Related: Expectations, Failure, Goals, New Grad, New Nurse, Nurse Resident Programs, Organizational Skills, Orientee, Preceptor, Residency, Stress

I graduated in June, got married in July, moved in July and decided to wait a little while until finally starting a new job in Dec. I found a residency in an ER thats really close to my house, and I was really excited. However now that I've been there for 4 weeks, I'm feeling sooooo overwhelmed. The first week and a [...]

Related: Anxiety, Charting, Expectations, Feelings, Learning, Stress, Time, Travel Nursing

My first assignment as a travel nurse, I often cried or vented on the phone during my 30-minute drive home. I would often pray before work, "God, please get me and my patients safely through this day..."

I know many nurses love the life and adventure of being a travel nurse: a new city, with a nightlife, restaurants, beaches, or other attractions. Lots of people love [...]

Related: Anger, Caring, Conflict, Delegation, Emotions, Expectations, Failure, Mindset, New Nurse, Nursing Shortage, Patients, Stress, Support, Time

I went to work: 14 surgical patients. The nurse assistant called in sick and they couldn't find a replacement for the first four hours of my shift.

The day didn’t start out great—-and soon got worse.

That day I asked the hospital cleaning crew to mop up some fresh vomit. "We don't clean up body fluids," she replied. I tried to borrow her mop to clean it [...]

Related: Attitude, Confidence, Expectations, Perfect Nurse

All the patients love her.

She has beautiful handwriting. Her charting is always current. She is never behind on her own work and even helps out her coworkers. She easily communicates with the doctors. Her scrubs are starched and pressed. She never makes an error in judgment. Her clinical technique is flawless. She's liked by everyone--patients [...]

Related: Anxiety, Attitude, Emotions, Expectations, Fear, Feelings, Mindset, New Grad, New Nurse, Seasoned Nurses, Stress, Student Nurse, Success

I do my best thinking in the shower. I should probably take more. Yesterday I was thinking about a friend who got married over the weekend and the new season of life she's entered. New nurse, new bride, new stress.

Here's the thing about seasons. They come and they go. That's important to remember. Especially the going part. Some [...]

Related: Anxiety, Confidence, Emotions, Expectations, Fear, Feelings, Learning, New Nurse, Stress, Student Nurse

I have a friend who's afraid to fly. It takes a Xanax and a glass of wine as soon as the drink cart starts moving to get her through a flight. She learned a long time ago that it was worth the anxiety to get to travel to warm, sandy places with her husband.

We all have things that freak us out a little. [...]

Related: Career, Doctors, Expectations, Learning, Male Nurse, Mindset, New Nurse, Respect, Stereotypes

Once upon a time—straight out of college—I suffered from Doctoritis. I blame it partly on my youth. But the rest of the blame lay with Dr. Steele.

You see, I was an impressionable young man and Dr. Steele had it all: he was 29, handsome, worked out at the gym and had the muscles to prove it. He also had every woman in the hospital in [...]

Related: Communication, Complaints, Expectations, Failure, Learning, Mindset, New Grad, New Nurse, New Nurse Tips, Preceptor, Professionalism, Quitting, Seasoned Nurses, Success

Fight or flight. It’s the choice we’re given when faced with a difficult situation. When it comes to a failing precepting relationship, most new nurses choose the latter—and want to scrap their preceptor for a new-and-improved model. Kim Rapper, RN, BSN and a veteran preceptor, says to listen up: Your preceptor won’t be perfect, and you probably will have some conflicts. But that doesn’t mean [...]

Related: Assertiveness, Attitude, Authority, Conflict, Expectations, Feelings, New Nurse, Preceptor

When I first started as a new nurse, I had 2-3 patients on my own for the first week. I was given 7 patients after the first week, and then the next day 8!

My preceptor told me to handle all the patients, and if I needed her, to come ask any questions. I handled it the best way I knew how.

But when I asked [...]

Related: Career, Expectations, Second Career Nursing, Truth

Why did you become a nurse? Why would you recommend the profession to someone else? Was the schooling harder than the actual job?

We've had lots of posts from people thinking about getting into the nursing profession, but uncertain about whether it's really for them or not. They wonder if they're too old. Or smart enough. Or have a strong [...]