Newly Qualified

I will never forget my first day as a newly qualified nurse.  I hould have been brimming with confidence after three hard years of studying, but instead it felt as though i was starting my first year all over again.  A new hospital, a new ward and hundreds of new faces.  I shadowed a Sister, who to this day i admire as an excellent nurse and a truly wonderful person.  She was my safety net for the day.  On an acute medical Assessment ward, in the middle of Winter, i know now how busy it is and she was patient every time i needed her.  (And i needed her a lot!)

For anyone that's about to qualify - don't be disheartened by that new feeling of anxiety - it stayed with me for a good few months! At least be comforted by the truth - it will pass - eventually and you'll grow a thicker skin.  Once your uniform has penmarks at every pocket and your badge has scratches covereing most of your name, people will start to take you more seriously.  You'll proabaly go home crying every night for the first few days wondering if you did all you could for the people you looked after, but rest assured.  If there's one thing i learnt about newly qualifieds, it's that they try the hardest, even if they do miss out a few things here and there.