- shezelgibon
The 3 Things That New Grad Nurses Should Always Stick To
Hello blog family! I hope that you are all in good health and are doing well! Lockdown number two is well underway which means that it is important for us all to continue to keep our mental and physical health in check! That includes all of you healthcare workers on here that are either just starting out in your career (as I am) or not! This post is especially dedicated to all of my fellow new grad nurses who may be in need of some small, short & sweet reminders of just how important you are to this pandemic and to the healthcare field overall! Today I am sharing the three things that I am sometimes reminding myself to stick to, even when I'm feeling a bit unsure about myself as a new grad nurse. It is only natural for us to all feel like we've fallen short sometimes as we continue to learn and adapt to no longer being nursing students. But I also think that it is very important to remain steadfast in our abilities as accomplished (and growing) nurses. For all of the other and equally important readers who have decided to join me on this post here today, please know that these words of advice and affirmation can and DO apply to you, your career, and your life as well! So don't leave us just yet. Please do stick around for the entire read... I promise you it'll be worth it!
Remain Positive and Grateful
So here's the thing about this one... as nurses we've all worked really hard in nursing school, and in life even, to achieve the goal of graduating in order to become successful, working nurses. So why stray away from that? We should never forget about how far we have come in our career as nurses. No one day of work should be taken for granted because we've worked so hard to be exactly where we are now. I know I definitely did. And I say this because I know first hand how easy it can be to get caught up in what feels like the contagious negative energy that some nurses do unfortunately give off and let spread, even unknowingly. I know that I am a new grad myself, but I also know from my life and clinical experience that there's always going to be at least one, or even a few colleagues of yours that are just never happy, satisfied or even grateful for the work that they get and CHOOSE to do! The important thing is that you don't let their negative, ungrateful energy get to you. That you stay afloat and do what you have to do to protect your mental peace and positivity. If this is hard for you to do-whenever you are in the middle of a complaining session or feeling down and out about being at work just quickly try to recall the days of nursing school. The days when you couldn't wait to be working and where you are now. The days you sacrificed sleep, social events, and more to study so that you could become an independently working nurse. That is what helps me to stay humble and grateful for the work that I do and the job that I have. Also, once you are in a positive headspace you just naturally feel better and less stressed out about the little things. You are able to be a better nurse for your patients as well. Some times people don't always realize that the energy and vibe they give off affects those around them greatly. As nurses it's important that we remain mindful of this and continue to create spaces full of love, light and grace for ourselves and for every one else!
"Start each day with a positive thought and a grateful heart." - Roy T. Bennett
2. Remain Open Minded
This one applies always, but even more so now! We have been hired to work as nurses during a pandemic, which means that staying open to new and evolving ways of doing things is very important! A lot of organizations are learning and adapting to things just as we are right now. This is because the various Covid-19 regulations and policies are frequently changing and evolving. So with that being said I think that it is important for us all to try and stay level headed and open to new ideas. It can feel overwhelming at times, almost conflicting sometimes too, but I think that having a good solid knowledge base of everything helps. Staying open minded means listening to others actively with intent, asking for their opinion on things, and just giving yourself the chance to evaluate and make sense of things. This reminder is especially important for those of us hired as a part of a resource team, meaning you are placed where you are needed throughout the hospital and thus have to be open to and accepting of this. Things always have a way of working themselves out, this I truly do believe!
3. Remain Confident in Your Abilities
As a new grad you are going to have times when you question your abilities as a nurse, there's no doubt about that! But, if you continue to practice your skills, stay open minded and optimistic as mentioned above, then there is no reason to not be confident in the fact that you are learning and doing your best. Be patient with yourselves and know that you have come this far already for a reason. We all have to start somewhere. But, with that being said we've also gained a good amount of nursing knowledge and skills in nursing school that we should also feel good about!
I remember during one of my first shifts as a new grad nurse I was checking a pediatric patient's vital signs right before the physician was about to come in and speak with the patient's parent. As I held the probe on the patient's finger the physician asked me if I was okay with what I was seeing on the monitor (the patient's heart rate and oxygen saturation). I said yes in a very low, not too confident type of tone, probably because this patient was a baby and to be honest I didn't do much pediatric learning in nursing school, and all of my clinical placements were with an adult population. I mean I still do know the basics of measuring vitals, like what I was doing then, it's just been awhile! So moving on, the physician then proceeded to ask me the same question again in a louder, more assertive voice-as in, "Okay if you are satisfied, then why are you still standing here measuring the patient's vitals!" I stood up, firm in my knowledge and replied with a loud, confident "YES I AM" this time! I then proceeded to take the equipment off of the baby's finger and the physician replied with a thank you as confirmation. I am hoping that you guys can see where I'm going with this quick story. At first I waited for the physician to come around and give me the okay, second guessing myself on something that I knew to be right (the patient's stable vitals) but still kind of waiting for that reassurance... even when I really didn't need it. If I just stood firm in my knowing, my ability to assess for and record vital signs, then I would have been good and right in doing so. I actually really did appreciate the push I received from said doctor because it allowed me to realize the importance in practicing continued self confidence as a registered nurse. Some may have found this to be harsh, but for me it was actually really satisfying and encouraging. We cannot know everything, or have mastered every nursing skill as new grads. But if we remain confident in our ability to learn, practice, and do, then we are well on our way!
Thank you so very much for reading today's post and of course for all that you do day in and day out as healthcare heroes. I hope to see you all back here very soon!
Take good care of yourselves,
S.S.