Nay's Note by Naomi James, MSN RN CPAN CNEcl
August 2021
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When you're new there is always a brief assimilation period that is stressful and overwhelming. New to Nursing means exactly that. Your new and this is the first time that you are entering a space or embarking on a new territory. New graduates and new employees have a lot in common and it is centered on starting from a very humble place...the beginning. Being a new grad is a little deeper than being a new employee. Typically, a new grad isn't just new to the facility that they are being employed at. But they are ultimately novice to the Nursing profession. They are still learning "how" to be a nurse. They are still fashioning themselves to accept their new career and position in the professional world. There is a lot of pressure on New grads to PERFORM. From competency requirements, time management attainment, inter professional skills, clinical judgement, and more. This pressure creates a space where the novice nurse feels lost, a sense of failure, and can start the fire of "burn-out." Novice Nurse burnout is a plague of the Nursing profession and some new grads are reporting burnout symptoms that began in Nursing school. The truth is that the pressure to perform in the Nursing profession doesn't magically disappear. However, it should become more attainable for nurses to show their best at the bedside and provide quality patient care that measurably improves. New grads need support, mentorship, and some even need training. Yes, I said it! TRAINING! Novice nurses may still lack equipment competency, charting navigation skills, and medical team interaction. I mean let's be honest. Most nursing students are never even given the opportunity to call a doctor or the blood bank. So it would be obvious that they will require some acquisition of how to do these tasks in realtime setting (not a SIM LAB). Therefore, it is imperative that new grads are given the tools to prepare for this period of assimilation.
Now the new employee is slightly different. New employees, typically are already nurses but are new to the healthcare facility. They need specific integration into the designated department that they work for. The new employee's assimilation period should be brief and should not require the in-depth training of a new grad. Their orientation process is similar to a systems processing update on computer software. The nurse already knows how to work professionally with the team, care for clients, and exude sound clinical judgement. However, they may need to know how to use the Pyxis versus the Ominicell that they used to dispense medication at their previous facility. Or they may need to understand the workflow of the Med-Tele unit because they previously worked in ICU. Ultimately, the new employee has some specific knowledge gaps that don't necessarily stem from being "new" to Nursing. Instead, their novice-ness stems from being "new" to the facility or unit that they are now working in. New employee still need one on one guidance. They could benefit from somewhat of a tour guide or resource guide. Kind of like the "Hey Siri" of the department. That way when they do have questions and lack understanding there is someone on demand that can bring them up to speed and accelerate their integration process.
Both the new grad and the new employee have many similarities as well. We can start with the obvious comparison-technically they are both "new" in some way. The new grad may also be a new employee at the facility and visa versa. For new employees that are also new grads there is a double whammy of newness that sets onto this nurse. Many hospitals try to create special programs for novice nurses who are also new employees. Yet, there are still lots of hospitals that just don't. So the best thing to do is get prepared. Get prepared to learn all of the new HR information for payroll, benefits, and PTO. As well as, all of the new information for patient census, physicians to call, and how to charge supplies for patients. New grads and new employees have to accept the fact that they are learning something for the first time, they may need to ask for help, and they may need additional time to fully establish themselves in the new role.
So, let's really dig into the prep work. How can a new grad or new employee get prepared for this transition?
For starters, SECURE YOUR ORIENTATION TIME. You need to know how long you will actually have to learn. And the best time to ask for an extension is from the jump-so secure your time window early.
WRITE IT DOWN. Take a small note pad, log it into your phone, whatever you need to do to take notes of what you've learned. Keep it in your new employee folder or work bag so you can easily refer to it-if and when you forget.
ASK QUESTIONS. Even the best "tour guide" may forget to cover something that was imperative to your success. So ask for help when you need it and don't be afraid to bring your questions up.
BE TEACHABLE. Using the bladder scanner may look and sound easy enough. But you would be surprised how many times someone used equipment incorrectly because no one actually showed them how. They just assumed it was self explanatory. Therefore, when someone is giving you the "run-down"- listen up buttercup...you may learn something valuable.
DON'T GET WEARY IN WELL DOING. Know that ALL of your hard work and efforts will pay off. But the beginning of the process may feel sluggish and you might be slow to getting the hang of things. It's okay to ask someone to show you a second time or accept that you might have some small failures before you succeed at the new task....like the time I accidentally deleted everything that I just charted on my patient because I forgot to click the save button....it happens...
Remember, that the starting point is where you are and you need to have the mind set to conquer it. Preparedness is one of the many ways you can build mental resiliency for new challenges. And even your preparation can still face some set backs and trials. However, you will not be "new" forever and time and practice will help get you over the novice hurdles of Nursing.
Listen, being a new grad or a new employee can be difficult to navigate. You need to talk to a Nurse who has been there and done that. My Mentoring and Coaching skills are geared to help you get the information and support that you need to reach your fullest potential in your Nursing career.
I want to help get you SOARing! CLICK the Link below to BOOK YOUR FREE Mentoring consultation with me today!
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HAPPY SOARing!!!
Naomi James, MSN RN CPAN CNEcl
Nurse Educator/Mentor
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