The Long Overdue Blog Post

I don't know why I didn't write about my new career as a nurse a long time ago. A lot of people say they know what you go through, but few fail to actually understand what it's like as a new nurse. There are so many different transitions to go through during the first year...even the second and tenth years. As a nursing student, you really have no idea. A student is safe under the wings of her teachers and clinical instructors. They are there to make sure you make no mistakes, leaving you with a comforting feeling. Let me just tell you, all that goes out the window when you are on your own. You have your own license and your mistakes are your own. A lot of nursing students don't see the reality until they really get out there in the trenches. On our own, for real. You could lose your license or even worse, kill someone in a split second of an incorrect med calculation. The school part of nursing is stressful in itself, then when you graduate, you get to experience real world stress in all it's raw beauty. In a typical workday you will go from comforting the family members of a dying patient and then go home to your life to deal with your own personal issues. You will carry a lot of weight on your shoulders as a nurse on the job and outside of the job. These are just some of the many things they don't teach you in nursing school. When you land your first job, jump in and hold on for dear life. You will deal with the worst of people and co-workers all the way to lasting friendships and the most endearing patients and families you will ever meet. Welcome to the roller coaster ride of being a new nurse. Everyday on the job is a learned lesson.