My First Six Months as A Nurse: How it’s Going and What I’ve Learned
Introduction
The first six months of my nursing career has held some great moments but also some really hard ones, and it has taught me a lot in both my professional and personal life. Every new nurse hears that the first few years of your career are the most difficult, and I thought this would be a good moment to take some time to reflect on how this chapter of my life has been going, and what I’ve learned. After all, I will only have this experience once.
How it’s Going
Being a new nurse recently out of school and starting your first job can be overwhelming on a multitude of fronts. For example, developing in clinical practice, adapting to a unit, or working on night shift against the body’s circadian rhythm. At the same time, the excitement of starting a career and serving the desired patient population is what we have studied so long and hard for the past few years, and being able to do it is a great experience and feeling. These first six months have felt like a roller coaster in my professional career as well as my personal life which comes with its own set of challenges.
Referencing a previous article I wrote back in December of 2023, moving to a new city and building a life is just as hard as starting your first job. Finding time to live a normal life outside of medicine can be challenging, especially working on night shift. A common theme among night shift workers is having trouble making time for family, friends, grocery shopping, etc from working the opposite schedule of most of society. There are times when all I have energy for is making meals and watching a show.
In relation to being a new nurse, it can be challenging as expected. Learning nursing care in school and clinically as a student is much different than reading in textbooks and working through simulations. This can be a stressful and anxious time, and I’m grateful to work with a team that fosters growth and education which alleviates some of the stress that accompanies nursing care.
What I’ve Learned
Naturally, experiences are going to vary depending on organization, unit culture, shift, and specialty, but I believe new nurses can relate to each other simply by being new. Being new is tough and it takes time to adjust both professionally and personally. I’ve learned that it’s okay to have a roller coaster effect and can be a part of the growing process. In nursing, some shifts go great and you have a sense of accomplishment and pride in your care, while there are other shifts you may want to quit nursing because of the challenges we face. The sustainability of a roller coaster effect could affect bedside longevity by being a contributing factor to burnout rates and overall job satisfaction. Finding ways to decompress from a clinical setting is important to mitigate that effect.
Everyone, nurse or not, has their own way to decompress from the work environment. Spending time with family or friends or other hobbies is a small but important thing to do for us humans. Something I’ve really grown to appreciate that crosses both personal and work environments is going to dinner with coworkers that have the same experiences to laugh and have fun outside of work. I’m grateful for the friends I have made with staff and travelers, some I will always remember and consider lifelong friends. I’ve also learned a lot about myself going through these experiences, and the good and bad that comes with it.
Conclusion
The past six months have given me a lot of insight into my profession and who I am inside it and outside of it. While being in the roller coaster effect, I’ve learned to expect that each day is going to be different and to take it as it comes. Enjoy the good moments you have and do the best you can to work through the bad, both professionally and personally. I believe there is the ideal way we all hope to navigate through life, and then the way it actually happens. I’m happy with what I have learned, but know I still have the future ahead of me.