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.

Specializes in Utilization Management.
Ok I'm about to start my night shifts here in New York as an ICU nurse. And i'm wondering how to lose weight (that i gained in school) and be up long hours?

I'm 52 yrs old and I'm about to join a local gym. But avoiding the extra food when I'm up the extra hours is going to be difficult......

Any tips on what to do that can help? Any tips on how to adjust to the night shift?

Thanks in advance........

Bryan RN, BSN

Join us on the Healthier Living thread in the Break Room for diet and exercise tips.

As far as night shift goes, plan your 24 hour day the best way for you. For instance, my "day" begins when I get home from work at 0800. At that point, I can begin using my Weight Watchers points. Use whatever works for you, but it must be consistent.

As does your sleep cycle. There are threads on how to sleep in the daytime here if you do a search.

Bring healthy foods to snack on to work. I like the Lean Cuisine meals. They're easy, they're tasty, they're low-fat, and compared to other diet meal programs, they're fairly inexpensive.

Fruit or vegetable trays make great pot-luck additions and there's hardly any prep, and everyone nibbles on them.

Angel food cake, fat free pudding cups, sugar-free jello cups, and fat free Cool Whip make great desserts for those who must have something sweet.

Good luck!

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I am a floor nurse and I guess that ICU being more one on one care would entail you sitting or standing in one place for a long time. I guess the best advice to give is to eat something before you get to work and then once a craving comes..drink some water and see if your not just thirsty. I dont smoke so I use my smoking break to just walk down the stairs with a friend to the lobby and just get off the floor and take some stress off. I always bring snacks- yogurt, a piece of wheat bread with natural peanut butter, trail mix, granola bar, or some popcorn to share with the floor. I like something with protein because it kills the cravings. I dont eat meat, but my friend likes to eat turkey and cheese roll ups.

Another thing to remember is that starting the night off with a lot of sugar or coffee will make you tired, hungry and sometimes really stressed by the middle of the shift so I stick with water and if I need to a small cup of cold tea.

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Specializes in ICU/CCU.

Hi, I have a question! I am in a diploma program... is a ASN degree better?

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Thanks guys I'll check into it further in the other topic area....

Bryan RN, BSN

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I am a New Grad, I passed lvn boards on 9/6. I recieved my license on 9/14. I went for a interview and was hired with the registry on 9/15. Starting rate of $20/hr. in Los Angeles, CA. I give God all the glory for answering all my prayers. Does anyone have any words of wisdom to share with a new nurse? I willl start my new job on Monday. What can I expect as a new grad, going into the hospital as an employee of a regisry?

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;) I wanted to say that it is great to find other people out there that you can ask questions and ask advice of. I was looking around on the web and I found this web site and now i am going to tell all the students in my first year nursing program and tell them what a great web site this really is. Thank you for all the advice. ;)
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Specializes in Pain Management, FNP, Med/Surg, Tele.

I agree with you Nurse Pamela. I believe in trying to find the answer myself if I am am not sure of something by looking it up myself but sometimes you just won't find the answer that you need. However I went on an interview at a particular hospital because I just finished my RN program and I am a new nurse looking for a job and the recruitor was asking me how I would handle a situation that am not sure of and I told her it is always best to ask questions and she said, "We do not spoon feed." I was was very shcoked, I guess at that institution they do not cater to new nurses.

Never be afraid to ask questions. If you let people know what you do not know they will be more apt to teach you and nursing is forever a learning field.
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Specializes in Pain Management, FNP, Med/Surg, Tele.

These were some very helpful tips. I just became an RN last month and I am very nervous but by following these hints it should make it easier. Thank you.

1. use the bathroom! dont hold it in

2. take good care of yourself- your feet especially

3. get some sleep

4. take a minute to take a breath

5. never leave a room saying you will be back in a minute...because that minute may never come

6. you are not going to be an expert at putting in an IV- I have seen some of the easiest veins under the toughest skin, and no veins that I have gotten in. IF they are on prednisone- watch out

7. look up the drugs that you are giving to see what the action is. Check the blood pressure before giving ace inhibitors, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, nitropaste etc. check urine output before giving potassium

8. never never underestimate the power of golightly or lasix on an elderly patient. if they have to go, they mean it

9. rememeber that a conversation is better then medicine

10. remember that it doesn't matter if you are new or have 30 years of experience there is no reason for someone to make you feel incompetent. You graduated didn't you?

11. when someone codes and you feel paralyzed to help- remember Some- shock, oxygen, monitor, epi....

12 you are allowed to be human and cry, sometimes it will just get to you

13. remember when you are on the phone with MD's especially at night... get to the point...and most of the time these Md's dont know these patients so briefly tell them... ms. jones, chf, on tele, no pacemaker, just bradied down to 27. Usually runs in 50s asymptomatic.

14. the biggest lesson I learned was that nursing is always going to be a challenge because you are dealing with a dynamic field that is constantly evolving. Be scared. Be afraid but always look back and see what all you accomplished and its amazing. :) :p

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a few more tips:

- find a mentor- look for advice from a senior rn. this person should be different from your supervisor and can provide a soundingboard, giving you objective advice.

- don't be too hard on yourself. although exciting, it's also a stressful time. you're going to make misktakes- we all do. what's important is you work to correct those mistakes and learn from it. a sense of humor truly helps.

- be aware of corporate culture- use all your senses to find out what's accepted in your organization, i.e., patterns of communication, dress codes, etc.

in choosing your first job, consider:

1. orientation progtram for the new RN. a strong orientation and preceptorship will be what makes or breaks your 1st job experience, and possibly, even your career in nsg.

2. policies on continuing ed, including tuition assistance/reimbursement. this policy will also help you understand the employer's views on continuing ed.

3. work environment & attitudes of potential co-workers. what is your 1st impression of the unit during a walk-through?

4. nurse-to-patient rations, patient acuity, size of unit, mgmt. structure, staffing mix (rns relative to lpsn and nsg assts), availability of ancillary staff (housekeeping, dietary, unit secretary, maintenance, etc)

5. availability of mds (esp after hrs), autonomy vs.responsiblity of RNs,type of nsg care delivered (team, primary, etc)

6. type of work scheduling (weekend programs, M-F, 8-10-12 hr shifts, floating, overtime policy, weekend requirements, holiday requirements)

7. opportunity for advancement?

8. salary including shift differentials and cost of living increases.

9. benefits including vacation time,sick time, childcare, staff health services, parking, cafeteria.

tips for survival:

- think before answering

- take vacations

- remove energy drainers

- support co-workers

- treat yourself

- avoid aggravating people

- keep in touch w/yourself and your needs

- say no w/o guilt

- ask for help

- use available resources

- evaluate your growth and stay focused.

- re-energize

we are not superhuman- lest we not forget that. and we are no one's doormat. love yourself enough to avoid ANYONE treating you badly.

strive to treat each patient as you would yourself or a family member.

and take a deep breath.

peacefully,

leslie

Thanks for the great advice. I just graduated in May and started my first nursing job in July. The hospital was great but the unit I was on was horrible. My preceptors were horrible to me and the orientation was disorganized. When I spoke up and tried to voice my concerns, they treated my even worse. I finally got frustrated and left to find another job. But for a little while I was reconsidering my decision to become a nurse. After talking to other new grads and experienced nurses, I realized that it wasn't me, it was my preceptors. I found another job and I feel much better about this unit and my co-workers, preceptors, ect.

Once again thanks for the advice, it proves that nurses really do not eat thier young.

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Ever have an "I wish I was told this" moment? Well, we all do as nurses regarding school. Here are some things I wish they told me nursing school (and some I wish they had emphasized more)----and what I told another new BSN nurse in a different thread (and it would be the same advice I would give any new nurse/grad):

You have achieved a great thing, graduating and earning your degree (BSN, ADN , LPN or Diploma). Now, the REAL learning begins......

Don't ever pretend to know what you don't. Be a sponge---watch and listen to what is going on around you. Take mental notes. Find mentors and emulate their good habits. Take note of the bad habits and avoid those.

Listen to your patients; they know their bodies better than you do.

Have integrity----be honest with yourself and others.

Stay out of the gossip game/circle. It goes nowhere and brings down morale, including your own.

Be on time! EVERYtime. When you are late, so am I. And I don't like to be late!

Stay organized as possible. Keep up on your charting and tasks as they come up. Dont' save it all for "later"---there may not be time, "later".

Do it right the first time, even if there IS "no time". Believe me, there is no time to "Do it over", either.

Plan for the worst; hope for the best.

Be someone they can rely on---and rely on yourself!

Take good care of yourself; eat well, exercise. It's the only body you got and you are gonna need it. Nurture the self. Nurses have a tendency to martyr themselves and neglect their own needs. Don't be one of them; it's a fast superhighway to burn-out.

Nourish the mind. Plan on spending a LOT of time investing in your continuing education as a nurse. The world of nursing/medicine is changing faster everyday. You are going to have to make a conscious and concerted effort to "stay abreast". It's more work than you imagine right now.....plan on it.

Learn assertiveness if you have not already. Lots of good books and conferences/seminars exist. Learn early-on you no are NO ONE's doormat. Also, know there is a difference between "assertion" and "aggression".

Work hard, yes, but don't forget to PLAY hard too! Have hobbies you enjoy. Your life is NOT your work, and while being a nurse is part of who you are, it need not *define* you.

Believe in your self and good instincts. Sometimes, "instinct" is what lets us know something is amiss or wrong with our patients. Never ignore that gut instinct. It's very often right! BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!!!!!

After 8 years in nursing, these things are things I have learned the "hard way"; hopefully you don't have to.

Warm, hearty congratulations to you and all new grads here. I wish you all good things in your new careers.

Thanks for the advice! I have spent the last month working P/T on a Med/Surg flr and closing my own program in the same hospital, cardiac rehab. It was stressful but not as stessful as my first week on the floor F/T. So much about documentation I didn't know! It is so true about doing it right the first time, but the organization I still have a hard time with, does it get better as you keep working on it?

Stephen

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Dear all new starters,

wellcome to not the most wonderfull of professions. Tips for survival

1. Let your hair down after each shift

2. Dont be used as an extra pair of hands

3. Be dedicated

4. try and leave early where possible, you wont be able to when your qualified

5. have a sence of humour

6. enjoy coz if you don't its not worth dticking to it

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Hi I'm a student nurse and I am never afraid to ask questions. But I really hate it when I approach some nurses on my unit with questions they give me that certain look as if they think I'm dumb! I hate that. I feel so intimidated.I am only a student and in the process of learning and wanting to learn.

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