I just graduated from nursing school in December of last year and have been working as a full-time nurse ever since then. I love it even more than I thought would. Nursing school teaches you things that you undoubtedly need to know, but there are some things that cannot be taught in the classroom. Here are some of the things that I've had to learn for myself.
1. Be a human being. Nursing school teaches you how to do the skills necessary to do the job but not how to truly have a connection with another person. If we were to all think back to interactions with nurses at our own visits to the doctor's office, our best nurses have exemplified a true kindness and compassion in their soul. Nursing is not all about how to do the skill you are taught, but how to do the skill while having a heart.
2. Pee and drink water often. I know this is easier said than done, but trust me when I say that it will help you in the long run. You don’t want to end up dehydrated or with a bladder infection. There is no formula or magic trick to being able to use the bathroom or keep hydrated throughout your day, but as long as you try to go more than once a day, your body will thank you.
3. Find a stress reliever and do it! Nothing is more important than finding a way to let off some steam. The more you hold your stress in, the faster you are going to get burnt out. This will only make you question why you became a nurse in the first place. A few examples are: exercising, getting a massage, cleaning, relaxing at home or even seeking out a counselor (side note: it doesn’t make you weak to talk with someone about what your stressors are. In fact it makes you stronger).
4. Listen to your patients. Take an extra five minutes to listen to what they have to say. It may be important in your care for them. Or possibly they just need someone to talk to. That is part of being a human being.
5. Learn something new every day. Nursing is a constant learning experience. Information is always changing in the way that it is presented and new information is coming out all the time in the health care field. For example, the basic guidelines on how to do CPR change all the time. While sometimes it is hard to keep up with current information, it is exciting to know that we are doing a better job at helping people in their times of need.
6. It’s OK to cry. Crying is, again, part of being human which is part of being a good nurse. This also helps relieve some stress. Holding in your emotions will only lead to an explosion of emotions later. These explosions are not good for anybody... yourself or the people around you.
7. Admit what you did wrong. The sooner that you do this the faster it can be resolved. If you wait to admit your mistake the consequences may be greater than if you had just admitted it in the first place.
8. Trust your gut instincts. Never doubt what gut is telling you! 99% of the time it is right. It may save your career or even a patient’s life. There doesn’t always have to be reasoning behind something but if you have a strong feeling, you should always follow through.
9. It’s OK to ask for help. You are not weak if you don’t know all the answers! It helps to think of questions as a learning experience rather than a lack of knowledge. You can’t possibly know everything all of the time so stand up for yourself and your education and ask questions! It is never a good idea to guess on what you should be doing. If you have the confidence in your job, you will have confidence in yourself and shine at your job.
10. Have fun! All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy. This is so true in nursing. If you can’t have fun at the appropriate times then you will get burnt out and fast! Learn to lighten up and don’t take everything that happens so seriously. It’s part of being a human being, showing emotion and might even be a stress reliever.
