URGENT: what was it like to be a new nurse and other questions for my short essay

HeatherLPN · Jan 25, 2006

[color=#003300]1. recalling your initial work experience after graduation from nursing school, what was it like to be a new nurse? --hell on earth. the nurses were some of the most hateful, unprofessional people i have ever worked with. they didn't accept new grads very well and made it very clear. no wonder they coudln't keep anyone over there. plus i couldn't accept the way they treated the students that came in. talk about a hostile work environment. the job itself was kind of scary--my first job was on a floor, 34 residents, 2 vents, 9 tubefeeds/flushes, and stressful beyond belief.

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[color=#003300]2. what stressors do you recall from your initial practice experience? 34 residents, 2 vents, 9 tube feeds/flushes, 2-2 hour medpasses, plus tons of paperwork--on an 8 hour shift. now it wouldn't bother me, but for a first job, it was a bit much for me.

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[color=#003300]3. what coping strategies did you develop in response to those stressors? well, i smoked more, i know that :uhoh21: i just did the best i could, but didn't stay long due to the way the dayshift nurses treated other nurses, aides, students, and residents.

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[color=#003300]4. what advice would you give a new nurse? be prepared to realize that nursing school doesn't prepare you for when you are out there in the field on your own. you just don't get the experience in clinical b/c things either don't come up when you are there, or you have to share all the skills. you might feel like throwing it all away and wonder why you went to school for this, but hang in there. it does get better. it's okay to cry after work the first, oh, couple weeks or so lol. give it time.

eymilin, MSN · Mar 21, 2007

Thanks a bunch for your reply.

phiposurde · Mar 22, 2007

[color=#003300]i am a nursing student and am supposed to ask the questions below for a short paper. would love to see some replies
[color=#003300]1. recalling your initial work experience after graduation from nursing school, what was it like to be a new nurse?
[color=#003300]$%%%the first year it was horrible. i went out to that hospital and got a very bad mentor. they we're treating me like if i was suppose to know everything. some more people of my class, related same experience. they had to be in charge of sx ward on evening with full assignmenet after 6 months out of school!
[color=#003300]2. what stressors do you recall from your initial practice experience?
[color=#003300]%%% the learning curve. having to know so much in such a short period of time.i have to admit i went right to emergency so it didn't help!!8) plus in school we had 1 patient maximum 2. so when you end up with 6 and more, kind different!!!
[color=#003300]3. what coping strategies did you develop in response to those stressors?
[color=#003300]%%%drinking!!8) no i got to learn to take my time and do one thing at the time. i also went very cognitive. i sign mysefl to every course i could. when i didn't know something, i wrote it down went home and study it!
[color=#003300]4. what advice would you give a new nurse?
[color=#003300]%%% have confidence in your capacities and knowledge. have the strengh to resist to fall under the critics of more seniors nurse that sometimes are what we call "toxic mentor". more years of seniority doesn't always mean more knowledge! the most important, find a mentor or a website, reliable , where you can go and ask question! and last, remember those 2 rules:
[color=#003300]-"to know that we know what we know, and that we do not know what we do not know, that is true knowledge"
-"what happens to you does not matter;what you become through those experiences is all that is significant"

kubivern · Mar 22, 2007

Recalling your initial work experience after graduation from nursing school, what was it like to be a new nurse?

I started working as a new nurse (not too long ago) in a rural acute care hospital, with the RN covering both the ER and the Acute Care floor - usually 2-4 in-patients, 4-6 out-patients, and anywhere from 0-12 ER patients. The staff consists of the RN and a LPN. The remainder of the staff (docs, lab, x-ray) is usually on-call with about a 20 minute response time.

Needless to say, it is either absolutely overwhelming, or absolutely boring. Usually the former.

My orientation included three 12 hours shifts with another RN. After that, I was the only RN in the hospital. I had done clinical in the hospital during school, so I was familiar with the protocols and policies.

Initially, it was pretty stressful, and I learned quickly to prioritize treatments, and it is essential to keep your perspective. And always thank the gods that you have a good LPN there to keep you straight.

What stressors do you recall from your initial practice experience?

- Knowing that any minute a patient could come in with cardiac arrest and you were the one in charge.

- Knowing that spending a little time with a patient talking, laughing, or crying would have helped that patient tremendously - but I didn't have the time.

- Having patients with minor injuries, major ETOH on-board, and a mouth that would make a sailor blush (I can say that - I am a former sailor).

What coping strategies did you develop in response to those stressors?

I would go home after a bad day, work-out, eat right, and sit with my wife and watch a movie, or go for a walk. You have to remember that you work to live, not live to work.

What advice would you give a new nurse?

- Don't be afraid to ask for help.

- Don't be afraid to pull out the policy and procedures, or Lippincott, or the drug book or IV book and look it up. Sometimes the old-timers are not always the best source - things do change!

- Don't be afraid to give your opinion. It may be wrong - but it is the one thing that is all yours!