5 must-know tips for new RN

[anm]

Hello!

There have been many very helpful posts on this topic, but I am curious if anyone has pointers specific to a new grad RN on a general medical floor. I'll be starting this job soon and am hoping to succeed as much as I possibly can. FYI I'm on 12-hour day shifts with 8+ weeks of preceptor-based training.

Looking for self-care tips, prioritization, time management, general advice...pretty much anything you felt was instrumental to making it when you first started working. Thank you!

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

Keep essentials in your pocket so you don't have to make an extra trip, like alcohol, scissors, straws.

Volunteer to help when you can. If you jump up, your coworkers will be ready to help you out when you need it (and you will).

I still do this thirty years in...arrive fifteen minutes early and go through your charts. You'll find report less intimidating, and you'll be more organized through the day.

Let patient requests build up. If you go in the room and they want a drink, stay, do what you need to do, make a mental list, then ask "is there anything else I can get you while I'm going? I'm getting x, y, z..." Maybe, maybe, that will make one trip for you instead of three. If you add something you know they might want like slippers, or toothbrush/toothpaste, you get extra brownie points with the family.

[EDNURSE20, BSN]

1. Take care of your self. Have your breaks. Leave on time. Don’t do lots of extra shifts because you feel you can’t say no. This only leads to burn out.

2. Give it a full year before you make your mind up wether you like your job or not. To many new grads want to give up after a couple of months now. Give it time. It gets better.

3. Help out other nurses when possible. If they ask you to help with a quick job, unless dealing with a emergency, say yes. If you have nothing to do, go around the team and see if you can help them. Make sure everyone is ok before you leave. Helping others will make a good work environment, and means there will be others there to help when you need it.

4. Don’t hold back from things you don’t know or that scare you. If a pt is complex take the opportunity to learn. Don’t try pass it on. And if your scared to do something or have certain pt, just go for it. You will feel better afterwards and the next time the situation comes up you will be prepared.

5. You will have really *** days. You might think you need a new job. Or that you shouldn’t be a nurse. This is normal. Every new grad has those days. Take the good with the bad. Things will get better. Even as a experience nurse, I still have *** days. It’s all part of the job.