Tips for New grad nurses
As you know I am a nurse, but my experiences are my own so sometimes I like to ask my followers, which are mostly nurses, what they think about various topics. Recently I asked my followers their best advice for newly graduated nurses and these are their responses.
Read contracts carefully. Know your exit strategy before signing, despite the excitement of a new job.
Getting a new job is, usually, always exciting, a new location, more money, and more opportunity. However, sometimes after some time at a new job, those rose-colored glasses may come off and you may not love what you see. Hopefully, that is not the case and you continue to enjoy your place of employment, but just in case it is so important you understand your contract before signing. Make sure you go through it with a fine-tooth comb. If you do not understand certain verbiage to be sure to ask. You have control over what you sign, make sure you are signing a contract that is as much in your best interest as possible.
It gets easier, be strong and diligent, and don’t lose your empathy.
Depending on where you land, it can be emotionally trying. If you are working in certain specialists offices, ER’s, or places like that, you may be seeing people on the worst day of their lives. Many people when they are scared will lash out, and it’s not at you specifically even though you can feel like their target. It is important to remember that you know what you are doing on the clinical side and that with time the emotional side will become easier.
You will learn to build a wall around your emotions so that the hurtful things people unintentionally throw at you just bounce off. But, with building that wall, it is important to not lose your empathy. Not everyone will act like you are their punching bag, some will just need some simple comfort from another human, so be strong, but don’t lose your sense of empathy.
Save yourself the headache and get all the air out of your lines/ fluids when priming.
You don’t have to do bedside nursing.
This is why reading your contract is so important. You may end up on a ward or floor where you end up only doing bedside nursing and if that was never your intention YOU CAN DO OTHER THINGS.
“The wild thing about nursing is that the opportunities are endless if you are willing to look”
The wild thing about nursing is that the opportunities are endless if you are willing to look. You can work in nursing homes, travel nursing, you can find a specialist, OR, ER, pediatrics, and so much more. So if you find yourself bedside nursing, you can find a way out.
Don’t be afraid to say you don’t know something and ask for education
In nursing, it is important that you do things correctly. Textbooks do not always cover everything. Even when you are in school and you are doing labs, not every situation will be covered. It is important to have the confidence to admit you do not know something and ask for help. Asking for help, especially in the healthcare field, is NOT a sign of weakness. Not to mention things are constantly evolving.
You know more than you realize, breathe and trust yourself.
Many graduates leave school and experience imposter syndrome. This means they have the knowledge and they are good at what they do but they feel somehow fraudulent in their role. Do not let this be you! You know more than you realize. Just take a breath and trust yourself, you got this!
What was the best advice you received when you graduated?