Tip #1: Know the numbers
You have accepted your first nursing position and will begin your orientation tomorrow. The first few days are very similar regardless of what facility you have chosen. Fire Safety, HIPAA, and an array of educational modules will be presented to you. Your head will be spinning with paperwork and introductions.
Once you get through the Human Resources pitch and all of the other regulatory mandates, you will finally set foot on your unit. Although you will be linked to the hip of a preceptor for an agreed upon length of time, the most valuable information to obtain immediately is this: How to call a code blue, the direct phone number and beeper number of the nursing supervisor, the direct phone number and beeper number for your manager, and how to call off if you are ill.
(By asking for this information, you will show that you are conscientious, but you will also feel a little more secure just in case …)
October 13th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
That is all important information to get when you start a new job and get to the floor. There is really a plethera of information that flies your way about the hospital, the unit, and patient care when you first start; and it is VERY overwhelimg!! But in time you become more comfertable with your skills and where things are located on the unit and so on and so forth. I just had my 90 eval, and I couldn’t believe I had already been there for 3 months!! I just got off orientation about 2 weeks ago and things are going great, my skills are improving and my confidence is building, and yes I still have questions every night about where some paper work is, how to put in some orders, or about meds and procedures, but that knowledge comes with time!! I am loving my job, the people I work with, and the care I am giving to my patients and all that I am learning!!
October 13th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Julia, glad to hear that your career is off to a great start. You have chosen an art Julia. The first few years are the years of concentrated learning and then it is lifelong learning after that. It sounds as if you are really loving what you do and that is so refreshing. Good luck with all and remember that you always have a reference point with Stressed Out Nurses. I wish you the best of luck and hope to have further discussion.
October 17th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
it truly is some of the most important information we can gain when walking into a new floor. If you dont know that hospital policies and practices you can find yourself lost very quickly. Thankfully, I was introduced to all of the goings on of the hospital right up front. My job is going wonderfully and I am not relying on my preceptor as much as I was before- I can feel myself getting comfortable with the fact that I am the nurse now. What a great feeling!
October 17th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Chelsea, your comfort level will increase each shift that you work. Continue with your positivity as you grow in your new role as a nurse. Always have someone there as your mentor that you can use as a resource or a sounding block when needed. Remember that you have your friends here at “Stressed Out Nurses” to help alleviate any stressors or to answer any questions that you may have related to your new role, clinical issues, skills, etc. Take care!
September 1st, 2009 at 11:15 pm
Hello,
I am currently still in nursing school. I am in an accelerated program and just finished med/surg. I felt completely overwhelmed in the class and feel like I will not retain everything that was taught. The class was very much self taught as the professor flew through lectures and did not like to leave time for questions. I am feeling very weary in my choice for this profession. I have lost confidence in my nursing role. Feel as though I do not know everything I need to know by this point. After reading posts on other sites sounds like it is just a stressful an overwhelming field….
September 1st, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Hi Rhoda-
First of all, take a deep breath. You have certainly chosen one of the most rewarding professions. Feeling overwhelmed in nursing school is very common. It will probably be one of the most stressful times of your life and, ironically, one of the most rewarding times. The information presented to you in your nursing curriculum is a baseline. Your professors are trying to develop a sound foundation that you will carry with you throughout your career. Remember that with nursing comes life-long learning. No one can know or learn everything that there is to know about medicine at one time as it is ever changing. Thank goodness for this as the quality of health care delivered would be substandard otherwise. Ask yourself why you have chosen this profession. Use the old Pro/Con list method. It really does work. I will bet you a dollar that you will find that your “Pro” list is longer than your “Con” list by far…and remember including substantial salary is okay. Please let me know what your results are….I am here for you.
Deanna
November 25th, 2009 at 12:13 am
I love my job in home health pediatrics, but I’m not learning new skills and I would like an upgrade in pay and skills. I’m frustrated because it seems hard as a somewhat newer nurse to get a more acute job, if you’ve only had home health jobs.
Tip to new nurses; get the job in hospital, do not go directly into home health. It can be extremely frustrating!!
My question: How do I get to switch over? Does anyone know of any reasonably priced CWOCN classes? ( I’m hoping another spiffy sounding title will help.) Or does anyone know the best way to transition?
November 25th, 2009 at 10:56 am
Hi Victoria
It is so nice to hear a nurse say that she loves her job. Keep loving it because our profession surely needs you. My suggestion for any new nurse fresh out of school is to make sure that they get a solid Med/Surg experience. Working on a Medical Surgical unit will offer a new nurse the solid base that is needed to then branch off and specialize. In a sense, Med/Surg is the foyer to the home of nursing. You will be able to become acquainted with new skills and also utilize those skills that you may have already mastered. Try it….I know that you will be pleased with your decision.
WOCN is the best program out there for wound certification but it does come with a steep price. Many hospitals will reimburse for this type of education so you may want to consider picking up the Med/Surg position and checking into the education reimbursement at your facility. Good luck and I hope this helps.
Deanna
December 13th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
I graduate from nursing school in a week and I am with Rhoda - for me now, nursing seems very stressful and overwhelming. I am not graduating with a lot of confidence in my abilities. Everyone keeps saying that you develop your skills and increase your confidence on the job. I was glad to hear that this does happen, as in Julia Tenuta’s case. What is a good way to improve failing self confidence coming out of nursing school? I feel afraid to do the thing I always wanted to do and I am wondering if I am in the wrong profession.
December 13th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Dear Nursing Student10:
Congratulations on your accomplishment. Please know that what you are feeling including the apprehension is very normal. Nursing school has provided you with the foundation to build your career on. Utilize everything around you; your preceptor, electronic references, physicians and reach out to all experiences that are made available to you. You will continue to develope as a nurse and you will create a routine that fits you and your priorities. Remember that the learning never stops in the art that we have chosen. I’m here for guidance.
Deanna