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10 Tips for Starting a New Job Off on the Right Foot
Megan Malugani | Monster Contributing Writer
6. Keep Your Eyes Open
Observe the experts on your unit or in your practice setting, suggests McLaughlin. You can learn a great deal by watching how they arrive at an agreement, handle difficult patients and interact with physicians. See what works and what doesn’t.
7. Set Priorities
Learn to evaluate which needs are most critical and look for ways to delegate tasks that someone else can handle, such as transporting a discharge patient. Ask the senior people on the floor how they handle a situation or troubleshoot with management to find new ways of doing things. Often, as a new employee, you have a much clearer vision of what is going on and can (tactfully) question existing processes that may not be working.
8. Make Friends in High and Low Places
Nobody works in a vacuum. Befriend both support staff and management. Don’t think you’re above the maintenance staff, unit secretaries or patient-care technicians. “That’s a curse that can come back and bite you,” McLaughlin warns. “They can destroy you if you get on their bad side.” And interacting with nursing managers who set policies will help you avoid the “us versus them” mentality.
9. Recharge Your Batteries
Take time to de-stress. It will make you a better nurse.
10. Give Your New Position a Fair Shake
When you get frustrated or discouraged, don’t give up on yourself or the institution, thinking you made the wrong job or career choice. “All change is frightening, and you need time to adapt to your new role as a professional,” DiDona says. “It takes a good six months to a year to feel part of a work situation.”
This article was originally published on Monster.com.
afterwop
over 1 year ago
58 comments
If you are a brand new nurse, how would you want the experienced nurses to treat you? Would you want them to cut you some slack for the mistakes that you make or would you want them to gossip about you behind your back and talk about how incompetent you are for making those mistakes? If you were hired through peo companies then you're most likely one of the best candidates for the job, and it's important that you start off on the right foot. Sometimes it's good to worry about yourself, your job, and your studies.
omeconium
over 3 years ago
2 comments
"...to share in her wisdom." Ladies, please get used to the idea that nursing is not a woman's world. For years, you fought against sexism. Now that you have the opportunity, you are doing the same to male nurses that men did to female doctors. We are in OB/GYN and L&D just as you have been in urology. Sexism is wrong from males or females. Do you really want to go back to the days of white dresses, silly hats, and standing when the doctor comes in the room? We are all professionals doing all we can for our patients. Our gender should be (and is) irrelevant.
srfaller
over 4 years ago
22 comments
Very enlightening article. As a graduate nurse the article helps shed light on how to keep things running as smooth as possible and how to successfully start my career.
kstiltner1
over 4 years ago
7172 comments
Good article.
gavkei
over 4 years ago
2 comments
I think that this article about one's first year in nursing is very good. Oftentimes a person can get disenchanted during their first year on the job. Keep up the good work.