Being the new nurse on the floor is one of the most intimidating feelings anyone can have.
Many nurses suffer from ‘new job anxiety’ which is as bad or the same anxiety you get when you are making a major life decision. Starting your first job as a nurse can be nerve wrecking. It’s like embarking on an adventurer’s journey that you’ve never had before. You don’t know what lays ahead, whether you will come out safe or not?
Job anxiety is brought about by fear.
This fear is due to having uncertainty on how well you will perform. You are also unsure of how other nurses will receive you. You wonder whether they will accept you as a coworker.
One thing you need to remember is experienced nurses also had the same feeling when they first started the job. Accept the fact that you are anxious and be patient with yourself.
Fight off the anxiety
It’s important to handle anxiety so that you don’t get ill due to stress which can affect your personal life.
A strategy you can use is to create jokes and share them with your friends after work. What this does is it makes what seems like a mountain laughable, and hence you can look at the situation from a different perspective.
Be professional
You want to be on the safe side and avoid unnecessary embarrassment during your first days. Avoid telling off-color jokes since you are still new. Ensure you do the right thing at the right time and avoid being distracted by anything that is not work-related like talking on your cell phone.
Be curious
When you start a job at a new place, you barely know people. You will always find yourself left out of conversations. The best thing to do to conform is to ask questions whether it is about the experience your colleagues have or about the work.
Be friendly
Try to be as friendly as possible. It’s important to relate well with your colleagues. Don’t be that moody nurse who everyone feels intimidated by. Instead, create an atmosphere that will attract people to you. Learn your coworker’s names and make conversion when you can.
Set personal goals
Setting your own attainable goals -different from those set by your preceptor is a great way to motivate yourself and evaluate your progress.
As you see yourself learn more and get more confident, your anxiety will get less and less until it finally disappears.
Follow