Tips for my first week as an RN

oncologynurse77 · Oct 29, 2008

I also graduated in May, but got off oriented about four weeks ago. Yup, you will be scared. Yup, you will be tired. Yup, you will make mistakes. So has every other nurse. The best advice I can give is ASK QUESTIONS. Even if people get tired of them! It is the best way to learn, and you really should be asking questions/thinking critically all day long, soon you will just be able to answer them for yourself. I found myself second guessing myself a lot (I was new and scared!) so I would double check with my preceptor on everything and it really helped to build my confidence as I went off orientation. Our hospital had paperwork we filled out every week with goals/what we did/what to work on next week and it helped to not get so overwhelmed and see that I really was making progress. Also, ask for feed back! You will get through it! And after a while, it will start to really feel like you are the nurse! A patient will ask you something, and you will know the answer! It feels great :-)

Finally, we learned a TON of stuff in nursing school, so if you forget something, that is really ok. Forget what crackles sound like? Ask. Forget which lab is important for heparin drips? ask. Ask ask ask.

oncologynurse77 · Oct 29, 2008

Oh! I almost forgot. Make sure you are asking all these questions to a nurse you believe in, someone that can tell you WHY they are do things the way they do. Some of the nurses on our floor, honestly, freak me out and I won't ask question from. Find out who your role models can be and go to them. If you don't feel like you believe in your preceptor, ask for another one.

Sillynicunurse · Oct 29, 2008

It is normal to be nervous about everything that you mentioned. I had two preceptors. One was phenomenal and the other was ummmm ok. I asked tons of questions and really did't care if she was annoyed. That is why I am in orientation to learn. I would not take the chance of doing harm to a patients so that I didn't annoy her by asking for clarification. If there was time I would attempt to use written resources such as unit policy and procedures manuals ect before asking the question. If time was of the essence or I coulnd't find it I didn't hesitate to ask.

You will be fine. Just remember that you get out of it what you put into it much like nursing school.

colleenrnsw · Oct 29, 2008

Hi Serena. I also graduated in May and am just starting on the floor tomorrow (just finished orientation classes) and I am terrified. So you are not alone. The advice I have been given is to show confidence even if I do not feel it, and to ask questions even if I think I should already know it (rather ask than potentially harm someone), and to relax on my days off. I kind of feel like I do not know ANYTHING, so I am curious to see how tomorrow goes to see everything I actually do remember from school! Good Luck.

joseash · Oct 31, 2008

Congratulations and good luck to you on your new job! I hope you get an awesome preceptor as that can really help boost your confidence. Just remember that you are new and not expected to know it all. Acknowledge your limitations and ask for help. Don't be shy about asking questions. You will become more comfortable with being a nurse everyday. And do not be concerned about how long it's been since you were in clinicals. I graduated from nursing school and didn't have my first job for YEARS afterwards! Talk about being out of the clinical setting for awhile. Fortunately, things came back to me quickly, like riding a bike. I just watched my preceptor do the skill once or twice for a refresher until I felt like I was ready to do it myself. Don't put it off forever though. In some ways, you never feel really ready to start your first IV or insert your first Foley post-nursing school. But you have to start somewhere and each time you do it, you gain confidence and increase your skill level. It's all about practice, practice, practice! Best of luck to you.