Hope for new grads

[MB37]

Most people post complaints about their first year, and tell stories of mean coworkers who eat their young. I'm sure a lot of other nurses have had good experiences, but may not have felt compelled to post about them. My advice to all new graduates would be to thoroughly investigate a hospital before you accept your first job. Make sure you're getting a good orientation, ask if you'll have the same preceptor (or same few) throughout, and talk to current employees or at least students who've done clinicals there about how much time the nurses have to teach.

I went directly into critical care, and I'm currently in a Cardiac ICU at a large metropolitan hospital. I had 3 weeks of straight orientation and classes, and I'm nearing the end of a 16 week orientation to the unit. I also had (paid) critical care class for 16 hours a week the first 8 weeks, some of which we could do online from home. The class was only OK, but it was a decent review and we got paid for it. What's been great is my introduction to the unit. My preceptor is awesome - extremely knowledgeable, but also laid back. She helps me as much as I need, which meant she was right along side me my first few weeks and now she mostly gossips with coworkers all shift - while remaining available to answer questions, double check assessments, help me decide if I need to call a doc, or just give me a hand turning or cleaning a pt. I've had to work with 4 other nurses r/t scheduling conflicts with my main preceptor, and they've all been great to me as well. I got different perspectives on things, and I have yet to encounter a nurse who wants to "eat his/her young."

I work at a teaching hospital, so maybe that helps with the attitude of the staff. I did my clinicals there during NS, and the nurses on every unit/floor had time for us. A few were less than fantastic, but the vast majority of my clinical experiences were awesome. I knew it would be a good place to work after graduation, and it was.

Even the docs are nice to me (for the most part). We have a few that frequent our unit with a reputation for being ********, but even they don't snipe at you unless you've actually made a mistake. Most of them have been happy to explain a procedure as they do it (say a bedside line insertion), or talk with me about why the pt is going on CRRT. I've apologized a few times to them for being new and not as quick with answers to their questions, and they've generally given me great feedback and said I'm doing well. Maybe it's because they're used to med students and residents constantly rotating through as well?

I have yet to cry. No one has yelled at me. I've had a few difficult patients and a few difficult families, but the majority are nice people as well. I've also had a few patients pass on, and dealt with some tough ethical situations. I'm trying to take them all as learning experiences. I've made a few mistakes, but they've been small ones or easy to rectify. I've caught a few mistakes others have made before they could harm or unnecessarily cost the pt.

I just thought I'd post something uplifting, so that new grads know their first year doesn't have to a living [heck]. I go off orientation soon, and I'm a little nervous, but I know that my coworkers will still be there to answer my questions. Have a good attitude, do some research before you take a job, and make a good first impression on your coworkers. Be eager to learn and ask a lot of questions, and learn how to look things up on your own while you still have someone you can ask for help.

Good luck to all the new grads out there, and may your experience be as great as mine has been so far!

[Jules A, MSN]

I also love my job that I took as a new grad. Your advice to be very particular about the unit and facility before accepting the position is the key, imo. I'd never take a job without at least doing a share day or two to get a feel for the unit workings. My fellow nurses have been very supportive and the few that were a little stand-offish at first are now very helpful also. Imo life is too short and nursing too challenging not to love going to work.

[bubbly]

Thank you for your post. I too chose to work at a large teaching metropolitan hospital because they have experience in teaching new grads and I knew the orientation was going to be nice and long (6 months)! I got a tour of the unit from the manager and got to meet other nurses in that department. I had a great intuition about the place and have had no regrets since. My job has still had its ups and downs, but there are so many supportive co-workers in my unit and new grads just like me who have shared the same fears that I don't feel alone. We get new residents rotating in all the time so I also get to hear the attendings teaching them about diagnoses and procedures and learn something new as well. My only advice to new nurses is be very careful in choosing the first place you want to work at since that will be your first impression of really being a working nurse. Trust your intuition, learn about the place as much as you can, try to get into an area you really have a passion about so it will carry you through the new grad blues, and don't be swayed by other motives like salary or driving distance that is unrelated to your actual nursing experience. :)

[Jules A, MSN]

Trust your intuition, learn about the place as much as you can, try to get into an area you really have a passion about so it will carry you through the new grad blues, and don't be swayed by other motives like salary or driving distance that is unrelated to your actual nursing experience. :)

I agree with most of this but have to add that I absolutely did follow the money. Its a shame to me that some places pay so little to the new grads for the "honor" of being in their fancy orientation programs. Most of them were offering the same hourly rate I was making as a LPN. Maybe its because I'm older and used to making a decent buck but taking a hit in the pocketbook didn't interest me.

[MB37]

I would absolutely pay attention to both money and driving distance, but only if the difference is large. Don't pick a hospital because it pays $1 more an hour, or because it's 10 minutes closer, but if one pays $5 less and is over an hour away, it's probably not worth it.

[onfire4gzuz]

Hey guys I wanted to know what you meant buy a teaching hospital, I live in Georgia and I'm wondering if they have any here. How did you guys find out about it.

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

Hey guys I wanted to know what you meant buy a teaching hospital, I live in Georgia and I'm wondering if they have any here. How did you guys find out about it.

Teaching hospitals are those affiliated with a medical school where medical students get their hands-on experience. They are usually the hospitals with the greatest variety of programs, the sickest and most unusual patients and are typically involved in research too. Georgia would have several such hospitals.

[MBA2RN, BSN, RN]

Thanks to the original poster, and everyone who tagged on above. As a new grad, it's nice to here the good (and not just the bad).

Cheers

[lookingbeyond, BSN, RN]

Struggling here with coworkers. Thank you all for being here....