Looking back on your biggest challenge as a new nurse

[kreswhit]

Looking back, what was one of your biggest challenges as a new nurse? How did you over come this challenge?

[anchordown16]

As a new nurse the greatest challenge I faced was learning that there was textbook way to do things and then there was a real world way to do things. The best way I found to overcome this was to ask questions and learn from the other nurses that have been doing this for what seems like ages lol. Being a new nurse is terrifying in its own right but sometimes I had to remind myself that everyone I was working with was once in my position too.

[AJJKRN]

Simply put,

Not knowing what I didn't know.

Experience

[Zombiologist]

Sick patients.

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

Managing multiple sick-sick patients in the ED. One day I literally had two sick-sick patients next to each other, a patient in one bed with crappy sats but great pulses, and in the next bed great sats and weak pulses. I wanted to combine them into one healthy pt! I was standing between the beds (curtained) saying, "Hey guys, don't go into the light!" Ugh. That was stressful. Got them both stabilized, but I won't forget that feeling and that was about 8 years ago. Prepared me well for dealing with mass casualties while deployed — learning how to act quickly and to not hesitate or be afraid. Increasing my knowledge base via studying for board certifications was my method of coping!

[The Lady Kate]

Talking to doctors and dealing with sending patients to tests, patient teaching, and other staff has really been the most challenging part. In school they don't teach you that stuff, you only learn it by doing it yourself.