Related: Assertiveness, Attitude, Communication, Management, Mindset, Nurse Relationships, Nurse Support, Professionalism, Quitting, Seasoned Nurses, Teamwork

In the last blog we established that if you're in a job you hate, you need to find another one. If you hate your job, how effective a nurse can you really be? That's the question I want to take a look at now.

Contrary to what my last entry may have sounded like, I believe in being a change agent for our profession. [...]

Related: Feedback, Goals, Learning, Mentor, New Grad, New Nurse, Nurse Support, Preceptor, Seasoned Nurses

You just finished your precepting experience. Overall, it was positive, but you still have a bazillion-and-one questions. While your preceptor said you could ask her anything, for some reason your personalities just didn’t click—you don’t feel comfortable continuing to ask for support.

Maybe it’s time you looked for a mentor, someone who shares similar goals and who will support you for the long haul of your [...]

Related: Authority, Complaints, Learning, Mistake, New Nurse, Nurse Relationships, Scapegoat, Seasoned Nurses, Truth

Sometimes it feels like I’m not given the time—or opportunity—to learn.

As a new surgical nurse, I’ve noticed that the nurses who have been around for a while don’t want to let me do some of the procedures. I’m nudged out of the way. I’ve talked with other nurses, and they say that they’re afraid of getting into trouble if the new nurse blunders, or they [...]

Related: Male Nurse, Patient Advocate, Patients, Power, Professionalism, Seasoned Nurses, Stereotypes

You’re about to begin your first shift as an RN.

Your gut tells you that the moment you walk through those doors in uniform, people will judge you. Why? Because you’re a man.

In training, you may have been exposed to the modern stereotypes of the male nurse. According to Jerry R. Lucas, RN, and owner and publisher of Male Nurse Magazine (http://www.malenursemagazine.com/), “Either you are a [...]

Related: Balance, Confidence, Conflict, Fear, Feelings, Healthy Living, Mindset, New Nurse, Nurse Resident Programs, Nursing Program, Quitting, Seasoned Nurses, Student Nurse, Success, Support, Truth

My first year of nursing, I considered becoming a forest ranger. Nursing was bleeding my emotions.

When I first got out of school, hospitals faced a big nursing shortage—not unlike today. The unit was understaffed, and the level of responsibility quickly overwhelmed me.

Worse, I became trapped in a destructive internal dialogue. I’d constantly tell myself: I’m not doing a good enough job. I stink at this. [...]

Related: Expectations, New Nurse, New Nurse Tips, Organizational Skills, Seasoned Nurses, Stress, Time

It takes time to look like you have it all together.

“I’m frustrated as I watch the more seasoned nurses find time to take breaks and read magazines,” writes a new nurse, “while I can’t even find time to take a bathroom break. They appear to have it all together, but I never seem to get all my charts and reports updated before the next [...]

Related: Abuse, Assertiveness, Authority, Boundaries, Bureaucracy, Confidence, Conflict, Doctor-Nurse Relationships, Doctors, Fear, Handmaidens, Hostility, Management, New Nurse, Nurse Relationships, Power, Professionalism Sabotage, Scapegoat, Seasoned Nurses, Stress, Support, Teamwork, Truth

The new nurse was doing the best she could. But it wasn’t fast enough for the emergency room doctor. As the doctor struggled to triage the patient, he became more and more agitated. Finally, he yelled and threw a bloody sponge at the nurse—right in the middle of a procedure.

When physical and verbal abuse takes place in the workplace, immediate action should be taken. But [...]

Related: Communication, Delegation, Management, New Grad, New Nurse, New Nurse Tips, Problem Solving, Seasoned Nurses, Success, Teamwork

Don’t complain—problem-solve. That’s only one of several bits of advice on how new nurses can counter some of the surprises of real world nursing:

Surprise #1: Presenting problems to your supervisor

New nurses often say, “I’m overworked. I don’t have this, and I don’t have that.” Instead they should be more straightforward: “Here’s the problem, and here are some of the resources I might need.” Or “Can [...]

Related: Career, Confidence, Education, Feedback, Leadership, Management, New Grad, New Nurse Tips, Nurse Educator, Nursing Organizations, Seasoned Nurses

The thought of being a leader when you first become an RN may be unimaginable. But leadership is learned, even if at first you don't feel all that confident.

Choose Your Leadership Style
You can learn a lot about the leader you want to become by watching how people work. In your unit, there are positive and negative leaders. Positive leaders are those who are patient advocates, [...]