You Need a Mentor
If you don’t already have one, find a mentor that you can trust. In any field, a mentor is the best way to see how things are done and always have someone to answer your questions. Being told how things operate is one thing, but an experienced person will be able to share their valuable tips for new nurses with you.
Choose a nurse you admire. Someone will probably stand out to you in areas of performance and integrity as you begin your career. Ask that person if they’d be willing to mentor you. Mentoring needs to be a two-way street so you will feel comfortable reaching out any time with concerns.
Prepare for Your Future as a Nurse
Speaking with your mentor or someone else in the medical field who is doing a job you think you might like to do can be helpful as you gain more experience and consider your future.
If you intend to continue your education and eventually become a nurse practitioner, you’ll have to consider the fact that you may have to deal with malpractice insurance. Or maybe you have begun as an LPN and would like to become an RN. Are there programs through the practice you are now with to help you with continuing education? Find these answers so you can successfully craft your future as a nurse.
Bond with Your Team
You aren’t on your own in nursing. One of the most valuable tips for new nurses is to bond with your team. Nursing is a field that simply cannot be walked alone.
You are going to have plenty of difficult moments as a nurse while dealing with sick patients, sadness, and frustration. You will need your team for emotional support. Try to attend social events created for the staff whenever you can. These types of gatherings are there to remind everyone that you are in this together, and that you all have lives outside the medical practice.
Our world needs you as a nurse, and you should be proud of your decision. Being a new nurse for the first year can have you wondering if you chose the right profession. Stick with it and never give up. Find a mentor, prepare for your future, and bond with your team. Once you gain valuable experience, you will find there is no other place you’d rather be.
