Tips for New Nurses - How to Survive Your 1st Year as a Nurse

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Knowing a few tips for new nurses are critical to surviving your first year as a nurse. Being a new nurse on the floor can present many terrifying, wonderful and insane experiences (usually all in the same day). Any nurse would be lying if they said that their first year in the workplace was a walk in the park. Sometimes there are ups and downs, often times there are patients that test you, and invariably, there are days full of learning. The unit might not be an episode of Bear Grylls or Mantracker, but it sure is a jungle out there. Having trekked my way out relatively scar-free (and no machete necessary), I have comprised a short list of new nurse tips to help you survive your first year of nursing. Enjoy!

New Nurse Survival Tips

Ask Questions. Being curious, clarifying instructions, and verifying actions not only makes you more confident in your practice but also gives confidence to nurses around you. This also allows you to provide safe patient care and is the most effective way to learn. I mean, you already answered your fair share o NCLEX questions. Spread the love to others. Don’t ever be afraid to ask questions.
Don’t act like you know more than you do. You are new. You are wide-eyed. You are transparent. I know this because I was you. Every other time I walked in a patient room I’d hear the question, “So, how long have you been nursing?”. Admit that you are relatively new to the career, but your passion for quality care and the availability of resources are abundant. You don’t have to know everything, but you absolutely cannot fake it. “Fake it ‘till you make it” doesn’t really apply when lives are on the line. Which brings us nicely to…
Never be afraid to tell a patient/family member “I don’t know.” It is always okay to admit that you are unsure of something, but ensure that you commit to following-up with the answer. Nobody knows everything, and on that note…
Come prepared and know your resources. There are endless resources available to you, from hospital policies, to pocket drug guides, to charge nurses. The support is there if you know where to look.
Be aware of your learning curves. So you’ve never hung an inotrope before and your patient’s pressure is dumping? Make this aware to your charge nurse and partners as soon as you see the situation unfolding so they are able to support you however necessary. Afterward, reflect on the situation and determine what you need to revisit in your training in order to handle that situation more effectively in the future.
Don’t be too hard on yourself! You will make mistakes, but remember that everyone has been in your shoes once. I hope for your sake that they remember that, too.
Be a helpful team member. Like any other job, you are building a reputation in your first year. Nobody likes the person who sits while everyone’s running, or sits idly by when your partner is in need of a little extra help. The only way for a unit to work effectively is through teamwork. Even if it’s not your patient crashing, next time it might be, and I’m sure you’re going to need the help.
Take advantage of learning opportunities. You will learn every day until the day you retire, or so I’m told. Managers and educators are constantly sending emails for conferences and skills fairs- take advantage of the free resources to better your practice. Trust me, you’ve got a long way to go.
Find a nursing role model in the unit. Or more than one! Find a senior nurse whose care you admire and try to learn from them to help develop your own practice. It’s also nice to have a mama bear on the unit for those tougher days.
If you don’t drink coffee, start. Seriously!

If you take anything away from this, know that you will be facing a rather large learning curve for the better part of the next five years. Remember that you were hired for a reason and that degree you earned is more than a piece of paper (despite the jokes at graduation). You worked your scrub-covered bum off for this role, and rewards of patient care will overwhelm the more challenging days. Keep your chin up and when the going gets tough, there is always wine.

Bonus Tips for New Nurses

Find Your First Job

Landing your first nursing job can be a real challenge. Nurse Beth has put together an excellent book that outlines tips for new grad nursing jobs. You can pick up Your Last Nursing Class: How to Land Your First Nursing Job: The ultimate guide to landing your first nursing job…and your next! next on Amazon.

Take Care of Your Feet and Legs

Find yourself a super comfortable pair of nursing shoes and a great pair of compression socks. You’re going to be on your feet for 8-12 hours of the day and a great pair of nursing shoes is a must. Whether your like Dansko, Sanita, Alegria, or some other brand, find the best nursing shoes is a must.

Gain Confidence & Crush Your First Year

Your first year as a nurse can be daunting. You need someone in your corner telling you what your managers really need from you, helping you learn to interact with your precentor, and really just manager your like. Find all that an more with the Fresh RN New Nurse Master Class.

Start Now

Take Care of Yourself

The importance of self-care for nurses cannot be stressed enough. Take time for yourself and focus on your body, mind, and spirit on a daily basis. You cannot help others if you do not take care of yourself. Build a routine that helps you ensure you’re eating a healthy diet (maybe by packing a quick lunch),

We’ve collected a few more tips for new nurse grads in this post.

1 thought on “Tips for New Nurses – How to Survive Your 1st Year as a Nurse”

Pamela Nye
July 26, 2016 at 9:54 am

The best advice, after fifty years of Nursing and a triple survivor,stage four breast cancer, stroke, and heart failure, I think the best way to approach each day is to put yourself in position of the patient..A wise old nurse instilled this message into me every day…we didn’t bandy the word’ empathy’ around back then. The word and motive was care and nurture, and restore.Then armed with a heart, eyes ears nose mouth and brain, I took that attitude with me every day. Nursing has always been my greatest passion, allowing me to do ‘nerdy’ things every day…