Listen Varicosely
Two nurses, two perspectives—join us as we dive into the world of nursing and healthcare! In this podcast, we tackle stigmatized topics with honesty, humor, and heart while helping you navigate the highs and lows of the medical field. Whether you're a fellow nurse, healthcare worker, or just curious about the industry, we're here to keep it real and keep you entertained!
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Shift Happens: Navigating Your First Year as a Nurse
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Every nurse remembers their first year—that mix of excitement, terror, and the overwhelming feeling that there's too much to learn and not enough time. Whether you're a new graduate stepping onto the floor for the first time or a seasoned nurse transitioning to a new specialty, that first year brings unique challenges that test both clinical skills and emotional resilience.
In this candid conversation, hosts Jenn and Phara take you behind the scenes of nursing's most formative year. Drawing from their combined decades of experience, they share personal stories that will resonate with anyone who's ever doubted themselves in a new role. Phara recalls her first registered nursing position managing group homes for adults with disabilities while caring for a newborn—a challenge that taught her valuable lessons about knowing when a position isn't the right fit. Both hosts emphasize how unit culture significantly impacts a nurse's development and confidence-building during this crucial period.
The episode dives deep into practical strategies for not just surviving but thriving during your first year. You'll learn why taking thorough notes throughout your shift can save you hours of documentation stress, how arriving early sets you up for success, and why comfortable shoes might be your most important nursing investment. The hosts explore the delicate balance of asking questions without feeling like a burden, building relationships with physicians as colleagues rather than superiors, and finding trusted mentors who can guide your development.
Perhaps most importantly, Jenn and Phara offer reassurance that mistakes and uncertainties are normal parts of professional growth. They emphasize celebrating wins, practicing self-compassion, and recognizing that confidence comes with time and experience. As they remind listeners with their catchphrase "shift happens," change is inevitable in nursing—but with the right mindset and support, you'll develop the resilience needed to navigate whatever challenges come your way.
Whether you're currently in your first nursing year, mentoring someone who is, or simply curious about the profession's formative experiences, this episode provides valuable insights into nursing's most challenging and transformative year.
Welcome to Listen Very Costly
Speaker 1Hello , hello everyone . Hello , my name is Jen and this is Farrah . Welcome to our show , Listen .
Speaker 2Very Costly .
Speaker 1This week you kind of remixed it a little bit .
Speaker 2Yeah , every week we want to give you something different . Okay , okay , expect to give you something different . Okay , okay , expect the unexpected with . Farrah .
Speaker 1Oh , my God , Speaking of Farrah Syl's teacher , his name is Farrah , Shout out to Miss Farrah . Anytime I ask Syl now Syl is my son , he's three years old Anytime I ask Syl , Syl , how was school ? He always says Miss Farrah . So yeah , when I said that , you reminded me of that . But anyway , how was your week ?
Speaker 2I had a good week . I had a very productive week . Like I said , I just started
Catching Up on Our Week
Speaker 2my practice not too long ago , so I'm slowly but surely getting it off the ground . I did not realize what running a business and running a medical practice entails oh my God .
Speaker 1I don't want to imagine the billing .
Speaker 2There's so much training , there's so much you have to know . Credentialing insurance , just trying to set up my you know , the EMR that I'm going to be using , contracting with labs and radiology and other providers oh my God , it's a lot , but I got a lot done .
Speaker 1So should we say that this is your first year in your private practice ?
Speaker 2Yes , I would say so . I mean , I was doing telemedicine before , but this is my first brick and mortar location . So I would say this is my first year , which is a good segue for .
Speaker 1But hold on . Hold on , because I didn't tell you about my week yet . Oh , yes , oh , because it's all about Miss Farrah . How was your week ? I'm sorry . I had a better week than last week . Good , although I don't know what's going on with our listeners . I need to be transparent . You guys need to catch up because we have a lot in stores for you . But besides trying to get our podcast out there and like between you and I , networking and everything , I had a really good week . I rested and I allowed myself to rest , because sometimes when you rest , you feel like , oh my God , I should be doing something and you're feeling guilty for no reason . No , I just rested . My sister got me into this K-drama business on Netflix and I'm binge-watching those shows . Memorial weekend how was your memorial ?
Speaker 2weekend . Oh , it was wonderful . We had a little barbecue in the park , grilled some burgers and hot dogs and sat under the tree , caught some breeze , listened to some music . It was nice , Mm .
Speaker 1Yeah , this weather in New York , I don breeze , listened to some music . It was nice this weather in New York . I don't even know anymore .
Speaker 2It's to the point where I have two different I have a coat and I have a jacket . No , no , Spring is definitely not springing this year Spring is not springing at all . It's either it's raining or it's cold , and then it gets hot , yeah , it gets warm , then it gets cold again , then it rains , then it's windy . I just can't .
Speaker 1Like you guys should see us right now and , god's willing , we'll be able to have a video podcast to where you can see us and stuff . But I'm on Farrah's couch , I have a blanket on and cozy . Yeah , so does she . But yeah , the weather , the spring is not spring it feels more like fall than it is I just don't get it . I don't understand . Is this what global warming feels ?
Speaker 2definitely what climate change feels like . I mean , if you look at the weather patterns , look , look what's happening out in the Midwest with all the storms , tornado , and you have brush fires in Jersey , like you're getting brush fires in Jersey Of all places .
Speaker 1Yeah .
Speaker 2So , yeah , there's definitely , definitely , definitely climate change issues going on .
Speaker 1Well , we'll try to be mindful and do whatever we can , and maybe a needle in a haystack , but if everyone thinks the same way , maybe we can make a little difference and have warm weather when it's supposed to be warm . So , anyway , farrah was saying this is her first year in practice , which brings us to our topic for this week episode .
The Weather and Climate Change
Speaker 1Go ahead , farrah .
Speaker 2Shift happens . You heard it , shift happens . How to survive the first year of nursing ?
Speaker 1That's right . So first year of nursing may not be for you as a new grad . It may be on a different unit , at a different security setting , or even a different setting overall , a different specialty , different fields like management or informatics . Whatever , it may be your first year in a role , and it doesn't even have to be in nursing your first year in a role period . There's going to be challenges , absolutely , although we will focus on nursing and give you some tips , share with you some of our experiences , how we felt , what we've heard from others . So , yeah , let's get started . So , farah , how long ?
Speaker 2have you been a nurse ? I have been a nurse for over 20 years . Give me a specific number please . It's been that long , guys . I graduated I think I said this a while back a couple of podcasts ago . I became a licensed practical nurse in 2002 . And my first year as an LPN I worked as a pediatric nurse , working with sick children .
Speaker 1In 2002? .
Speaker 2In 2002 . I did that for a year and then became a registered nurse in 2003 .
Speaker 1Okay , so we're going to go back in time 2003 . You are a new registered nurse who graduated , that's how many years ago ? 22? , yeah , 22 . 22 years ago . 16 years ago 22 ? Yeah , 22 . 22 years ago , 16 years ago . So we're going to go back in time and just think about your first , like the call . Let's start with the call . We bypassed the interview because we had an episode about an interview . But let's talk about , like the call , the offer of this job . Walk me if you could remember .
Speaker 2like your emotions , how did you feel , or anything like that . Well , here's the thing when I became a registered nurse , I couldn't work for three months because I was pregnant . So I took my boards in July and I gave birth in October . So I didn't really start to work until maybe six weeks after that , going into November , okay , so I really wasn't out there looking for work , actively looking . So I jumped at the first job that I was offered without even like doing my research , because I needed to work . I had been out of work as a student , as a pregnant person , so I needed work . So my first job was with the state of New York . And , yeah , I applied and they called me for an interview and they offered me the job the very day that I interviewed and they said , well , do you want the job ? And I said yes , and I didn't even ask OK , where am I going to be working ? What does the job exactly entail ? All I knew it was it was for the state of New York and I would be working with a special population of adults in the community . Well , what is the community ? And they said , well , these are adults with disabilities that live in group homes and you will be managing a bunch of group homes and I said , oh wow , how exciting . Oh boy , I didn't know what I was getting into here .
Speaker 2I am fresh out of school , not that I didn't have health care experience . I was working in health care before . Nursing is a second career for me , so I wasn't that wet behind the ears . But in terms of nursing nursing a lot was thrown at me all at once and I got frightened . I was like , oh my God , suppose I make a mistake . How do I handle this situation ? How do I handle that situation ?
Speaker 2They basically put me in charge of the health a bunch of people who can't always advocate for themselves and can't always speak for themselves . So I was not only the nurse , but I was the charge person . I had people to supervise and then I had all this nursing care and then I had to be on call even at night . So it didn't involve just the day . I'd put in a full day and then I'd get home eight , nine o'clock and somebody's sugar would be low and I'd have to get up and go running . And I had a small child that I was breastfeeding at the same time . So it was yeah .
Speaker 2How long did you stay ? That first year was a challenge , but how long did you stay ? That first year was a challenge , but how long did you stay ? I stayed with them . Not very long . I stayed with them until I got a job and then shortly thereafter
First Year in Nursing Practice
Speaker 2I think about six months yeah , six months and then later I winded up moving out of New York . I moved to Atlanta and then , when I got to Georgia , I got my first job in med search .
Speaker 1So we're going to talk about . Oh , speaking of your experience reminds me of how I started at an assisted living . She was a brand new nurse who was in charge of the medical department . You had med tech passing medications and the home health aid or you know the aid who's like responsible for cleaning or whatever . But they needed to take a certificate . And when I came I had no experience , I had no certificate , and she took me and forgot to give me my certificate or whatever . And that's how I got into nursing . But that reminded me because I was looking at her and said , oh my God , you can tell like the person is , is struggling , but also it's scary for them . It is scary the first nursing job . I ask you the question did you , how did you react when you received the first call ? I can't even remember my first call . I knew that I was happy that it was at that hospital because I was very familiar with the hospital and it was at close proximity to where I lived before . But I didn't . I don't remember .
Speaker 2But again , I got hired in MedSearch , just like you , yeah , and that was scary too , the first MedSearch position . Oh yeah , yeah , that was very scary .
Speaker 1So I'm just going to talk about some topics right now . I remember my first day . Draw a blank , I don't remember my first day . The only thing I remember about my first year are key moments that I either learned from or I was proud of , and the relationships that I either made along the way or did not , or people who were out to get me like bullying , like nursing bullying , which is one of the topics like I want us to like brush on . So I would remember .
Speaker 1One of the things that I would remember is like I would feel anxious before going to work because I don't know what the workload is going to be back about . And if I am back for a second day , I'm leaving anxious , thinking , oh my God , I hope I did everything right and I give my patient the right dose . And coming in the next day , I'm like , oh my God , I hope I did everything right and I give my patient the right dose . And coming in the next day , I'm like , oh my God , I hope the nurse who had the patient , I didn't leave anything undone or I didn't make a mistake and I'm going to get in trouble for it . So this is just some of the things , like the fear of doing something wrong , for example , not being able to speak up . Those are things like I wish I knew the first year and how to address them , how to go about them .
Speaker 2Yeah , I experienced that too . I mean when you work your first job and I guess this could happen with anyone , with any field . But as a new nurse , as someone who's not seasoned like you said , you come on the unit , you get report , you're assigned a certain amount of patients or whatever your assignment is , and you hope that you have a good shift , that you do everything that you're supposed to do , your charting is on time , your medications are dispensed correctly , you didn't make any fatal mistakes or fatal flaws , fatal errors . Your patients are doing well . They didn't take a turn for the worse . You're not pulling your hair out by the end of the shift because and yeah , some days you go home crying .
Speaker 1You do you do Listen . But let's even go back . We get hired , we're supposed to go through orientation . Let's talk about that experience for orientation . How was your orientation I ?
Speaker 2mean , it was fine , I benefited from . What do you call that ? A
Learning from Mistakes and Building Confidence
Speaker 2program where you get you not only go through orientation but they pair you with Like a mentor , Like a mentor , a leader , someone who shows you the ropes , and you stay for X amount of time and then slowly , Like a year yeah , it's about I'd say about 18 months a year . Was it a residency program ? Yeah , kind of like that .
Speaker 2Okay , a year Was it a residency program , yeah , kind of like that . Yeah like a nurse residency program , and then slowly you transition where you get two patients and then you get more , then you get more , then when you're comfortable you get a regular .
Speaker 1So , day to day , who would precept you ? Did you have a preceptor , a clinical preceptor , with you ?
Speaker 2Yeah , they assign you someone . Oh okay , yeah , they assign you someone . Oh , okay , yeah they assign you a person .
Speaker 1For me . My experience the first year was that I felt maybe it's because I was in a population of senior nurses who've been working in that for over 20 something years and who just decided they wanted to stay there . So they didn't really mesh or they minded their business basically . And I was the new kid on the block , I was younger , so it wasn't , there was no mean bones . I remember one time I gave a patient 50 of metoprolol and their heart rate was like 50 . And I went and I told the nurse in charge and she was like , oh my God , Okay , it's okay . The patient usually let's just say the patient's at home and they take it . They didn't check , let's just watch him . We're going to call the doctor , put him on the monitor because it was a med search , Sally , and then you know I'll sit by , I'll watch the patient Because it was a med-surg study . And then you know I'll sit by , I'll watch the patient , Don't worry about it , Just know that metoprolol acts on the Beta blocker .
Speaker 1Yes , and that was it . That , for me , was so healthy . That's to the point where I became more experienced . I loved precepting because I wanted to bring that comfort for nurses , because I knew how hard , like the first year , was . Yeah , it's a learning process . You're giving report and your patient has a PEG tube and they're getting tube feeds and I had my patient supined and the nurse came in at the bedside and she said oh no , no , no , sweetie , you have to bring his head up because he can aspirate . Thank you what I'm saying . And they were senior nurses . They could have been like she gave the patient pneumonia . You know what I'm saying , right ?
Speaker 1So that's why I feel like going into a culture of safety helps you grow better , because it feels easier for you to speak up .
Speaker 1You know Speaking of speaking up , speaking up , asking questions there are no dumb questions and I know it's cliche for saying and you cannot ask more like questions or questions . Don't feel like you're asking too many questions and don't feel like you're asking for help too much , because in the beginning you're struggling , you have to delegate , you have to ask , you have to doing all these things . So if you don't know , you ask the question better to ask and I'll tell . And I'll tell you this little secret . You see , your preceptors a lot of us we love precepting because it keeps us up to date with the policies , it pushes us to teach you the right way . So we're going to go and search and look and brush up on our skills and knowledge . So don't don't feel like I'm not saying your preceptor doesn't know more about you at that point always more experienced but just know that they're also looking for the right answers at times . Yes , how do you think you can build confidence throughout that year ?
Speaker 2Well , there are several things that you can do , but to build confidence is to one of the things you can do is to broaden your knowledge . I mean there are some things that over my nursing years that other nurses I've been fortunate enough to be around and to learn from and to watch have learned given me . And to broaden your knowledge is . I mean , look at the times that we're living in right now . I mean I come from a time where we were book learners . We didn't have the technology , we didn't have the internet . You had to go to the library and do research and carry around heavy textbooks , encyclopedias and things like that . So the times that we're living in now , there should be no excuse as to how you unless you live somewhere remotely where you don't have access to the internet and things like that where there's so many ways to broaden your knowledge , so many websites , so many resources that whether it be a person , a book , an article , webinars yeah . Podcasts . Conferences yes , conferences that you can attend .
Speaker 2Like me , I've been a nurse , like I said , for over 20 years and I still like . Just two weeks ago , I did 40 hours of CEUs Every day . I did eight hours of CEUs Every year . I get 40 hours to sit and learn about something new you know outside . So I work in a particular field . I make it a goal to learn outside of what I already know . So I don't have a lot of experience in cardiology . I did see . Using cardiology I learned all I can about how to read an EKG , what the different abnormalities are in reading an EKG . So there are ways
Strategies for Success as a New Nurse
Speaker 2. There are lots of , like I said , resources . You just have to go out there and grab them and make use of them . So that's one way to build up your confidence , because it's the more you know . The more you know , the more confident you feel , the more comfortable you feel .
Speaker 2And then practice . You know if you don't know a skill . I remember when I worked in orthopedics on an orthopedic surgery unit and one of the things a lot of times you have to do is remove staples after joint replacement surgery or whatever . And you should have seen me trying to remove staples , and no matter how many times I tried . And then someone came along and said okay , this is how you do it . You hold the staple remover , you bend the staple . If you just pull it out by itself , it's not going to come out . You have to bend the staple . Bend the staple and it'll come out by itself Boom . I practice , I practice , I practice , and now I can do it with my eyes closed . So that's another thing you absolutely should do is practice .
Speaker 1And that brings me to learn your weaknesses . Yeah , and practice , embrace what you can't do and you work on them . For example , you may have what I call stage fright , because we encourage bedside shift reports . So you have an audience and someone you're interacting . Well , two people you're interacting , because the patient should be involved , and the nurse that you're giving report to . So sometimes it can be intimidating , especially if it's a nurse that you have to dot your I's and cross your T's , and I don't say like the nurse is mean or anything , but type A , everything by the book . So practice at home , especially when you're a new nurse . It's okay . Practice . Take that patient assignment and go over the report that you gave . There are templates . You can even create your own templates . Go from head to toe , whatever , and make sure that you take it and you read from it too . It's okay to read from it . A lot of senior nurses do the same thing .
Speaker 1So another thing to be in the moment be present , be involved , be like there's a code situation . Okay , I'm in the code . I am in the code . Am I passing meds ? Okay , this time around I'll be the person passing medication , the recorder , the recorder . Next time I'll be the recorder . Next time I'll be doing compressions Like rotate , anytime there's a code that you're involved and you're there , you're present , teamwork , like you're getting up and say I'm here to help you , nurse , you're going to be exposed to maybe how they do their wound care , for example . They can teach you and you're also networking with that person and you're giving them the impression that you are here to work and help each other because we're all in this together . That's a great way to and like don't sit at the computer and just charting . I'm not saying to not chart or not try to chart in the moment , but like , as you go along you'll be able to like , prioritize and really structure your workflow . You'll know what works for you . But get up , go , help , answer that call bell and then volunteer for challenging assignments as you become comfortable with certain type of patients .
Speaker 1You don't know how to manage a peg . Or you've seen a peg like maybe two months ago , and you want to trial . That , get that patient with the peg , the peg tube . Or get that patient with the PICC line or the chest tube . That , get that patient with the peg , the peg tube . Or get that patient with the PICC line or the chest tube . Oh , get the patient . Chest tube is a big one . Expose yourself and then make sure you go ask until that nurse was giving you a report . Oh , can you walk this over with me again and do that ? Another thing come to work early . I don't care if you think like , oh , the company's not paying me for me to come in 20 or 30 minutes early . No , this is for you , this is investment for you . You're coming in early . You're looking at your chart . You're looking what happened last night . You're looking at your labs . You're already telling yourself , oh , potassium is low . I know I'm about to give some three runs of potassium . You set yourself up that way when the shift starts .
Speaker 2You can prioritize .
Speaker 1And you can let the nurse know oh , the last PTT , when was it done ? Or it wasn't done . You can catch mistakes , errors or whatever the case may be , little omissions , yeah . And then accept your mistakes . Take it in , sit down and see where you went wrong . You see my team when they . There's a culture of safety , of course , like when you report an event . We sit down and we go over everything . How did we get there ? What can we learn from it ? It and I will move on and make sure that it doesn't happen again . So that's why you build your confidence and explain . We all had that like oops moment or yeah , we have this thing called .
Speaker 2We have two things . We have this thing called near misses . Yeah , yeah , yeah , like we go over near misses and then we go over good calls oh , good call yeah like we highlight , we don't just point out oh , we had a near miss , this is how we could make it better , this is what we should do next time . But if there's a good call like we prevented a fall , we prevented something we highlight that nurse and we're like we're celebrating that nurse for making that good call .
Speaker 1And where do you broadcast it or disseminate the nurse's good call .
Speaker 2Oh , we discuss it not only just in meeting .
Speaker 2Oh , it's a department thing . Yeah , oh , okay . Yeah , we do good call , but the hospital does it too . If you read the emails and stuff . Yeah , sometimes they highlight someone who made a good call on something , and it doesn't have to be a nurse , it could be any employee . Yeah , sometimes they highlight someone who made a good call on something and it doesn't have to be a nurse , it could be any employee . Yeah , if they help the patient who was in crisis , someone who eloped or tried to elope or whatever it is , I mean , any person can be the highlighted person of a good call . Here's something that helped me survive my first year of nursing that I'll never forget One of my dear friends and mentor , who's let me shout her out Dr Angela Samuels .
Speaker 2She is a nurse practitioner and she has a doctorate . She's an author , she's my mentor , she's my clinical preceptor . She taught me the first year of nursing and beyond take good notes , not just about the charting . When you get to the charting okay , you'll get to the charting I'm talking about as you're going and throughout the day . Take good notes . So what I used to do is I'd take a piece of paper , a piece of copy paper . Fold it in three . I'd fold it in three like make it like a pamphlet , so there would be three on one side and three on the other side . So let's say , for the shift I'd have six patients . So I'd put three patients on one side , three patients on the other side . So let's say , for the shift I'd have six patients , so I'd put three patients on one side , three patients on the other side , and throughout the day I would write good notes . You take good notes , not just good soap notes . But no matter how minuscule it was I medicated this patient at 10 , patient's being discharged . At three o'clock . Patient needs an IV . Patient is going to surgery . Patient is being transferred . At three o'clock . Patient needs an IV . Patient is going to surgery . Patient is being transferred to ICU or another unit , whatever it was .
Speaker 2Take good notes . Take good notes so that when you're ready to chart , you're ready to document . You don't forget it . Yeah , you don't forget . Oh , what was I thinking about again ? What did I give ? Again , take good notes . And when you're ready to try , it's a smooth transition . By the end of the day you're basically just transcribing . I mean , we're moving towards AI now , like medical scribes , artificial intelligence that you can just dictate notes to . Okay , some of us are not there yet , some organizations are not there yet and some are . But regardless , take good notes . Take good notes because you will thank yourself later and it's also a way to protect yourself as a nurse . If it wasn't charted , that means it wasn't done . That's the golden rule of nursing . If it wasn't documented , it wasn't done .
Speaker 2We have this joke at work where we use EMR now , so we'll go . Sometimes we'll have . We have our little morning and afternoon huddles . So we have our morning huddles , we make our assignments who's seeing who , which provider is going to see who , which counselor , which whatever is going to see who ? And then we have our afternoon huddles and then one person will say , well , did you do this and did you do that ? And then we say , did you read the note ? Because it's in the note . If you read the note , you wouldn't need to ask that question . You would know . Did you read the note ?
Speaker 1So yeah , take good notes and needless to say , punctuality is a big thing . That's why I say come in early . It's going to help benefit both . And then also , too , it's a good look because the nurses you're the new kid in the block , believe it or not , you're going to be under a microscope , they're going to zoom in on you . So make sure that you also think you got to think strategically . How do I show my best self ? I'm not saying after a while you just let go , but I'm just saying like , in the beginning you need to be pristine character , not in skills they don't expect you to know that but make sure that you helping , you pleasant ,
Taking Good Notes and Professionalism
Speaker 1you accept constructive criticism , you have a positive attitude . You have a positive attitude . And please , please , please watch positive attitude and please , please , please , watch , watch people's interactions . Take with a grain of salt what people say about each other , or about watch out for this one , she's always late . Or watch out for this one , she's lazy . Watch out for this one she's splitting .
Speaker 1Don't fall into it and come with the notion of like everybody gets a blank slate at the beginning . Be objective , be very objective and diplomatic , diplomatic and go up the chain of command . Go up the chain of command . How do you try to survive ? Let's just say someone starts on a unit and it's not what they expected it and they don't like the culture of the unit or , but not everybody's bad , but it's just like the overall , like they work too hard or they feel like the patients are kind of challenging , they could do the work , but it's just like they feel like teamwork should be better . You know , like sometimes they feel like they're on an island by themselves , like what advice would you give to that person ? Based on experience maybe ?
Speaker 2Well , listen , I've learned as a nurse and as an employee period . Whatever you think it is , it's not going to be that way . Whether it's going to be better , whether it's going to be worse , whatever picture you have in your mind of what your work setting is supposed to be like , you're going to nine times out of 10 , you're going to get a different picture . You're going to be in a different environment . I have one goal when I go to work to take care of my patients . Okay , I'm not here to please whoever is not part of the team . I'm here to provide the best care for my patients . I'm here to take care of my patients . So , if that entails telling somebody no or stepping on a couple of toes , details telling somebody no or stepping on a couple of toes or , like you said , going up the chain of command to do whatever it is that I need to do to provide the best care and have a good day , that's what I'm going to do Every day .
Speaker 2There's going to be a challenge , and it's not always going to come from the patient . It may come from a coworker , it may come from you going off the unit just to go downstairs to get a cup of coffee and have to wait 30 minutes just to get a cup of coffee or something to eat . Or you worked a good eight to 10 hours and you realize I didn't go to the bathroom . Today I didn't even get a chance to go to the bathroom . Like what happened ? Like how did they just go by me ?
Speaker 2And there's always going to be something , whether it's big or whether it's small . You're here to not only work , you're here to learn , You're here to hone in on your skills , You're here to gain experience as a professional . So , whatever it is that needs to be done , try to find a way to get it done . I mean , get it done . That's my thing , and there's some other tips that I've learned , and it may not even seem important to some people . Wear comfortable shoes . Oh yeah , Wear comfortable shoes Because let me tell you something by the end of that 12 hour shift .
Speaker 1Burning . You don't even feel it anymore , it's numb .
Speaker 2Listen , invest , invest , invest in a good pair of shoes . Invest in some comfortable shoes . You're going to thank us later , yeah , comfortable shoes , because that'll make all the difference .
Speaker 1Yeah .
Speaker 2Stay hydrated , yeah , stay hydrated .
Speaker 1And then vent , find someone to vent , to find a mentor . Find a mentor like yeah , the reason why I asked the question before is because I can recall a conversation with someone who had started on a unit that I was working on and they really felt like they were going to give up . It's not like they don't like leadership or they really felt like they were going to give up . It's not like they don't like leadership or they don't like the patient population . It's just challenging to the fact that they just depending on like who was working , which I gathered . I told her who from the team that you feel like . That was early on in my career and we were in ICU . I said who ? So she's like you , I'm very , very , very comfortable with you and another person . I said okay , then what happens in the days that we're not working or whatever she's like ? I feel all alone and overwhelmed because you guys are always giving me a hand or whatever . So I said how about we coordinate our schedule and you coordinate with the other person until you feel more confident , more comfortable , you build relationship with the team within six months to a year and then you can branch out on your own , and that's how she survived and stayed . So you'll find little ways of like finding a work wife , a work husband , like how they call it , can help you too .
Speaker 1And then start looking at early on , start looking at doctors as colleagues and I learned that in ICU , thank God , in my second year in nursing because I transferred after my first year . They are your colleagues , you are working together in collaboration . So , yes , you call Dr Smith , doctor depends and some doctors like
Navigating Workplace Dynamics and Challenges
Speaker 1to be called by their first name . But you should not feel intimidated to say okay , doctor , I see that you ordered three runs of potassium for a K of like 4.2 . Want to question it and if they tell you no , I still want you to give it . You can ask why . Can you walk me through your rationale ? Maybe you're going gonna learn something new . So I that's another plug like I want to put in , even though you're not in your first year just interact with doctors , pas nps .
Speaker 2They are your colleagues , you are working together and you have the right to ask question or question one of the things that I'm mostly proud of in the work that I do is that , like you said , I'm able to collaborate with other physicians who seek my professional opinion .
Speaker 1Yes .
Speaker 2As a consultant . They put in a consult and they're waiting for me to say how do you treat this patient with a substance use disorder ? How do you treat this patient with alcohol use disorder ? This patient is in withdrawal . What would you recommend that we do ? Should we give this patient methadone ? Should we give him something else ? What do you recommend for this patient ? And you know , I'm an NP and I work with MDs who they're like wow , we really respect , we really value your opinion and I feel I feel very proud as a nurse . I feel very proud of that .
Speaker 1Exactly , and that's how . That's how it should be . Yeah , definitely , celebrate the wins , focus on the wins , like be that nurse on your way home saying , yes , I caught it . I caught my patient declining and I called that rapid response right on time . That was a good call . That was a good call . Oh , I use my critical thinking . That pat on the back , I got that first blood draw . I hit the vein for the first time . Or I got that 18 gauge on that patient that my senior nurse couldn't get . That feels so good .
Speaker 2So celebrate the wins , celebrate the wins . Don't be so hard on yourself . Don't be so hard on yourself , because sometimes we're our worst critic .
Speaker 1We want to be perfect all the time , get it right all the time .
Speaker 2Yeah , don't be so hard on yourself . It's a learning process For everyone , yeah , and you're learning .
Speaker 1As you go along , you'll see your preceptor say , hmm , that's a good question . I don't know . Let's go find out . And if you have a preceptor that you guys are not meshing well , personality teaching wise they may not be a bad person . Speak up , tell them , have a conversation with them first , before you escalate in and ask the change receptor . But if you're not learning or growing or you can't get what you need out of it , there needs to be a change . And maybe they're not aware that this is the perception that they're giving you . I realized , like it's not what you say it's how you say it .
Speaker 2As long as you able to send your message clear , concise and a respectful way , the person should be able to . Sometimes your personalities just don't gel it , just yeah . Yeah , your learning style and that person's teaching style just don't mix yeah then it's just not a good fit .
Speaker 2So , rather than suffer in silence for six , seven , eight , nine , 10 months , within the first six to seven weeks , whether this relationship is a good fit or not , and I mean , I've been there where I've had to change preceptors yeah , it happens to the best of us . Yeah , here's another thing that I learned Don't get burned out .
Speaker 2So early on , yeah , don't get burned out so early on . Yeah , don't get burned out . Try
Celebrating Wins and Avoiding Burnout
Speaker 2not to get burned out , because I have other young nurses that I talk to , that I mentor , that I . They're like oh , I can't do this . How did you survive one year of this ? I'm already . I mean , I'm just three months in and I want to give up . Don't get burned out .
Speaker 1It gets hard in the beginning and then you feel better at also , but as you don't get burned out . I would also say don't let your guards down . Adhere to policies and procedures every time If you need to go over that medication not calculation , but looking at the CC and making sure that it's the right needle or whatever yeah , don't look for shortcuts , because no , yeah don't rush , take your time .
Speaker 1It's hard , you're . You're supposed to leave at eight . You're leaving at nine o'clock every night for the first month . Okay , people will look at you sideways , but guess what ? You provided safe patient care . So , looking back at your first , is there anything that you wouldn't do ?
Speaker 2What I wish that I had done in my first year . I wish that in the first year okay , I was in med surge , but I wish in the first year I had decided early on on a specialty , like I started preparing in that year , rather than , okay , I'm glad that I got to experience different fields , different areas in nursing practice . I'm grateful for that . I enjoyed that . But in that first year like I've been a nurse for 22 years but I've only been in behavioral health for 12 years and I wish in that first year I had learned all that I wanted or I needed to learn and had decided you know what I really like psych . Maybe it's something that you know I really want to do .
Speaker 2It took me different paths , different journeys , different areas to finally settle on yeah , I love primary care , nursing . I love behavioral health . I love those two areas . So , like I said , my first year I was a pediatric nurse and I wanted to give up nursing that first year I'm like , oh God , the sick children . I can't take it . I'd come home crying every night from taking care of sick children and then I realized , okay , maybe pediatrics is not for you , maybe working with adults is for you , whereas somebody else loves NICU babies and they love children and one year I even did palliative care . I did palliative care , end of life care .
Speaker 1And I think that's great , though , like for me , that's what I like the most . When I look at my career thus far , it's like nothing was . First I thought I was going to go to cardiothoracic ICU , ct ICU , and then I ended up on a med searchsurg floor and I was like , okay , okay , I've learned enough , I want to go to ICU . Then I ended up in the medical ICU for I don't know like seven years or whatever and I was like , okay , I've learned enough , I've done enough postpartum care , I'm going to try management . Then I get on the surgical oncology floor and med surgery you know fresh kidney transplant coming from the OR . So I'm learning renal now . Then I go to surgical ICU where I'm learning like everything surgery , liver transplant , all that stuff . Then I go to you know what I'm saying .
Speaker 1So it's like jumping . I didn't know I was going to end up in vascular access , right , I had no clue , but now it's like a new thing that I'm learning . So I would say don't go predetermined to focus and saying I mean , it worked out . For some people it's like going on a date on the first date and then within six months you get married . You hear of those cases like I always knew I wanted to be a NICU nurse and I became a NICU nurse . But sometimes too , you go back and say , wow , I didn't even know I was going to become a dialysis nurse . So I think we have , yeah , exceeded our time . So any last word , farrah , before we go .
Speaker 2This was a good discussion . It's back to the topic at hand . Shift happens . Keep that in mind . Yeah , okay , s-h . It's going to be all right . I-f-t . It's going to be okay . You'll survive that year . Yeah , 12 months from your first day on the job you look back and you're like it was a good year .
Speaker 1Or in a role too , and you were like it was a good year . Or in a role too , because even though you know the skills doesn't mean that you don't have to learn the culture and the social aspect and the landscape of the unit and the interactions . So , first year of any role , these are little tips and tricks for you to survive . So , guys , this was great . Thank you so much for listening .
Speaker 2Thank you , thank you for being with us . So , guys , this was great . Thank you so much for listening , thank you . Thank you for being with us Until next time .
Speaker 1Bye-bye .