Becoming a nurse can be exciting and stressful at the same time. You may want to start the best way possible; however, with so many expectations from the board and organization– it’s only normal to feel the pressure as you report for duty. Questions may arise from time to time, which makes it harder to perform at your best.
Hopefully, the following tips below can point you in the right direction:
Tip #1: Participate in Mentorship Programs
Most hospitals today encourage new nurses to join mentorship programs. This will help you familiarize and improve your daily work routine. Be ready to take some notes during your mentorship session. Take advantage of their learning seminars, as well. Stay proactive and don’t hesitate to ask questions. In addition, your supervisors may also take this as an opportunity to learn more about you. Showing them your eagerness to develop and improve your skills is good merit to their team.
Tip #2: Avoid Distractions
At first, you may find it difficult to fit in. Just like in other workplaces, there will be office gossip. Stay away from these issues. Focus on your goals and avoid any unhealthy dynamics in the workplace. This can greatly affect your work ethic and may wind up with a bad reputation. Be positive and professional at all times. Follow every hospital policy to avoid troubles.
Tip #3: Know Your Options
While most people think that nurses can only get work in a hospital, that is not true. You have many other career options that you can get into that are very fulfilling. You can jump into a new career after you become a registered nurse, or you can take a course after you are a registered nurse. For instance, you can find legal nurse consulting courses to become a legal nurse consultant. Some other career options you have are a physical therapist, health educator, nutritionist, etc.
Tip #4: Take Care of Yourself
This is one of the problems with most nurses and other medical professionals. With a hectic schedule and all the pressure they need to put up to, they tend to forget to take care of themselves. Remember, unhealthy habits and stress can affect your performance at work. While most nurses rely on coffee to stay awake in the day, you should make sure you are getting as much sleep as needed and drinking enough water (remember, coffee is a diuretic). You may also find it easy to grab snacks from the snack machine, but it should never replace a well-balanced meal.
Tip #5: Organize and Set Priorities
When you are a nurse, you will be given many tasks at one time. It may be difficult to know which one to prioritize. Time management is everything. First, create a daily schedule. List down everything you need to accomplish. You can also try some mobile apps to help you with your task list.
In the medical field, you need to have a gameplan in order to succeed. Start with familiarizing some of the general rules and your responsibilities. Following the tips above should point you in the right direction.
