New Nurse tips

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As I'm preparing for my very first job as a nurse I was gathering all my nursey nurse goodies to put in my spiffy bag for my first big day on the floor. I have all my basics and energy stuff in a back pack that I'll keep in my locker. But I was thinking if like to have a copy of my LPN scope of practice handy since I'm sure I'll be overwhelmed and may even need to refer to my name badge to remember my name. Any tips for this? Other than the basic: print it, fold it and shove it in your pocket?Thanks in advance :)

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Emergency, CEN.

Congratulations!!! Here's some stuff that I've posted in the past that might be useful for you. And come back and tell us how it went!

"....First of all, take a second and breathe.

Take a huge slow breath down to the bottom of your toes and let it out very slowly.

Got it? Ok, now I'd like to point out that you will absolutely be task oriented at first. You're still learning the skills and the time management techniques needed for a full patient load in a serious specialty. This is 100% normal. Believe it or not you are still in a school mind set, and you are going to feel like being 5 seconds late for a blood glucose is reason for being fired. It's not. You'll relax after a bit. Your dreams will return to normal. Real life is a little more flexible.

Second, it is absolutely normal to be that exhausted at the end of the day. It sucks, but that's the reality of nursing today. It will get less as you find your groove, but you will pretty much always be tired. Exercise trainers tell the average person to wear a pedometer and try to aim for 10,000 steps in a day. When I wore mine, I never got less that 15,000 without even trying. (Wear a darn good pair of professional marathon running sneakers with high impact insoles... It helps to feel a little less exhausted and sore.)

Third, there's nothing more stressful than learning how to be a nurse. High acuities, high census, multiple diagnoses, toxic coworkers, extreme red tape and required detailed documentation all add up to one heck of a giant ball of nerves. If you don't find a way to let it out, your body will find it's own way to do it. Crying and sleeplessness are a few examples. Yoga, kickboxing, motorcycles, knitting... Find a way to de-stress.

Finally, I want to say that IT GETS BETTER!!! That's why there is a whole forum for first year nurses! Because it is so normal to feel crazy that there are books, forums, and support for just this situation. Hang in there, and you'll get past this too. Pretty soon you will be helping other first year nurses through their crying jags and night terrors too..."

"...I'll tell you the same thing a great friend told me...

'Do you think that, in all the years they've been working there, they've never seen a graduate nurse before?!'..."

Just don't be that grad nurse who 'already knows everything'. Be respectful when they repeat things you already know and be honest when you have to do something new and are nervous. 'I never had a chance to do this in clinical.'..."

Also, get a good song stuck in your head. Try this: https://allnurses.com/first-year-after/feeling-down-about-533503.html#post4839597

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- Make peace with your CNAs - they can help by calling you to see wounds when your resident is being bathed so you don't have to rework.

- Try to get ahead because at some point you will fall behind and it will be ok.

- Chart often and alone. When you chart with coworkers you get side tracked + talking = behind.

- i like check boxes for the things I need to do with a line to follow. I check it when it's done and write the time.

Hope this all helps. If you need my help - message me!

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