Need some insight from experienced nurses...

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I'm an RN student that is due to graduate in a couple of months. During these semesters of clinicals I've had a couple of great experienced nurses give me advice thats been very helpful. Tips that have made my learning experience a little easier to endure and to apply while I've gotten some great hands-on experience during preceptorship. These were great comments that they stated they wished someone would have advised them on in the beginning of their nursing career. So I'm asking for some more words of wisdom or insight from your years of experience. Please finish this sentence for me.

"With my years of experience the one thing I've learned that I would like to share with a new nurse is.....

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

you will make mistakes. Everyone does. Learn from them and move on. Take your job seriously, but not yourself.

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Specializes in Emergency.

You can't fix stupid. Do your best to educate but the patient has ti choose their lifestyle. I'm referring to patients who bring on their own health issues, not those who came up snake-eyes in the genetic craps game.

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Docs are no smarter or more competent than anyone else; they just had a different education. You know more about nursing people than a new resident knows about doctoring them. You can help each other out, and the patients win.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

Don't treat the monitors, treat the patient.

I also cannot emphasize the importance of specialty certification, and belonging to your specialty's professional organization.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

"when in doubt, err on the safe side".

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Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut.

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Specializes in Hospice.

Try to learn something new everyday

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Specializes in retired LTC.
Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut.
My Dad told me this was an old Army saying when he was in. Except it was "keep your eyes open, your mouth shut, and never volunteer".
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Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.

The key to success is organization. If you are organized, you spend less time searching for something and more time thinking about what you are doing.

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... be kind to yourself.

... to ask for help when you need it.

... offer help when others need it.

... always max inflate a versacare before moving a patient.

... to try to read one nursing policy a shift.

... never stop asking questions.

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