As new nurses, we are often intimidated by our superiors, not only out of our respect for them but also because of the saying that ‘nurses eat their young’. New nurses are afraid of how they will be treated by their supervisors once they have started their shift.
We become careful of our actions so as not to commit any mistakes that will trigger their anger toward us and be scolded in front of the patients and co-nurses.
But these scenes can be avoided if we are aware of what we should learn as new nurses in the field.
These are the basic things that new nurses should learn:
Plan the actions to take. Though things to happen in the hospital are unpredictable, it is still better to have a plan before doing any steps to avoid committing mistakes in the end.
Be confident. You may be new, but your confidence must not be affected. As nurses, we have to trust everything to do, so patients can trust us to lead them to their recovery.
Do not hesitate to ask questions. We can only gain first-hand knowledge from senior nurses if we ask questions. Since a new nurse lacks the experience needed, asking questions to feed the curiosity and to have added information is not a sin. Just do not forget to do it in a polite manner.
Do not be a robot by just following orders. It is given that we neophytes must follow orders from our seniors, but we can follow it without being a robot. We can practice developing our other skills while doing the job we are asked to do.
Try to complete tasks on the charts as they come. As soon as a task is assigned, we must try to accomplish it right away so that it will not pile up later making it more difficult to carry out when there might not be enough time.
Clarify things first before performing a task. If we are unsure of detail in our task, we must not hesitate to clarify it, especially since it is for the patient’s care.
Develop your communication skills. As a nurse, good communication skills are essential when we speak to our patients, their family members, physicians, and co-nurses. We must be able to convey to our patients the significance of what we are doing for their recovery or improvement, especially if they are hesitant to take a medicine or to undergo a needed surgery.
Practice punctuality. Sure, there will be factors that can affect our aim to arrive for our duty on time, but we should not make it a habit to be late. Every minute of our duty is important for the patient’s care, so it must not be wasted nor delayed. Nurses’ punctuality has a great impact on the patients’ well-being.
Always be prepared. Things will happen every now and then at every healthcare facility. And we nurses must be prepared for there will be a point when it would be calm and peaceful, which would suddenly be chaotic and stressful.
Admit and learn from mistakes. This is the most important thing to learn. We new nurses must admit to the mistakes we have committed. And by admitting, we must also learn from it, so we won’t be able to repeat it in the future.
We must focus our attention on our duty as a nurse than trying to please every other nurse around.
It may be hard to be a new nurse around, but we will get used to it. We just have to be strong enough to overcome the feeling of being a newbie. We must focus our attention on our duty as a nurse than trying to please every other nurse around. Nursing school may have taught us the basics, but it is in practice that we will be able to learn more of what we should.