do if you were a new grad nurse right now? I could use some wisdom!

Thanks!

Specializes in psych.

Do not ever get involved in gossip about a coworker and never say anything bad about anyone you work with. Words can easily be taken out of context. Be careful what you say about anyone who works with you, even when what you are saying isn't necessarily bad. On the flip side, if someone says something to

You about someone else that could start any drama don't repeat it!

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Specializes in Cardiac ICU, ER, PICU, Corrections.

Don't be a know it all. Be respectful and kind. You will get constructive criticism. You will get your feelings hurt. Learn from your coworkers! Nursing school only teaches you the basics. You learn most of your stuff on the job. Stick it out! No one starts with their ideal or dream situation. Gotta work your way there. Good luck! :)

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Thank you all so much for the advice!

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Specializes in Hospice.
Thank you all so much for the advice!

Thank YOU for actually coming back and reading responses after your initial post.

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You avatar is genius.

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
That's what I fear the most about everything I think, the mistakes. I'm the time of person that's really hard on myself and will never make the same mistake twice! I'm definitely eager to learn as much as I can from everyone around me. Thanks for the advice!

You need to understand that you will make mistakes and yes you may make the same mistake more than once. Hopefully you don't beat yourself up too much and try to learn why and how a mistake is made. Everybody makes mistakes. As another topic says " Anybody who says they don't is lying."

It's just a part of being human - if we never made mistakes we would be Gods :)

Also if you are contemplating higher education don't wait too long. The longer you wait the harder it is to go back to school. I know this from experience as I earned my ADN in 2002 and just decided to go after my BSN 13 years later. While I know I am smart enough to do this. I am 52 and not as quick witted as I was in my youth.

Listen to those "Crusty Old Bats" they have a world of nursing knowledge in their heads and most will give you good advice and counsel as you start your career.

Good Luck

Hppy

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You need to understand that you will make mistakes and yes you may make the same mistake more than once. Hopefully you don't beat yourself up too much and try to learn why and how a mistake is made. Everybody makes mistakes. As another topic says " Anybody who says they don't is lying."

It's just a part of being human - if we never made mistakes we would be Gods :)

The scariest nurse of all is the one who isn't lying when she says "I've never made a mistake" because it shows that she just doesn't realize when she has screwed up. You can't learn from your mistake if you don't even realize that you have made one. I know nurses who say they have never once made a med error. There is NO WAY that's true of someone who has worked for decades.

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