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10 things I wish I knew before becoming an RN

Stressed Out Nurses Weekly, July 16, 2007

The transition from nursing school to the halls of the hospital can be quite difficult for many young nurses. There are stones to be uncovered, discoveries to be made, and tricks to the trade. Wouldn't it be nice if there was someone to fill you in on some of the secrets before your first day of orientation? One of our nurse friends from Ohio is going to do just that by listing the top 10 things she wishes she knew before she became an RN:

My name is Sarah Jane and I am an RN in Ohio. I went into nursing because I wanted to help people. I am a second generation nurse, as my mom is also an RN. Right before I really decided that I wanted to be a nurse and start nursing school, my grandma was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She was in the hospital for a while before we brought her home with hospice support. My mom and I took care of her, and it was then I knew I wanted to be a nurse.

I graduated from a community college in May of 2005. I knew from nursing school that I wanted to be in ER or critical care. Fortunately, my hospital offers an internship, where you can try out three areas in the hospital-I tried out the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU), the intensive care unit (ICU), and neuro. The internship also included some great classes on a variety of topics, such as vents and drips. Sometimes it felt like we were just regurgitating nursing school all over again, but many times we learned some really helpful stuff.

I applied to the ICU and CICU, and the CICU gave me my first nursing job. Even though I had done my rotation there during the internship, I still had to start fresh. They had classes to send me to, and I quickly had a huge notebook full of information I had to learn. I went through orientation with an experienced nurse who helped me grow as a nurse. At times she was hard on me, but in the end she made me a better person. She pushed me because she knew I was going to be a great nurse.

For more of this story (plus a whole lot more!), please click here.

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