Reality Shock as Nurses

As nurses we all go through a form of reality shock at some point in our careers. As students it might be the first month of nursing school or the first clinical day at the hospital. As new nurses it may be starting the first job and realizing it was not everything you expected it would be. Even more experienced nurses share with me their feelings of reality shock when new technology and nursing methods come into practice.

So what is the best method of dealing with reality shock?

I recently went to a residency meeting at my hospital with other new graduates and it was really interesting to see how everybody was dealing with this issue. We are all in very different departments and although we’re experiencing some similar reality shock symptoms, we all seem to be at different stages. All of us came into our first job as an RN with different expectations of what our first job would be like and how we would handle it. I think it’s impossible to not imagine what your day-to-day life as an RN will be before you even have that title.

So how do we adjust our expectations? I honestly don’t have the answer. I believe that it always helps to have another nurse who is more experienced to be your mentor. I am fortunate enough to have two amazing preceptors who are patient and kind to me and are willing to walk me through every step. They are such a wonderful resource for me to turn to when I am having an overwhelming day or just simply feel like I’m not cut out for this.

I would love to hear some methods of coping with reality shock from all of you -- new student nurses and experienced nurses alike! It always helps me to feel “normal” when I know that others are experiencing this very thing also.