Stick with it... it's worth it

[RNmb]

I just passed my one year mark! Graduated with my BSN June 2008, passed the NCLEX and started my first job as an RN on a Surgical Telemetry floor (step-down unit) in July 08. The reason I am posting this is because though I was a good student and had all the confidence in the world, I had the absolute WORST interview for my first job. I was so anxious to apply that I applied way too early, before I had done my senior practicum and had really gotten the experience of hands-on nursing. I did a phone interview with 6 nurse managers. I took the call expecting to answer all the normal interview questions. I had no idea that they were going to ask clinical questions. I immediately got so nervous that I did not answer any of the questions even remotely right. I got off the phone as quickly as I could and thought my career had ended before I even graduated. I was devasted, nursing is all I have ever wanted to do. The silver lining was my senior practicum was planned for one of the floors that I interviewed for. Thankfully, the nurse manager decided to take a chance on me and wait to see how I did during my final months of school before making the decision on whether to hire me. By the time I got on the floor, I was able to prove that I actually AM a competent nurse and not only that, I can excel at this profession. Now, after less than a year on the floor, I am a charge nurse on the floor and I am one of the nurses that others go to for help and for a reference. So please, I know that there are always shifts that make you feel like "Why am I going this" and "What did I get myself into," just remember the reasons for why you started this journey!

[PA_CoffeeFreak]

There's so much difficulty that people are having now in finding a job or feeling as though they're doing well so it's nice to hear that some people do have a positive outcome lol as a new grad! Do you have any tips on surviving the first year? Someone once mentioned that she would go home and look up 3 things that she didn't know.

[RNmb]

Ask questions! I ask questions whenever I don't know something because how else are you going to learn it? It's better to ask when you have the change rather than wait for the time when you get into trouble to learn it. Also, if I hear someone is doing a procedure or has something different that I've never done/heard of, I always ask if I can help or come watch. For example, I hadn't pulled a jugular line and one of our nurses was doing it, so I asked if I could help and she walked me through the steps while I did it. We have the kind of people on our unit that love to get everyone on the same level, so we're all really good with that kind of stuff. In return, I had one of the new grads tell me she was so glad I am here because I teach her things she needs to know. It comes full circle!