Related: Attitude, Expectations, Mindset, New Grad, New Nurse Tips, Night Shift, Nurse Relationships, Seasoned Nurses, Support, Time

The seasoned nurses on my floor have called me a complaining, spoiled brat.

Okay, maybe I complained.

I guess I felt justified. Just out of nursing school, I suddenly was working nights, weekends, holidays--all the hard shifts. I wasn’t used to not being able to spend “normal” time with my friends and family; it was a difficult transition.

When I expressed my frustration--said something like, “I’m tired,” or [...]

Related: Attitude, Gossip, New Grad, New Nurse, Nurse Relationships, Professionalism

Nurses need to put a lid on the gossiping: “Did you hear what so-and-so said at happy hour?” “Did you see what she did at that party?” “Did you see those pictures of so-and-so wasted?” “Did you see what happened between that nurse and doctor?” It all might seem like harmless chit-chat, but there’s always a real person at the other end of the [...]

Related: Caregivers, Communication, Confidentiality, New Grad, New Nurse, New Nurse Tips, Non-Verbal Language, Patient Advocate, Patients, Professionalism

You can’t meet each patient’s emotional needs. You’d never be able to leave your work behind. Or get anything done. But there are times when some patients need a little extra support and will drop hints to get you to respond.

What are those hints and how do you sensibly help? Read this interview with RealityRN Senior Advisor CeCe Grindel, PhD, RN, CMSRN, FAAN, to learn [...]

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: Balance, Career, Confidence, New Grad, New Nurse, Second Career Nursing, Work-Life Balance

What would prompt a 45-year-old mother of teenagers to pursue a career in nursing?

Delusional thinking, some might say. At times I thought I was mad. How could I keep up with those tireless, technology-savvy twenty-somethings? Still I couldn’t ignore my inner rumbling. I wanted to do something significant with my life.

When I was younger, nursing was my dream. But I wasn’t the student I needed [...]

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, Job Search, New Grad, New Nurse, Quitting, Success

“I knew something wasn’t right when I wasn’t enjoying it.”

So says oncology nurse Melissa Granger of her first position working nights on a general medical floor. A self-proclaimed optimist who dreamed of being a nurse since the age of five, Melissa never expected to dread going to work.

Melissa now knows she should not have waited to pursue the job that fit her personality.

“I always wanted [...]

Related: Mentor, Mindset, New Grad, New Nurse, Nurse Relationships, Nurse Support, Prioritizing, Success, Support

“Find a mentor” is a phrase verging on cliché. But it became a call-to-arms because it worked. If you are a new nurse, a mentor relationship can work for you—to answer your questions, guide you through conflict, or discuss your next career move.

RealityRN senior advisory board member and nursing professor Cecelia Gatson Grindel, PhD, RN, CMSRN, FAAN, talks straight about the benefits of a mentor, [...]

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, 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 [...]