Tips for nurses in their first year of nursing

Nurses New Nurse

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Please share any tips you might have for our new nurses. Hopefully, this will become a great resource of nursing tips from all of our experienced nurses from around the globe.

I just got accepted into the Nursing Program. Can anyone reccomend any help books? And does anyone have tips on studying, or rather what is the best way to study of all of this stuff including Pharmocology? Thank you!

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Specializes in RN in LTC.
I just got accepted into the Nursing Program. Can anyone reccomend any help books? And does anyone have tips on studying, or rather what is the best way to study of all of this stuff including Pharmocology? Thank you!

I study the objectives on each chapter. Don't try to memorize everything it doesn't work. Instead try to understand it. Ask yourself who, what, where, why and how for each objective. I was given this advice and it helped me. I listen to how other people study and I will try it once. If it works I kepp it if not I try something different. If you are permitted to record lecture do so and listen to it in the car or anytime you have a chance. I am an auditory learner and that has really helped me. I try to learn the pharmocology that goes along with each system or disease process we cover. I do lots and lots of NCEX questions. I also do them according to what we are learning. When you pick out your NCLEX books make sure they give good rationales. I like Saunders. I am in a study group of 4 people. We work great together and that is very hard to find. We all try to buy different NCLEX books and we switch them. We each have a different view and it adds to our group. Be careful not to just jump into a group. Make sure everyone in the group participates. When I can't understand something I make sure to ask questions. I never feel stupid. If I had all the answers I wouldn't need to be in school. Good luck to you!

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organize, organize, organize. Good organization starts with your report sheet when you are first coming on shift.

Does anyone have any tips on how to set up a report sheet in order to facilitate good organization? I graduated last week and will start my first nursing job in July. I have read that some nurses call the report sheet a "brain" and there are multiple ways to set one up to best serve your needs. Any advice would be great.

Dee

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Specializes in Skilled nursing.

That was unselfish of you SmilingBlueEyes. Thanks for sharing. I'm on my first job and I experienced all what you said in my first month. It's really true when you don't know how to do it, DON'T! Fortunately, that's also the philosophy of our nurse supervisor.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
In regard to the pecking order: I feel the need to pre-formulate a response to the threat of being eaten by an older (by older I mean - more experienced) nurse.

This may be the one thing that will impair my nursing career!

I wonder if standing up for yourself hinders or helps?

Will you earn respect from co-workers by having a good attitude and at the same time, being firm that "nastiness/cattyness" from them will not be tolerated?

Must we accept it, deal with it?

Is it considered part of the proverbial "due-paying" we must endure?

It's beginning to sound/feel like I am going be thrown into prison!

(Did anyone see Oz?!? -Yikes!)

Any ideas (examples of dialogue) to address someone who is being less than professional to a newbie?

Thanks to all for the (many) previous posts!

Keep an open mind. You might just get into an environment that's friendlly and supportive. Or at least neutral, where they may not roll out the red carpet, or even notice in their business that you're there, but they aren't nasty and catty either.

One thing we should not do is go looking for the negative. If you look for it you're going to find that one or two catty nurse there, you're going to judge the entire unit, you're going to judge the older (um...experienced) nurses and the experience is going to be a bit jaded. If you stop and take a picture and think "hmmm..........these four over here are very friendly, mentoring and supporitive, they are my resources. These 15 people over here are just doing their own thing, but I'm sure they'll help me if asked. These two people over here are catty old witches and I'll steer clear of them, but if they bother me, I'm going to come up with strategies to let them know I'm not playing.

You do not have to accept unacceptable behavior. Good luck!

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...I've been the same way, my whole life. not a nurse, yet, but it's going to be my 9th career...being slow doesn't freak me out anymore. It has always paid off in the long run, because I end up with solid skills. yea, you have to take some smack when you're slow, but trust yourself, it's ok. roll with it.

... I noticed that in my folder, which goes to my boss, she had marked that I am 'very slow' when learning new skills. I admit that this has been true in most aspects of my life, and probably accounts for why I seem to have to work at everything twice as hard as everyone else just to stay even. I feel it is better to be accurate and hopefully I will speed up.

experience). Any feed back is welcome. Thanks!:o

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One of the main roles of the nurse is to be proffesional

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Thanks, Angie, for the great info. I am a new nurse, 3 months out and need every good tip I can get. This is great!

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This was the first place I came to after registering with thie forum. Hopefullly one day, I will have something just as supportive and encouraging as you guys/girls!

You are my role models, all of you.

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Hello Everyone,

I am a foreign gradute nurse.(from Europe). Just passed NCLEX on Saturday and will be looking for my very first job as a nurse in a nearest future.

Please advise were to look for. Is there any particular unit that will be best for me to start with? Any preparations before I head to actual work? Any books to read?

I am very happy but very nervous. Please advise.

Thank you.

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Specializes in ICU, CCU, Trauma, neuro, Geriatrics.

Leave your family and boyfriend/girfriend at home, turn off your cell phone and pay attention to your job while you are at work. And yes this is a problem where I work.

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hello, iam in my last year in the nursing program for LPN I am really scared because there is a strict rule on our test that if we fail more than two we are bumped out of the program. I want this really bad and I really need a tutor or mentor that can help me focus on the main points that are on my test. We are soon to have a test on drug names and references, and on Healthcare delivery system and arenas of care. Everyone that I have tried to get to help me is realy prone to keeping their information to themselves. I study alot but most of what I study is not on our test. Please Help Somebody. Email if you can [email protected]

I graduated from LPN school last Thursday and math is something that really scared me. We had to pass at least one of three pharm. test or you failed the semester. First of all there was an instructor that I used as my mentor and she would help me if I got stuck. As a matter of fact, she was there for me throughout the program. Make sure that if you get an instructor that she/he has patience, won't yell at you, and make you feel stupid. I would also study the examples in the text book and if I got stuck, there were a couple of others students that I became friends with that helped. Just keep trying and you'll find someone that is willing to help you. I also asked my friend that was a nurse to help me. Don't be ashame to use all of your resources and you'll do fine. Once you get the rules down, you'll become much more comfortable. Find a formula and stick to it. I always used order over supply and would not listen to people that used a different formal because it would only confuse me.

BTW, I passed every pharm test.

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