Starting a new job

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What challenges has anyone faced as a new graduate with your first job?

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Specializes in Home Health CM.

I work on a med surg floor and the challenges I face is trying to keep up with the fast pace.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

Getting a job was my first challenge.

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Specializes in Health Information Management.

The toughest part for me was figuring out the real power structure and the behind-the-scenes politicking before I did something that accidentally got me stuck on an important person's bad side. However hard you try to be careful and respectful, if you don't know that Person A handles Issue 1 even though it's in Person B's province, and you go to Person B by mistake, Person A may well carry a grudge. It depends on the place, but sometimes those types of machinations can be difficult to deal with, especially straight out of school.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Operating Room.

I just started a new grad RN program in ICU and so far I am loving it... as someone who is in the middle of learning how to be a nurse I would recommend keeping it as simple as possible for awhile... focus on clinical skills, learning about your facility's charting systems, etc... personally I am WAY too busy learning skills, where everything is, who to call for more supplies, my fellow team members' names, where the bathroom is, how to clock in, where the lab is, oh and don't forget reviewing patho and looking up new drugs, etc etc etc... no time to worry about politics for this girl... I've never been one to care about that sort of thing anyway LOL. I'm just doing my best to be kind to everyone, to offer to help all the members of my team, and so far so good. I really do think it depends on the unit though...

I guess my biggest challenge to this point has been feeling a bit overwhelmed... but I've had some good laughs about it with my preceptor and she keeps telling me she felt the same way.. my second day on the unit included 2 codes so I guess it's normal to feel overwhelmed hahaha.

Also sometimes I feel like my questions are "dumb" but I was instructed to ASK QUESTIONS because "the only dumb question is one you don't ask" !!!!! Everyone from my manager to my preceptor to the nurse educator to fellow RNs has told me that the scariest new grad RN is the one who doesn't ask questions but instead acts like they know it all... there's no way we can know it all... ever hahaha.

Good luck to ya!!!!! I'm having a great time as a new grad, hope you do too! :)

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Learning who was trustworthy to go to for help who wouldn't talk about me behind my back (appearances can be deceiving!)

I was bright-eyed and ready to go and got ambushed by politics. Don't be too trusting or say too much until you know who you're talking to. Even the act of being friendly with you could be political.

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Specializes in Trauma/Burn ICU, Neuro ICU.

VivaRN has a good point. Some units are more helpful and less political than others. I'm new and in an ICU, and I decided to keep my head down, do a lot of listening, and only contribute with light-hearted, neutral comments. The biggest problem for me was that when doing a procedure one way (as taught by a preceptor nurse), another nurse would tell me that I wasn't doing it properly. I am not kidding you when I say that this was so commonplace, with almost every little detail of typical procedures, that it drove me (silently) nuts. I checked with written protocol, charge nurses, the manager - to no avail.

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Specializes in Telemetry.

The hardest part is to find a job. After that listen and learn and try to keep out of the politics. People are not who you think they are. You have nurses who will talk to you to know about your personal business then betray you with others be very careful. Try to learn as much as you can and do hands-on to feel confident.

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I just finished my preceptorship and I can relate to the fast pace on med/surg. My last night was very busy. I don't know how one nurse could have done it all.

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I have read a few messages now that politics are a common problem when starting a new job. Do you feel like you can count on those you work with? I am really suprised that this topic was the one that came up the most. I have had experience with working in a new position and dealing with politics as a CNA. I find the best way to keep my slate clean is to listen, not share what I overhear, and do my job the best that I can. I find that keeping a positive attitude helps as well; then my co-workers are less likely to have negative comments.

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