First Year as a Nurse

Nursing. It has been incredibly rewarding but also quite one of the hardest things I have ever done. No one... not a single soul... goes into nursing realizing that they are about to fight a pandemic within S I X months of being a nurse. Hell... a lot of people would probably change careers. When I tell you, you are mentally and physically drained, I do not make it up. You go about serving others with every inch of your well being trying to make it through the shift without letting someone, not just your patients, but helping other nurses keep everyone afloat. If you’re lucky, you get a great group of nurses around you who are equally passionate about people and helping others which leads you to be even MORE driven to succeed. This past year, I’ve learned a lot about myself and the type of nurse I strive to be. Not everything was what it seemed, it’s definitely not like the movies and I think I’ll survive (Lol). Here’s my highlights! 

I had to learn that it’s okay to be wrong. Nursing is ever evolving. No two patient are the same even if they have similar comorbidities. The first time I had a patient crash on me, I was wrong. I had been a nurse for five months. The patient was pretty sick and something was off all day. By the end of the day I had convinced myself that my patient was having a stroke and called the rapid response team. The doctor arrived and upon assessing him it was determined he was experiencing a rapid onset of sepsis. I was so upset with myself though because he was having similar symptoms of a stroke and I took the doctors diagnosis as if she was dismissing my input. I was also quite embarrassed about being wrong. But you know what? I learned that day that it's okay to be wrong. As stated above, no two patients present the same. That is why we have experienced doctors and nurses that can educate us newer nurses. I went home and cried that day but I went back to work for the next shift with more insight. I think the important thing about being wrong is learning what you can from that experience. Will I be wrong again? Probably. And that's okay. My mom gave me advice that day after that experience and I want to share it here. Being able to identify the change is what is important. Your knowledge of disease processes will come in time but your nursing assessment is the best tool you have. 

I had to learn to fight for what is right. I am not confrontational. I used to struggle with getting what I needed to take adequate care of my patients. After a few months, I can say now that I feel confident approaching and asking doctors or nurse managers for what I need to take the best care of patients I can. This past year, I have ran into a few instances where the doctor was hard to get a hold of or not providing the resources I needed to take care of my patients. With the help of my charge nurses, I have learned that sometimes you just have to be stern. Always remember that your license is on the line. Not only that but also you are dealing with a human life and that in itself justifies you standing up and asking for what is right. This of course came with time, but if you realize this early on in your career and it will take you far. 

You have to separate your work from your daily life. My sister has jokingly said to me, "you've made nursing a personality trait." I reflected on that comment and realized what she was saying was true. I always saw me talking about my shift as I learned something new that day and was eager to share. But as time went on, I had engulfed myself in nursing. I want to start off by saying it's okay to be excited, but it's not good for your mental health to think about work outside of work. That goes for any career.  I think as a society we have glorified the idea that work comes first and foremost. My sister said it best when she said its become a personality trait. Nursing is a fantastic career filled with love and kindness but I don't want to just be Hannah the Nurse. My advice in regards to this is don't forget about your hobbies, limit your talk about work once you get home, and remember that you are much more dynamic than just being "just." I hope that made sense. 

I hope that some new nurse out there found this helpful. Your new career is going to present so many challenges but there will also be so many instances day to day that remind you just why you chose this career. If it makes you feel any better, I've only cried twice after a shift. I'd say those are pretty good numbers considering that it's been a whole year.