Wednesday, January 11, 2012

New Nurse - Challenges, Rewards and Indigestion

When I jumped on the 'blogger band-wagon' I wanted to write about my experiences as a newly graduated nurse. It was my intention to pass on my experiences to nursing students or those who had recently graduated. In the beginning, I did have several blogs with this type of content. But then I realized I wanted to, well felt compelled to actually, write about life in general. As I look around me, I've noticed there is so much 'stuff' going on. Some of it is so trivial, one wonders why I write about it at all. Incidentally those are some of my favorite blogs. But overall, the original intent of this blog has been lost. I am considering changing the title to something more apropos (sheesh, never thought I'd use that word in one of my blogs.) However, for now I will keep with my initial intent.

One thing I haven't written about in months is my new job as nurse of a short term rehabilitation/long term care center. In the event I need to use those words again, I will opt for the shorter version, STR/LTC and save myself the trouble, and you the redundancy of reading it again.

It has been almost six months since my hire date, and I have progressed from a very green nurse to a paler shade of green nurse.


This nursing stuff is hard. (stated in whining voice).

I write that sentence both sincerely and with humor. I've had to learn so much, and one of the most important things I've learned so far is:

I have so much to learn.

From what I have heard and read, it takes the average new nurse a year to actually feel like a real nurse. It is around that time that things start to 'click.' So I suppose I am at the halfway point now. Again I've read that around six months into this whole nursing stuff (if my patients were reading this right now, they'd cringe) it feels as though things will never click. Yep. That's about right.


To be honest, which is a term I use loosely on my blog, I know I've come a long way since my start. In the beginning, I was in the dark, fumbling for the light, tripping on everything in my path. At this point, I've managed to turn on the light, and clear a few things in my way. But there is a lot more work to be done.

So I continue moving forward, carving a path into this new career, which is loaded with challenges and so much responsibility. The majority of my patients place their trust in me, and I know some of this is due to my age. I don't exactly look like a new nurse, and so they don't have that sense of apprehension. You know, that uneasy feeling you have that this new nurse is going to either bring you close to the edge of death or hurl you over the cliff.
So in that respect, the job is easy. But of course, I know better. So I tread with caution, checking, checking and rechecking my actions and decisions.


Then there are some patients who are wary of any nurse who even remotely looks the part of a newbie. They are the ones who are hyper-vigilant, (and rightly so) counting their pills, carefully examining them for any variation in size, shape or color. They want their pain pills on time, and god help you if you're late. They scold you if their dressings are not done, or done in a manner with which they are accustomed to, etc. Actually, some of this behavior is related not so much to what they see in the new nurse as it is to their particular personalities. Some of the LTC patients have lost their home and all that was familiar to them. This 'controlling' behavior is for some the only control and order they have over their lives now. Every nurse, especially in this environment needs to understand this and go with the flow.


Enough of the negative, difficult aspects of this new job. The rewards are there, just as they are in any job. The sense of accomplishment as I look back to how I performed when I first began. I've come a long way, albeit with speed bumps in the road, but slowly, surely I'm gaining that sense of accomplishment. Also, the patients and residents express their appreciation, and some of them their affection towards me. That is such a rewarding aspect of the job.

To summarize, I know I have a lot of growth ahead in these next six months. Being the impatient person that I am, I long to be at the one year mark already. The point where I am no longer the brand spanking new nurse. The point where I can look behind me and see a year of blood, sweat and tears. And this is in reference not so much to my patients as to myself, doncha know.

I don't think I'm at the point where I can offer much advice to a newly graduated nurse. However, by reading of my experiences thus far I hope they can get a glimpse of what may lie ahead for them.

To be continued....









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