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Top tips for your first year as a qualified nurse
You’ve done it – you’ve made it through your training and you’ve landed that all-important first job as a staff nurse. But how will you make it through the ups and downs of your first year?
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'This is how I became a newly qualified nurse working on ICU'
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'I wanted to explore what nursing was like outside the UK'
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'I've realised it's normal to have a crisis of confidence'
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'A few weeks ago I experienced my first cardiac arrest'
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'I have to be realistic, it's impossible to know everything'
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'I remember desperately thinking, I want this man to survive'
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'Why do we belittle ourselve in front of our colleagues?'
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'Just saying 'hello' can be really valuable'
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'Planning my day on placement makes everything so much easier'
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'I took a non-clinical elective placement at the DH'
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‘Will working as a HCA produce better nurses?’
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Are you a ‘murse’, a ‘male nurse’ or simply a ‘nurse’?
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'I have not lost faith in the UK's nursing workforce, I want to join them'
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'I had a predisposed hatred of everything community-based'
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Does first year count?
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‘What do you think of the idea of basic rounding?’
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'I'm a strong believer in volunteer work, it really helps me as a student nurse'
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'As a third year nurse I have butterflies in my stomach for a different reason'
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‘As a student nurse, I'm not sure what I should be competing for'
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‘What would I expect of a nurse?’
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'Completely clueless and in everyone’s way'
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'Mental health problems can happen to anybody, even student nurses'
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'Maybe you can learn from the mistakes that I made as a fresher student nurse'
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'As a fresher take time to get to know your coursemates'
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'Becoming a care maker is one of the best things to have happened to me'
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'I struggled as the only man in my first year cohort'
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'Group work used to fill me with dread'
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How I cope with group work
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'When it comes to essays make sure you have a plan'
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'It was so long since I'd written an academic essay'
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'So, I find myself a student again!'
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'Swallow your pride - everyone needs to start with the basics’
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'My first week at uni has been a financial nightmare'
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'I want to be confident in my actions but humble too'
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'There's a huge difference in the standards of sheets between adult and mental health nursing'
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'I didn’t know what to expect'
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My top 10 tips for new student nurses
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Growth: reflections from a student mental health nurse
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Getting your first year off to a flying start
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'It is okay to ask questions and it’s normal to not know'
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My time nursing in Ghana...
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'It was the first time I'd met a patient who wanted to die at home'
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Sarah-Jane Rexon: my first year as a mental health student nurse
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'If I'd change anything about my first year it would be to ask for more help'
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'I feel so nervous every time I do an OSCE'
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'I have ever only known one hospital and their routine'
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'Don't be disheartened by a nursing home placement'
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'It's a fine line between too much and too little mentor support'
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'If it's not on the marking criteria, it's not worth it!'
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'I had never written an essay before my nurse training'
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'I found the Florence Nightingale Commeration day moving and emotional'
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'I've got to remember that I'm a student and I need to practice my skills'
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'My A&E placement is the best I've ever had'
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'What can we do about 'difficult' patients?'
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'Nothing could be worse than my 12,000 word dissertation'
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'Remember why you became a nurse during the tough days'
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'I'm torn deciding which specialty to pursue in the future'
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'How can I be a nurse one day if I can't do drug calculations?'
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'I still have nightmares about my practical exam'
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'Nursing isn’t about being judgemental'
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'Nursing is tough and it's easy for students to feel isolated'
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'There is no denying that some days on placement are awful'
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'Mental health nursing has given me the challenge I was after'
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'The last few months before qualification can be difficult to handle'
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Challenges in 'the community'...
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The closure of a therapeutic community in a forensic unit
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Exploring the 'real' face of American healthcare
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Back in September...
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'A "cog" in the massive wheel that is healthcare'
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'A new year brings new challenges and goals'
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'Do not turn into the "Pain Police"'
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'The knowledge just seems to be clicking into place'
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#NurChat - Should red trays be a red flag for needing oral care?
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The healing process
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Is the nursing profession branching out too far?
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'Being on a ward really consolidates everything I have learned'
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A new year for a new nursing student
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Support for student nurses: what you can expect
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'Registration for HCAs provides reassurance for families, support for staff and ensures accountability'
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#NurChat – Is David Cameron trying to lead a culture change in the NHS?
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'How can students make themselves more employable?'
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#NurChat – How can we support newly qualified nurses?
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'Transferring from diploma to a degree was a simple decision'
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'Do students feel their views will matter in the pensions debate?'
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'Is segregation of nursing branches a good thing?'
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'The to-do list will have to wait. I’m still at work'
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'Only we set the limits of our careers'
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Christine Beasley: what I wish I'd known when I was studying
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'Initially I was daunted and was convinced I was going to struggle'
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'Many newly qualified nurses are really struggling to get jobs'
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'In my second year I started to doubt everything I knew'
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'Student nurses are good at dealing with change'
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'It was great to learn something hands on that I can directly transfer to practice'
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'A mentor is the nurse who can fill you with motivation, inspiration and endeavour'
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'What would you do, if you didn't nurse?'
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'I'm one of the youngest on my course and feel very inexperienced'
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'Nursing has given me a concrete purpose'
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'The NHS as a free market player turns the patient into a customer'
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'Does sexism in nursing get everyone's back up?'
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'Maybe, we students don't actually know enough'
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'From a student's perspective the idea of striking looks a little different'
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'One thing that shocked me was the amount of assaults on NHS staff'
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'I am now kitted out with fob watches, a stethoscope and plenty of free pens'
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'I feel proud to be a student nurse - I get to do something I love'
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'The first day of placement is never easy'
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'You have chosen to join one of the most worthwhile, challenging and rewarding professions'
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Becoming a 'good' nurse
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How I survived my nurse training
