Any words of advice for a new grad nurse?

My daughter is a nurse. She was given bad advise on the first job she landed.

It was at the Tennessee State Prison!! This is the worst possible place for a nurse, especially a new nurse, to begin her career. Each day, she dispensed medication to hardcore inmates, some of which I had arrested and sent there. I cannot explain how many times she was approached and the words that were spoken to my daughter, from the inmates.

She finally realized that she needed “inner protection” from the prison population itself. This was a smart move on her part and it worked.

She only stayed three months, then she moved to Seattle.

This was not a safe job for her or for you. Keep this in mind. jp

Congratulations on completing nursing school and passing the boards!

Have you already thought about which field of nursing you’d like to work in? One of the best things about nursing is that if you work in one area and find you don’t like it, there are many other areas still available to you.

As for pieces of advice..

- Don’t let the older nurses make you second guess yourself or feel bad about how you do things. I once heard that older nurses tend to “eat their young” and unfortunately, I’ve seen this happen as well. Sometimes it’s because they have a harder time accepting the newer practices and other times, it’s just part of their personality. Not all do it, but just keep it in mind.

- Find a mentor you can trust! This was so helpful for me when I began my nursing career. Luckily for me, the preceptor I had at my first nursing job was a wonderful woman. She taught me so much about the field I was in and the unit I was working on. Even after she moved away, I could get in touch with her to talk shop and she was always happy to help.

- If you don’t have a preference of where you would like to work starting out, considering working on a medical-surgical unit at the hospital. The med-surg units see so much stuff these days, you will definitely have plenty of opportunities to enhance your clinical skills.

- During your orientation at your first job (and any other job), remember that while you are learning from that nurse and they are showing you how they do things, that once you are on your own, you will be able to find your own way to do everything. You will be able to apply your strengths and weaknesses to finding the best way to get through your shift for you!

- Personally, I like to keep my pockets filled with anything I may need. I’ve heard people say this is a sign of a new nurse, but for me, it’s about being prepared. For example, I always have multiple pens in my pockets, my stethoscope is with me at all times (usually in a cargo pocket though and not around my neck), a few alcohol preps, an IV flush (or two), hemostats, scissors, and tape. This way, if I need any of those things, I’m right there ready to go, instead of having to leave the room and go find them. This also means I love scrub tops with lots of pockets and scrub pants with cargo pockets.

- Think about your safety as well as the patients. Depending on where you work, you may work with some patients that could be dangerous (confused, dementia, etc). Always leave yourself a way out of the room! That means don’t let the patient get between you and the door way. I know this sounds silly, but you never know what could happen and you have to protect yourself as well. Another possible danger is your stethoscope. Don’t leave it around your neck on a regular basis. A patient could grab the two ends of it and use it to strangle you (this happened to one of my nursing instructors). That’s why mine goes in my cargo pocket when I’m done with it. It can also cause some neck strain after a long 12 hour shift. This also includes moving patients in a safe way (which I’m sure you talked a lot about in nursing school). Back injuries are way too common in the nursing profession!

- Cover your ass! Be sure to document everything you do. I know this was discussed during nursing school, but it is really important, so I felt like mentioning it. I tend to carry slips of paper in my pockets so that I can write things down while running from patient room to patient room when things get busy. In really busy moments, I’ve even ended up writing on my arms because things were happening so fast. It’s important to make sure you write enough in your notes that you would be able to tell what you did (and didn’t do) months or years later if you were reading that note in case anything every comes up (such as going to court about it). You might also want to consider having your own malpractice insurance. Sure, the hospital/facility you end up working at will most likely cover you, but they will also be more apt to cover their own ass rather than yours if it came down to you or them. Having your own insurance guarantees you’ll have someone looking out just for you.

I know I just wrote a lot and I’m sorry if it seems overwhelming. If you have any specific questions, I’d be happy to help! I love being a nurse and love helping new nurses find their way in the field! Good luck in your job hunt!

Always remember that being kind to your patients and their families costs you nothing and helps them immensely.

Never underestimate the value of a smile and a kind word. Congratulations.

Don’t under estimate your patients’ pain. I’ve seen so many nurses who seem to forget many people in the hospital are actually in pain, and it actually hurts!

Best advice for a new nurse? Print out @Seaofclouds response up there and carry it with you to reread again and again.