Related: Anger, Assertiveness, Attitude, Communication, Complaints, Doctor-Nurse Relationships, Doctors, Emotions, Expectations, Feedback, Feelings, Hostility, Non-Verbal Language, Respect, Student Nurse, Support

I am a 4th-year BSN student , and part of our OB clinical experience was to follow an OB/GYN last week.  It was a horrible experience.

First, I was put in a room with 3rd-year med students, which was great because I introduced myself and got to chat with them about their program.

Then I waited over an hour for someone to acknowledge me.  (I was escorted [...]

Related: Authority, Communication, Conflict, Emotions, Feedback, Feelings, Learning, Mindset, New Grad, New Nurse, New Nurse Tips, Nurse Support, Orientation, Orientee, Preceptor, Problem Solving

If you're tempted to ask for a new preceptor, watch this video first. Experienced preceptor Kim Rapper, RN, BSN, suggests you ask these questions to help you determine if you ought to persevere in the relationship or seek a preceptor who will equip you for your future.

Related: Confidence, Feedback, Mindset, Success

I put a lot of effort into my work today. But I wondered if it was worth it.

I gave my first official drug education talk to teenagers. I 'unofficially' have talked with kids about drugs, but this was in front of three classes of students.

The social studies teacher asked me to give a presentation, because the students finished a week studying drugs. At the end [...]

Related: Conflict, Feedback, Nurse Relationships, Problem Solving, Respect, Stress

When you’re having a conflict with a co-worker, you may consider the advice a mentor once passed on to me: What might feel personal is not personal at all.

Think of it. When you’re crabby or stand-offish at work, it’s usually because you’re under a lot of stress. You’re tired. Work is demanding. Your schedule is overflowing. There’s been a death in the family. Your kids [...]

Related: Communication, Expectations, Feedback, Learning, New Grad, New Nurse, Non-Verbal Language, Orientee, Precepting, Preceptor, Stereotypes

It can be a grab bag: Will you get a good preceptor or a bad preceptor? Often you don’t
know the clear answer to that question until you’re well into your orientation. Then it may
be too late to request a change. Kim Rapper, RN, BSN and Reality RN Senior Advisor, has
had years of precepting experience. She knows the tell-tale signs of a lax preceptor. So you [...]

Related: Failure, Fear, Feedback, Learning, Mistake, Nurse Support, Prioritizing, Stress, Success

Nurses are human—we all make mistakes. But knowing how to deal with mistakes is what will make you a better nurse. Despite what your fears tell you, it is possible to live through, and benefit from, a mistake. Here’s how:

Avoid mistakes in the first place.
This is a statement of the obvious, but it’s better to avoid mistakes than to learn how to deal with them. [...]

Related: Attitude, Compliments, Failure, Feedback, Feelings, Goals, Learning, Mindset, Motivation, New Nurse Tips, Nurse Relationships, Nurse Support, Stress, Success, Teamwork, Truth

Everyone has to work to stay positive. It’s human nature to focus on what went wrong. As a new nurse faced with situations that are terrifying and challenging, you have to work doubly hard at it.

All new nurses have been there: at a point of giving up because they’ve repeatedly told themselves they know nothing and will never get it all right. But you will. [...]

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: Confidence, Fear, Feedback, Learning, Mistake, New Grad, New Nurse, New Nurse Tips, Precepting, Preceptor, Quitting, Success, Teamwork

It is the profession’s worst nightmare: a nurse draws 3 cc’s of insulin instead of 3 units.  Thankfully, a preceptor is there to double-check the dosage. It could have been lethal.

The first few months of most nursing jobs begin with working with a preceptor—a mentor who is by your side to make sure nothing goes amiss.  Whether you are fresh out of nursing school about [...]

Related: Career, Confidence, Education, Feedback, Leadership, Management, New Grad, New Nurse, Nurse Educator, Nursing Associations, Professionalism

“What do you want to be doing in five years?”

It’s a question that 33-year veteran nurse Patti Ludwig-Beymer hates. It never helped her focus on what she really wanted to do. In fact, new nurses who are able to articulate a five-year plan are the minority. Most nurses just hope to make it through another day.

But goal setting is essential to developing as a nurse [...]