Monday, January 29, 2018

What to Expect in Your First Year as a Nurse

One thing I haven't talked about on my blog very much is how many nurses we have had in our family! We have more nurses than we do artists! They are all on my mom's side of the family: my grandma, my mom, 3 aunts, my sister Terra, a cousin, and a cousin's wife.

My Mom, My Sister Terra when she graduated nursing school, and my Grandma - All Nurses


My Mom (bottom right), Aunts, and Grandma


Growing up the artists were the odd ones out of the family. The nurses still rule!

Studying for a nursing degree at top names such as Rutgers University Online is the first step into an exciting career in this field. Nursing is a highly dynamic field with plenty of opportunities to grow and a lot of challenges to overcome. After finishing school, the next big hurdle to overcome is your first year as a nurse.

What should you expect in your first year as a nurse? To help you prepare for a career in this field, here are some of the challenges you will face – and how to overcome them effectively.

Packed Schedules

Nurses are used to busy schedules and packed working hours. Working long hours and providing patients with the best care are part of the job. That said, there are standards that healthcare institutions must maintain to ensure high quality treatments are delivered; these standards include allowing nurses to have enough break between shifts.

Nevertheless, the packed schedules may be surprising for those in their first year as a nurse, even with the training and preparation universities like Rutgers Online provide as part of their nursing courses. It’s okay, you just need to get used to the tight schedule.

There is one thing that will help you survive your busy days, and that is the ability to rely on those around you. Nurses and doctors are a team and they will cover for each other to maintain the smooth operations of that team. You know you have great people you can count on working alongside you.

Communication Matters

Another big challenge that often catches new nurses off guard is communication. Nurses are required to communicate well, not just with each other, but also with patients and their families. Your first time dealing with the delivery of bad news will be a tough one to handle for sure.

Once again, count on those around you for support. As soon as you start your first day, you have a new family supporting you every step of the way. Build relationships with members of the team, maintain good communication with them, and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.

It doesn’t take long for you to master how to communicate (on the job) as a nurse. Combine experience with theories you study at Rutgers or any other university to become the best at what you do.

It’s Rewarding

Being a nurse is challenging, but at the end of the day, you have plenty to drive you forward. The smile of patients, the laughter you share with coworkers, and that look of gratitude in the eye of families you help are priceless.

The challenges are there for you to solve, and the first year is when you need to solve them. You’ll get used to the long hours, packed schedules, the communication challenges, complex workflows, and even the security measures. All of this learning and adapting to the new work environment is worth going through when you consider the rewards – and experience – you get in return.

Discloser: This is a guest post.

3 comments:

Theresa Mahoney said...

I had no idea how many nurses you had in your family until I saw your facebook photo. That's so cool you have so many awesome women in your family. I imagine it has to be such an tough but rewarding job. I feel like I have a better relationship with my nurses, who I see more than the doctor, then I do my physician.

Indah Nuria Savitri said...

Wow! I saw that pictures in FB and how I love to see the vintage photo. And your story about having great nurses in your family! For sure it's not an easy job at all..

mail4rosey said...

That's awesome that you have so many nurses. Kudos to them all too! I love the pics!

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