Congratulations on getting hired for your first nursing job! Here are some tips to help you succeed in your orientation and start your career off on the right foot.  

1. Show up for work! Also, don’t be late. This may be an obvious one, but it’s a huge problem in nursing. There’s no faster way to make co-workers angry by being late and calling in. 

2. Stay off your phone! Do not sit at the nurses' station and stare at your phone all day. If you’re lucky there are down times during your shift. It is rare that there is NOTHING to do. Make sure your rooms are stocked, there is always hospital, company, or unit-specific education to complete.  

3. Know where supplies are, the doctors' offices are, and the unit layout. I know this sounds odd, but in larger hospitals, this can be a challenge. I remember when I started in the ED at a Level 1 trauma center, it was very easy to get turned around. Our stockroom was huge and at least every 6 months, it was reorganized to make it easier to find things.  

4. Start out with basic skills. Start as many IVs and put in as many foleys as possible. Know how to use your telemetry monitors. Know how to use your EMR and charting requirements. Remember, if you didn’t chart it, you didn’t do it!! It may sound boring, but you can’t succeed with advanced skills without mastering basic skills. 

5. Most importantly, in my mind, is PAY ATTENTION! This includes paying attention to your surroundings. Violence against nurses is growing. People have short tempers and don’t like to wait. Also, watch the patient’s behavior/actions. There have only been a few times when I have been surprised by a patient or visitor snapping. Usually, there’s a progression of behavior before the patient loses it. Pay attention to your patient's vitals and previous assessments! Not all patients come in crashing. Get your vital signs per your unit policy. If you think they are sick, update the vitals more often. Once you get the vitals, look at the trends. If you notice they are getting worse, tell someone! Do not assume the physician or ACP has time to look through the chart after they put their note in.