Nursing New Grad – Now What…?
-by David Hechim, SN
What kind of nurses will we be? The first answer, of course
is “a good one!” But, where? Maybe
not so easy to answer. Especially with the changing dynamic in which health
care is delivered. Seems that hospitals aren’t exactly the “place to be”, like
they once were. Home health is on the rise. There seems to be a demand for
Research Nurses. There are private practices, skilled nursing facilities, community
health centers, schools, the list seems to go on and on. But the first question
a lot of us will be asking ourselves after our final is, “Where would I really like to work?” The answer to that
question is probably a lot closer than we might think. For myself, I look back
on all of our clinical rotations. Do I want to be a Psych Nurse? Pediatric
Nurse? Work in Labor and Delivery? Med/Surg as a floor nurse? Oncology infusion
clinic? Wound Care? Dialysis? OR? ER? ICU? Which one of these felt right for
me?
For me, one place in particular stood out.
For me, one place in particular stood out.
The ER is supposed to be that place where there is a lot of
chaos. It’s supposed to be loud and confusing and disorienting and scary and
full of woeful sounds and indescribable smells. And it is. It is a place that
any normal person would instinctively seek out the nearest exit if finding
themselves suddenly planted there. That was not my experience. I found that the
din of the confusion and urgency was almost calming in a way that allowed me to
focus on what was in front of me. What needed doing. And being able to calmly
and professionally carry out what would be expected of a nurse. I found it easy
to be professionally personable with the patients in a way that helped put them
at ease and gained their confidence. I sat down. I took the time to talk with
them, on their level, and help get to the bottom of the purpose for their visit
and help get them the treatment they needed.
Now all of that certainly sounds a bit… over confident. Was
I at least a little bit nervous about the whole thing? Of course I was! I knew
I’d be asked to do things that I’d only been “trained” to do or watched a video
about or practiced on a rubber arm. But I was ready. Nervous or not. As I
started two 18G IVs on a patient with a GI bleed in each arm, I reflected back
to a practice lab and heard my instructor saying “The secret to a good IV start
is confidence.” If someone with a medical emergency needs your help, there is
no time for being nervous. It’s time to do what needs to be done.
At times I may have seemed too eager when wheeling the EKG
machine, without a doctor’s order, into a room of a patient who’s monitored
cardiac rhythm looked suspicious to me. The doctor would later confirm that this
patient had some ST elevation, and changed the course of treatment because of
these new findings. It would have been to easy to feel presumptuous and brash.
Instead what I felt was relief that I had simply done something. I had a hunch and I went with it. It would have been
much easier to stand by and be the observer. I loved being in the ER. I loved
the fact that at shift change everything stops and all the nurses come together
for an actual huddle to discuss what’s going on the department, what they can
all do together as a department, and recognize each other for a job well done,
or just a thank you for putting out a little extra effort when things got a
little crazy. It had the feel of a team. Doctors, nurses, technicians,
security, lab technicians, receptionists, everyone. They were a team. And the
chaos felt very comfortable.
Are you comfortable in chaos? Does more structure suit you
better? What clinical rotation left the biggest impression on you? Where will
your nursing career take you? Where will you take your nursing career?
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