Reality Shock for Nurses: How to Handle It.

You graduated from nursing school, passed the NCLEX and landed your dream job. Your family and friends were all very proud of your accomplishments, you were too. But here you are a few days or months into your new role feeling lost, overwhelmed, and wondering if becoming a nurse was a great decision in the first place. Oh dear, that's "reality shock" in play. Truth is a lot of us nurses went through it. You're absolutely normal and it's fine to feel that way. In this piece, I offer you some guidance to help you navigate this period and enjoy your first year as a new grad.

Trust me, you're doing a great job. Fuel your passion with your patients smiles

I want you to know that nursing is hard work, not a walk in the park. Regardless of your specialty, every area in nursing is highly demanding and requires you to be passionate and patient to survive. The good news though is that nursing is also very rewarding. You literally get the chance to change someone's life for good by just "doing your job". You're making impact-doing great. What you need to do is see it. See the impact you make in people's lives and families just by doing your job as a nurse and allow the happiness that comes from their smile fuel your passion.

This is what fueled me in my first year as a nurse. I always looked forward to the feel-good experience I had when my patients showed up expressing so much gratitude for what I've done. It's just beautiful. Then I allow my desire and love for these moments gear me towards doing better. You can also experience that feeling of satisfaction and fulfilment and derive your drive from it. All you need to do is find out where and go there.

Feeling inadequate? Your feelings are normal, not necessarily right.

Sometimes you may feel like you're not good enough or like you'll never be the nurse you dreamed of being. And it's fine, completely normal in fact. Virtually all new nurses feel the same way. It's the Imposter Syndrome, a feeling of inadequacy that often arises from self doubt and is often a normal reaction when one starts a new job or relocates to an unfamiliar territory.

Growth happens overtime not overnight

I remember when I just started as a new grad. I was super scared to hold the phone and answer phone calls about my patients. During this period, I simply felt too scared and inadequate. I vividly recall a particular incident that happened while I was still orienting.

That day, my preceptor told me I needed to hold the phone and take calls. While I was with my patient in the ward, the phone rang. It was the doctor calling, he wanted updates on his patient. Needless to say I was so scared. I fumbled through my answers so much that he requested to speak with the nurse. I told him I was oriented and he said he wanted to speak to a real nurse who knew much about the patient and could give him clear and comprehensive answers.

I was so traumatized. I told my preceptor that I wouldn't hold the phone anymore. Guess what her response was? She said "C'mon, that's how you build confidence. All you need is a bit more preparations so you're ready when the doctor calls". She wasn't just gonna let me quit. So, the next day, she said I was going to call the doctor. However, unlike the impromptu I had the previous day, I would prep a speech aforehand using SOAP. As I kept doing this over and over, I gradually gained the confidence I needed. Today, I can speak clearly and eloquently with doctors and other service providers.

It's okay to be scared, you're being cautious.

Sometimes, you're scared that you are going to hurt someone or make mistakes that will jeopardize your license. It's a good and normal feeling, just be sure it doesn't get the best of you. This feeling is an indicator that you will be cautious and safe when attending to your patients. Trust me, your patients and everyone else will appreciate you being cautious and accurate.

It's fine to ask

Ask questions! I never had a problem asking questions. Sometimes I even asked so many that my preceptors felt like I was questioning them, some even disliked precepting me because of that.

At that time, I would be mad at myself if that happened. However, looking back to that now, I realize my preceptors were probably becoming annoyed by my non-stop questions because they were not sure about their answers. They were insecure about their knowledge and expertise and soon felt threatened by and uncomfortable with my questions.

The lesson here is not to question your preceptor's expertise or judgment but to know that you should not be afraid to ask questions after all that's how you'll learn.

Never guess through, be certain.

Never do anything you are not sure of. At the end of the day, everything you do is under your license and you certainly don't want it revoked. So be mindful of that. Take your time to acquire knowledge and research on whatever you don't know. You keep doing this and I can assure you in no time you'll be an excellent nurse.

You're never alone

You are not alone. I know it might feel like it, I've been there. I used to look at experienced nurses and wonder how they can be happy with what they do. I couldn't help but ask myself, "how do they find the motivation to go to work" because clearly I was neither happy nor motivated. It was a reality shock for me.

Soon enough, I understood that these experienced nurses were humans with feelings too. They got tired and sometimes make mistakes too. The difference between us was that unlike me then, they had built their confidence overtime and have come to derive satisfaction from the impact they were making.

Don't be scared to look stupid because that is how you learn. We've probably all looked stupid asking a weird question at one point or the other in our lives.

Pray

Pray! Many of us came into the field because we believe we're called into the profession. If nursing is your calling and God ordained you to be here, why not just talk to him for help. Pray for guidance, ease and favor. It's a process and this is only a phase. In about a year, you will be helping other new nurses settle in and overcome the reality shock of being a nurse. You got this, I promise!

Try other specialties.

You'd hear people tell you things like "you need med-surg experience as a new nurse" or that "you're only going to work on one specific type of unit". But hey. This are just old myths that many used to go by. They are not facts. In fact, the beauty of nursing is that you never have to be stuck in one place. There are so many things a nurse can do. You just have to find what you are passionate about.

Study

You spent nursing school studying, you'd be spending your nursing life doing the same.

Research and read up on the most frequent medications and diagnoses you come across. This will boost your confidence and help you answer any questions your patients may have with ease.

Take care of yourself.

Take good care of yourself and have an healthy work-life balance. Enjoy quality time with your family, don't bring work back home leave work at work, and quit trying to solve everything on your shift. It is OK to leave some work to the incoming nurse. Remember, nursing is 24 hours a day. Do what you can on your shift and let the incoming nurse take care of the rest.

Don't elongate your shift trying to resolve what should take all day. It is OK. Do what is most important, and be gentle with yourself.

Learn from your mistakes and move on. Go home and enjoy yourself. As time passes, you will build confidence and start to love it.

Be sincere with yourself

Give yourself time and be deliberate be grow. But also know when things are not working and it is time to move on and do something else. Only you know how much you can handle and take upon yourself, no one else does. Regardless of external demands, always put your happiness and mental wellbeing first.

Filter what you hear

Do not listen to those who say you just have to take what's thrown at you. They'll tell you the grass is not greener anywhere else and that you have to work where you at for at least a year. They'll say that is what is good for your resume.

Honestly, I do not think that is true. Moreso, how do you know the grass isn't greener on the other side if you've not been to the other side? I would advise that you try to work it out and give yourself some time. However, if you truly do not like what you are doing and see that you are not thriving, it might be time to find something that makes you happy. After all, you worked too hard to get your license. You sure didn't make that many sacrifices only to be unhappy and miserable for the rest of your life. Don't be scared to move, you might just find a pleasant surprise at the other end.

Explore and communicate while at it

Sit down with your preceptor and ask for feedback. Be willing to listen to and take positive criticism and make the necessary changes. Sometimes we have to accept being criticized, judged, or not understood in order to learn and grow.

I hope reading this has left you feeling better and more optimistic than you were before. I'd love to share more of my nursing insights and experience with you. Feel free to watch Youtube videos, listen to podcasts, and visit my blog for some advice and inspiration!!!.