Any Advice?

Nurses General Nursing

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So here it goes....I start my first nursing job tomorrow and I am experiencing a cluster of mixed emotions. I am as equally terrified as I am excited. I'm excited to start my new career and experience a whole new world but at the same time I am terrified that when those moments come when someone will need me that I am going to freeze or forget. Is this normal? Has anyone experienced this? Any tips would be helpful........

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Normal. I felt this way as a new LPN and again as a new RN. As time goes by and you learn more, your confidence will get better. Good luck! :)

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I feel the same way!!!! I am currently looking for a job in a medical setting and I feel the same way only my job wouldn't be nearly as challenging as yours. Breathe, and just let it rip girl! You can do it!!!!

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Specializes in Emergency Medicine.

Congrats and good luck.

Try not to puke...

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Specializes in OB, L&D, NICU, Med-Surg, Ortho.

here are a couple tips :)

when new to an organization, there are some common-sense behaviors that can help make a good impression.

  • be on time.
  • dress appropriately.
  • come to work prepared.
  • leave personal problems at home.be emotionally ready to do your job
  • learn the policies and procedures of your new employer.
  • ask questions if you are unsure

there are a few not-so-common sense behaviors that have helped me adapt to a new job:

do not continuously compare the new organization with what you learned in nursing school. your coworkers are probably proud of where they work. remarks such as "this isn't the way we did it in clinicals at good samaritan hospital!" may imply you are not happy with this company and it's policies. it may give the impression you are not open to change. we had a new employee that didn't last because she constantly made statements such as "when i worked for x hospital, granted it was a much bigger hospital, but we determined a baby's race by the race of the father, not the mother. i've called them and had them fax down how we did it there." the general attitude towards her was this: if your last place was so great, go back.

be a quiet observer. for the first month or two, i do not make any comments on any other employees. this has saved me a lot of heartache. i quietly observe the hierarchy and peer groups to learn more about my coworkers. when i was younger, i would foolishly spout off about what a jerk betty was only to find out that everyone else loved betty. that made me the new coworker that was a witch. if you need to make a comment, make a vague one. "betty seems really upset today". at my current job, the nurses are all like family. while it's ok for them to badmouth their "sister nurse" it isn't ok for new nurses who don't know them to do it. by remaining quiet, i saved myself a lot of grief. one nurse was particularly rude and unprofessional. she would say things like "patients should have their doors shut so they don't hear us talking at the nurses station. we're a loud bunch and they need to get over it." i would just grit my teeth while the other nurses agreed with her. a few months into my employment i asked one of the nurses i had come to trust about her. i knew she was going to school, so i used that as an intro. "betty's going back to school to get her bachelor's? that must keep her pretty busy." the other nurse opened up and said "it isn't the school work. she lost her 12 yr old daughter six months ago. she came into the er with a fever and before she knew it, she was in a coma and then just gone. she had some type of bacterial infection. betty still blames herself for not bringing her to the er sooner because she thought she just had a common cold. her little girl was alert and talking when she brought her in. she had a high fever and sore throat for a couple days and then she was just gone." well, that explained a lot. it helped me cope with this coworker, and now we get along just fine. (she's actually one of the sweetest people i work with).

don't be a know-it-all. we all have something to learn. nothing is more aggravating than trying to train a nurse that already knows everything.

as far as being a brand-spanking-new nurse:

remember that the patients don't know what you don't know. what i mean is this: they don't know you are new! walk into that room with a smile. hold your shoulders back, chin up - you are confident. you are the nurse. families are wary of someone who acts like they don't know what they are doing.

but..what if i really don't know? i won't lie to my patients. i have been asked questions that i truly didn't know the answer to. practice phrases that allow you to retrieve the information. "will this medicine interfere with his blood pressure?" do not lie. "i don't believe it will, but if you give me just a moment, i want to double check with the pharmacy so i can give you the best information." "when he gets home, will he be able to shower with that incision?" "every doctor is different and each one allows different things for their patients. i will call dr. smith and ask. i want to send you home with all of your questions answered. did you have any more questions i can ask dr smith while i speak to him?" remember this: lay people do not expect you to have all the answers, but they do expect that you know where to get them.

experienced nurses do not have all the answers either! :) a good experienced nurse knows this. every day i share information with other nurses. every day we ask each other questions about patient care. i had only been out of school 6 months when i had a patient with an indiana pouch. (a type of bladder and ostomy). we had no policy in place for indiana pouches so the uro-tech and i wrote a new policy. 2 months later, we had another pt with an indiana pouch. the nurse taking care of that patient had been a nurse for almost 20 years, but still came to me for advice because i had previous experience with one. experience doesn't always = years of service. :)

i know i've said it, but it merits saying it again:

don't be a know-it-all.

be nice.

don't badmouth the hospital or the nurses or your preceptor.

ask questions.

you will quickly figure out which nurses love to help newbies. utilize us!

hope that helps :)

~sherri

"the new nurse thinks like a mom. the experienced nurse thinks like a lawyer."

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Sherri gave fantastic advice! I'm a new grad and I've been in my new position for only a few weeks. All of what she said is true. Go, learn, smile and have a great day!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

"Be a quiet observer."

Wiser words were never spoken. This reminds me of a new RN starting in my facility. I was working in PACU when she trailed her preceptor into the room on her first day. We all gathered round to introduce ourselves and welcome her. In the course of that conversation, she somehow found a way to comment on another of our co-workers, stating that she was a "weird one."

Well, I was immediately turned off. Yes, the nurse in question could be considered a "weird" one, but she was our "weird" one with many good qualities. To this day, 2 years later, I struggle with my initial suspicion of a nurse who made such a snap judgment of a new co-worker and who also didn't have the good sense to keep her mouth shut.

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. Is this normal? Has anyone experienced this? Any tips would be helpful........

Very much so.

Now, is when you begin the learning process. Two "tips" for you.

*Understand that Nursing school applications, and the realities of the job are for the most part, incompatible.

*Do the best you can, each day, from now until retirement.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

:yeah:

Here are a couple tips :)

When new to an organization, there are some common-sense behaviors that can help make a good impression.

  • Be on time.
  • Dress appropriately.
  • Come to work prepared.
  • Leave personal problems at home.Be emotionally ready to do your job
  • Learn the policies and procedures of your new employer.
  • Ask questions if you are unsure
  • Experienced nurses do not have all the answers either! :) A good experienced nurse knows this. Every day I share information with other nurses. Every day we ask each other questions about patient care. I had only been out of school 6 months when I had a patient with an Indiana pouch. (A type of bladder and ostomy). We had no policy in place for Indiana pouches so the Uro-tech and I wrote a new policy. 2 months later, we had another pt with an Indiana pouch. The nurse taking care of that patient had been a nurse for almost 20 years, but still came to me for advice because I had previous experience with one. Experience doesn't always = years of service. :)

I know I've said it, but it merits saying it again:

Don't be a know-it-all.

Be nice.

Don't badmouth the hospital or the nurses OR your preceptor.

Ask questions.

You will quickly figure out which nurses love to help newbies. Utilize us!

Hope that helps :)

~Sherri

"The new nurse thinks like a mom. The experienced nurse thinks like a lawyer."

WELL SAID!:yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah:

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

sherri gave great tips, so i'll just say congratulations on your new job and welcome to a new nurse. being scared/nervous is not only normal, it's desirable. i never trust a newbie who acts as if she knows it all!

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It would be abnormal to not feel nervous.

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Specializes in COS-C, Risk Management.

I would be concerned if you weren't worried. The new grads who think they know everything scare the crap outta me. Be open and embrace new ideas, new technology, new people.

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