I have officially completed Eleven full twelve hour shifts (aka a little over 128 hours of clinical), gradually taking on the role of a Registered Nurse for my last official round of clinical in my nursing school career. This experience has taught me so many lessons that I will bring forth once I start practicing as a new-graduate nurse this winter. So, in this post I wanted to outline 64 things (Half of 128) that I have learned, experienced, or realized during my 128 clinical hours.
1. Meal prepping is so important as a nurse. The last thing that you want to do after a twelve hour shift is do any cooking. Take your one or two days off to go grocery shopping and prepare all of your meals for the entire next week.
2. Sleep is equally as important as eating properly. Throughout the entire CRT process I kept thinking, "The days where I can just work and sleep and not have to worry about studying are going to be absolutely amazing".
3. Try every new experience because you never know when you'll have to do that task again later in your career.
4. Make jokes and keep a soft heart.
5. Journaling is a great idea as a new graduate. During this CRT process we had to keep a brief journal of what happened each shift, so being able to look back years from now on your first year of independent nursing as a RN is going to be so valuable.
6. If there's any empty chair, take it. You stand for most of the day anyway.
7. Know your pharmacology because everyone is going to ask you to repeat their 8am, 3pm and 6pm medications at least 3 times after they're already placed in their medication cup.
8. Memorize where supplies are placed, and do not hesitate to ask.
9. Always ask questions if you are unsure.
10. Breathe. Take deep breaths. It looks like a bad assignment on paper but with the help of your friends you can get through the day.
11. Value appreciative doctors, on the surface they are far and few between.
12. Try not to talk poorly about your co-workers. You would not want someone talking poorly of you behind your back, and you do not know the background information. Everyone is trying their best.
13. As a new graduate nurse - take EXTREME value in preceptorship during orientation and try to become as indepent as soon as possible because as soon as your are finished you are out to the wolves.
14. Night shift trumps day shift in coolness points.
15. DRINK YOUR WATER - IT'S IMPORTANT
16. Compression socks are a gift from God.
17. Shower as soon as you get home, exfoliate, and put your scrubs in a different hamper for cleanliness sake.
18. Always try to be kind.
19. Listen to your patients when they are venting. Yes, you are running your list of 20 things to do while they are fumbling over a story about their grandchild, but it matters to them and improves your relationship.
20. Relationships between nurses and patients for those 12 hours (if you don't go back to them the next day) are very important. Cherish the nice ones and appease the grumpy ones.
21. Don't count how many hours you have left in your shift, it'll probably disappoint you mid-way through.
22. CHERISH your CNA's. Depending on the unit, they are amazing at what they do and are extremely helpful.
23. Respect privacy.
24. Keep rude comments to yourselves in front of patients. You never know how someone might be feeling.
25. Wash your hands religiously and always use the foaming hand antiseptic by the doorway.
26. Gloves, gloves, gloves. For everything.
27. Napping and shopping during your days off are great therapy tools after working multiple days in a row.
28. Do not be that person that takes forever to give report.
29. Do not be that person that skoots out of report without being adequate or finishing all of your tasks correctly.
30. Sometimes you will have to stay hours late charting.
31. As a new graduate nurse, listen to your preceptor. They will probably get annoyed if they see your neglecting things they have stressed multiple times.
32. Practice your assessments - those are key to perfect nursing work. Changes can happen in an instant so you want realiable baselines.
33. Never call a doctor before you know exactly what you are going to say, or without any possible recommendations to the problem.
34. Nurses write more temporary orders that I ever realized previously.
35. Everybody poops.
36. Rules and plans are important - hospital policy for certain disease processes or protocols might seem silly, but they are there for a reason.
37. Always keep the patient's family in mind.
38. Always keep up on the information of your patient because everyone will be asking you questions and expect you to know everything under the sun about 1 out of 5 of your patients.
39. Sometimes your five minute lunch break is the only time you have to sit quietly, eat and recharge until you head back to the floor.
40. Patient report huddle with the case manager and the unit manager is super important in unit coherency, and smoothness.
41. Take your time at the Pixis station - putting something back or
grabbing something additional is a pain in the booty. Plus, it's
medication passing so safety should always come first.
42. Always go the extra mile. Your fellow employees and patients will thank you for it.
43. Take your water, snack and bathroom breaks when you can - you never know what'll happen 5 minutes later.
44. Patients are understanding towards you as long as you are understanding towards them.
45. Listening to your stethoscope and your nursing judgement are equally effective.
46. Be fair to your fellow students or co-workers
47. You might feel awkward now, but everyone starts off new at some point. So give it time, pave your way and the rest will fall into place.
48. Always double check something you are not sure of.
49. Read the medication packets in the Pixis bins because the pharmacists that put them in there are humans too and make mistakes. There are several rounds of quality control - do not take your round lightly.
50. Never underestimate the comfort level that comes from clean sheets and clean skin. Bed baths and sheet changes can make a world of difference in someone.
51. Your patients respect and appreciate your backstory - most of them love to know more about the person that they are seeing for 12 hours a day taking care of them.
52. Become a pro at writing everything down. Times, dates, procedures, ect. It's all relevant.
53. Take the time to find your own routine and groove. This is something that you'll be mastering for 30+ years so it is best to find the perfect situation for you.
54. If you are unhappy with a unit or specialty, go with your gut and find your passion. You did not spend 2 - 4 years of your life in school to be happy. However, leave gracefully and with respect to all involved.
55.The impressions you make now can very well follow you for the rest of your career. Nursing is actually a small knit community and you never know who knows who.
56. Post-it notes are my best friend when making temporary to-do lists during shifts or jotting down notes that I do not want to forget.
57. Keeping a highlighter and dry erase marker is always something that comes in handy.
58. Don't worry, you're going to get the hang of it. Things take time, especially if it is all completely foreign to you. Take deep breaths, breathe and believe in yourself.
59. You'll get used to the early mornings and late nights, and after a while you might start to enjoy them. You might really go the extra mile and miss them when you're finished.
60. Managers might be intimidating, but they can be your best friend - especially in times of need. Lean on your chain of command when need be. They might not know certain things unless they are informed.
61. Always practice good hand hygiene and wipe down your stethoscope with alcohol wipes.
62. Always remember why you started. Always remember your passion.
63.The days and nights where I no longer have to study for a nursing school exam, while working as well, are going to feel so amazing.
64. You're going to do just fine when you graduate. All it takes is time, patience, practice, perseverance, passion, and motivation.
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