Tips for Student and New Nurses: Developing your critical thinking skills

I am smart – I mean “book” smart. From my first nursing degree in an associate program to end of my doctoral program – I’ve never gotten a B in any class. However, when I was in my undergraduate program, I was so overcome with fear that I wouldn’t be a good nurse. 

Why? 

Because although I’m book smart, I have no common sense! Heck, even my Dad still calls me an airhead!

You see, to be a good nurse, you need both – smarts AND a dose of common sense. This common sense I talk about can be considered “critical thinking skills” and I had to work to develop mine.

Top 10 Quotes to Inspire Student Nurses

I recently finished a doctoral program. I had been in that program for 5 years!! I truly believe that when you enter into a program, that it’s a journey – not a destination. That you focus on how each class teaches you something you didn’t know before and how each class can change your practice if you look at it that way. But, if I’m being 100% honest, all I could think about during my last semester was finishing!! It sure felt good to be done – journey or no journey!!

If you’re in nursing school, I bet you can relate. You may even have a calendar that you cross off the days until graduation! I don’t know why it is but it seems like the last semester is the toughest. For me, I kept saying that I only survived though the grace of God and an amazing husband. Well, and my evening glass of wine if I got my work done!

New Nurse Success Tip: The best predictor of competence

In my business, I spend a lot of time helping organizations successfully onboard new nurses. From their first interview, first day of work, and clinical orientation to independent, competent professional nurse, the question is always the same - "How do we help new nurses become competent and independently care for patients?" 

As a new nurse, you may be asking yourself the same question. 

What determines new nurse competence?

New Nurse Success Tip: Standing at the Crossroads of your Career

When nurses graduate from nursing school, unbeknownst to them, they are standing at a crosswalk. Some nurses will go left and some will go right. This decision will determine how successful, happy and satisfied they are with their decision to become a nurse. This decision will determine if they will become successful and thrive or unsuccessful and burn out.

Which way will you go?

I study human behavior – in particular, successful people. I just love to read about how someone who was locked in a closet for the first 4 years of his life and fed dog food, grew up to be a world humanitarian while someone else who was provided all of the luxuries known to man become a drug dealer or psycho killer! Human behavior fascinates me.

Out of the 2,000 + books and articles I’ve read about successful humans, one common characteristic exists. It’s this characteristic that faces you at the crossroad…it’s this characteristic that determines how successful you become.

NEW NURSE SUCCESS TIPS: MASTER THE 100% PRINCIPLE

I spend a lot of time helping students and new nurses “get” things – get through nursing school, get their first job, successfully get through orientation, and beyond. Getting these things helps them secure a foundation for future success.

However, quite often while chatting with students/new nurses, they tell me they've either had a horrible academic, job hunting or orientation experience. And then they provide me a litany of examples and reasons.

My first question back to them is this:

CLINICAL TIPS FOR NEW NURSES: MANAGING HYPERKALEMIA

One of my most popular clinical lectures is the one I do on fluid and electrolytes. You see fluid and electrolytes plays a role in EVERYTHING yet we often don’t spend a lot of time trying to understand them. And, I typically find that even experienced nurses truly don’t understand them.

So, I’ll be sharing some tips related to fluid and electrolytes that I believe EVERY new nurse needs to master to successfully care for patients. Because Potassium is one of the most “dangerous” electrolytes (we use potassium in “lethal injections”), we’re starting here.

STANDING OUT AMONG THE SEA OF NURSES: #1 RESUME MUST!

When you’re swimming with a sea of other nurses in the quest to find a job/promotion, who all “look” alike, you need to give yourself the added edge. One way of doing this is by making sure your resume includes one critical element.