One Year Later....

[Bezoars]

I have hit the one year mark as an RN and here's what I have learned in my first year:

1) You don't know everything, you can't know everything, you will never know everything... ask until you find someone who DOES know the answer you need.

2) You better get a THICK skin. Nursing is not for the faint-hearted and insecure. Rejoice in the accomplishments, and put your chin up and move on from the disasters....

3) You have to know everyone elses job and "babysit" them to make sure your job gets done. You may not like having to call "so-and-so" four times to get what you need, but you still have to do it, because in the end you are responsible for getting your patient what they need.... "the buck stops with you".

4) Don't be afraid to question anything.... knowledge is always power.

5) Be a team player! Be a team player! Be a team player! (can I keep saying that). If YOU are a team player, people will want to help you when you need it. AND YOU WILL NEED IT. So when you have downtime... ask others what they need FIRST (and don't just ask the other nurses, how about those CNA's working so hard for you?).

6) You can please all the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you can NOT please ALL the people ALL of the time.... deal with it.

7) Autopilot is a dirty word... no two people are alike and no two situations use the same manual. Learn to LOOK at your patient and really LISTEN to him/her and not just go through your routine with blinders on.

8) Critical Thinking really was the most important skill I learned in nursing school.

9) You can't be a perfect nurse and good at EVERYTHING. Play to your strengths and work on your weaknesses.

10) Embrace your pt advocate roll!!!! They need you! Many times you are the only one in the world looking after your pt's interests, take it seriously... stand up for them.... question for them.... go to bat for them.... they need you so much! Don't just let them fall through everyone's "cracks"... CARE.

anyone have anything to add?

[Bezoars]

Oh yeah.... and always have the fridge at home stocked with your favorite alcoholic beverage b/c some days you just need it.

[Chin up]

That's a lot of wisdom to learn in one year! Peace!

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

All of this is true of any professional workplace with the exception of perhaps number ten albeit that one could be modified into other settings.

[merlee]

Don't ever take your knitting to work. Even if it is only to show someone how beautiful the pattern is -someone will see you with it and assume you are slacking or have too much time on your hands.

Truly.

[winter_green]

Thank you for sharing!!! I'm not quite at my one year mark yet but I can relate to a lot of what you shared... good to know that I will never know everything, though I tried... haha =)

[MMARN, BSN, RN]

It's amazing that you've already learned so much after only a year!! CONGRATS TO YOU!!!

[bsyrn, ASN, RN]

That was very well said...thanks for sharing :yeah:

[steelydanfan]

I have hit the one year mark as an RN and here's what I have learned in my first year:

1) You don't know everything, you can't know everything, you will never know everything... ask until you find someone who DOES know the answer you need.

2) You better get a THICK skin. Nursing is not for the faint-hearted and insecure. Rejoice in the accomplishments, and put your chin up and move on from the disasters....

3) You have to know everyone elses job and "babysit" them to make sure your job gets done. You may not like having to call "so-and-so" four times to get what you need, but you still have to do it, because in the end you are responsible for getting your patient what they need.... "the buck stops with you".

4) Don't be afraid to question anything.... knowledge is always power.

5) Be a team player! Be a team player! Be a team player! (can I keep saying that). If YOU are a team player, people will want to help you when you need it. AND YOU WILL NEED IT. So when you have downtime... ask others what they need FIRST (and don't just ask the other nurses, how about those CNA's working so hard for you?).

6) You can please all the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you can NOT please ALL the people ALL of the time.... deal with it.

7) Autopilot is a dirty word... no two people are alike and no two situations use the same manual. Learn to LOOK at your patient and really LISTEN to him/her and not just go through your routine with blinders on.

8) Critical Thinking really was the most important skill I learned in nursing school.

9) You can't be a perfect nurse and good at EVERYTHING. Play to your strengths and work on your weaknesses.

10) Embrace your pt advocate roll!!!! They need you! Many times you are the only one in the world looking after your pt's interests, take it seriously... stand up for them.... question for them.... go to bat for them.... they need you so much! Don't just let them fall through everyone's "cracks"... CARE.

anyone have anything to add?

Yes, I want you to be my nurse!

[diva rn, BSN, RN]

That was a great post!!!

or as Henry Higgins once said...

By George, I think she's got it!!!

You really do get it, that was an amazing amount of knowlege to get in 1 year....what I would like to say, is...

Would you work with ME??? You are exactly the person everyone dreams of working with....congratulations on making one year in this rat race and many many more:yeah:

diva :heartbeat