- Buy a book that will keep you refreshed on your nursing skills and any questions that may come up in the midst of work. So you think you know everything (skills wise, per say) now that you’ve spent the last few years feet deep in books and clinical? That’s what I thought too. I’ve been a nurse for almost 4 years now and I still come across things that I haven’t done since nursing school (i.e. chest tubes) or things I’m still sticky about. When this happens while I’m at work, I write on a post-it note to look it up when I get off work and refresh myself. What are these books you speak of Sydney!?!? I have one that I saved from studying for my NCLEX, which I’m sure every one of you reading this post have heard of, Saunder’s Comprehensive. I also bought a practice area specific book that I find even more helpful, Medical-Surgical Nursing Made Incredibly Easy! You can find in almost every type of nursing track.
- There’s an app for that!! Yes, yes. Nursing too. Piggybacking (no pun intended) off of my first piece of advice, there are many apps that coincide with and can enhance your clinical practice. Some of them being ones that will reinforce your skills with videos of specific tasks and more. One that I highly suggest is MediCode, and yes, it is exactly what it sounds like; this app reinforces your BLS/ACLS skills and mindset in a different way than manikin activity and textbook reading. Some other apps I recommend keeping handy are a nursing dictionary (I use Nursing Dictionary by Farlex) and subscribing to Medscape, which you may already have through school (I got mine from clinicals at OSU!). This app alerts you of evidence-based research and changes in care (I promise you EBP was required with purpose. It follows you everywhere 🙂 It also has a handy drugs, diseases, and diagnosis tool as well.
- Befriend every single person you work with. That is if you’re able to. This will make the awkwardness of walking into the break room at the start of your shift as a newbie more bearable. But for real, getting to know as many people as you can has many benefits – almost as many as your degree :). This includes everyone from your manager, fellow doctors/residents, all the way to nursing colleagues in other departments since you will likely be working with many disciplines. When you get a patient back from surgery and the PACU nurse is your weekly coffee buddy, you’ll likely get them returned in above average condition. I know people say work is work and pleasure is pleasure and that the two should remain separate, but for me work is my life, therefore I keep an open mind to as many friends as possible – makes work just a tad less stressed.
- Don’t fret if you have more than one preceptor. I found this to be one of the most helpful things as a new nurse. Despite starting a new job as an experienced nurse and having a brief orientation with nurses, I still enjoy having them all show me the ropes. It’s nice to pick up on multiple people’s tips and tricks, the way they do things and hone in on their suggestions and utilize all of it in order to find your own way that is efficient for you. We never stop learning as nurses.
- Get involved!!!! Whether you were or are in extracurricular activities or nursing councils in undergrad, the same justifications for doing so then pertain to now in your professional career. One of the easiest, no-hassle ways to do this is by joining a nursing association (ANA or specialty). Other options of doing so include joining a council at your hospital such as nursing council or shared governance where you can be at the forefront of change and culture on your floor. And yes, of course the bonus of these being resume boosters do pertain, especially if you are planning on going back to graduate school!
Sydney Adelstein is a 2016 graduate of The Ohio State University College of Nursing.
