As I listened to some of them talk, I was thinking back to what it was like when I was a new nurse. The lack of confidence, the fear, the feeling of being overwhelmed. But it also brought back some of the good stuff.
- The sense of accomplishment at finishing my degree.
- The pride in having my first "real" job.
- The ability to buy my first car.
- Being able to ask questions without feeling like an idiot.
- Feeling like I was an important part of the team.
- More often than not, knowing what I was doing and being good at it.
- Seeing R.N., B.S.N on my name tag and thinking how hard I had worked for those five letters.
- Building relationships with patients for the first time.
- And best of all, the certainty that I had chosen the right profession.
Looking back is a helpful thing. You remember the good stuff, and it proves that the bad stuff doesn't really last that long. Lack of confidence comes with every new job. Even if you're not new to the career. Being overwhelmed comes every time I have to clean my house or do laundry while cooking dinner, helping the kids with homework and writing a post. It's just part of life.
But it's never as bad as the overwhelmed that came with being in school, as far as I'm concerned. That's the other good part of being a new grad. School is OVER! You are a professional!
So here's what I want from you this week. Tell us what you love (or loved) about being a new nurse. What are some of the good things about it that are unique to that phase of life? There wouldn't be so many of us seasoned nurses if being a new nurse was so bad!
July 31st, 2008 at 6:41 pm
My preceptor laughs when I get excited about little things he now takes for granted. He says, “I forget what it’s like to be a new nurse!” A family liked us so much that they asked us to be their family member’s nurses after we transfered them to a new department. I said, “They liked us!” (To me, this translated to: I bumbled through many things but they liked me anyway!) The name tag was a big deal for me; I waited impatiently for them to change “GN” to “RN, BSN” after I passed the exam. I’m not jaded yet; I’m more optimistic than my older colleagues; I have more energy. I may be naive and sensitive, but I will find a good balance as I grow.
Just yesterday, a nurse I respect seemed insecure with something simple and confessed she loses confidence on certain days. Comments like that make me feel like I’m part of the team and not as different as I think I am. I have so much to learn, but I’ll get there.
November 29th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
I’ve been a nurse for almost 15 years and I still have days where I don’t feel as confident as I think I should…I still double and triple check what I’m doing…I just want to always give great quality care and want to treat everyone the way I would want to be treated or the way I would want my family to be treated.