Where is the report room?
I hope I don’t get lost
I hope the person training me is cool
Just be you
I should eat breakfast
Being up this early is painful
I can’t be late
Damn, I forgot my stethoscope
How do I find my floor?
How far is the hospital from my assigned parking spot?
Do I have time to get coffee?
Will I even be able to drink it?
New computer programs
New hospital
New rules
Computer modules
Introductions
Perceptions
Resistance
Smile
Introduce myself to everyone
Win people over
Help others when I am free
It takes time
Bring passion
Don’t be afraid
Ask questions
Break the ice
What is similar?
What is different?
I got this…
These were some thoughts running through my mind as I was
getting ready and on my way to my first official day of my new job this week.
Being the “newbie” is always a little scary. It’s a mix of excitement and
nervousness. Even if it’s the same job you have done in your previous job, just
simply being with a new company, new people, new programs, and new styles is
always an adjustment. I am just switching companies or hospitals in this case.
I am still a nurse. My thought going in was I am upgrading hospitals because
the hospital I was hired at is considered “best in the west” and 5th
in the nation. So of course my expectations were pretty high. The previous
hospital I worked at was ranked 9th in the west. So it wasn’t
horrible, just not number 1. Anyhow, my first day/week at work was great. I
learned a lot about my unit. They do a lot of things differently than my
previous hospital. There are plenty of things I observed on the unit I’m on
that I would do differently or would have handled differently. Every nurse has
her/his own style of dealing with certain situations. Just like any job. Every
sales person has her/his own style. Every accountant has her/his own style ect.
I am excited by the new challenges. I like that I have a learning curve. It’s
always good to strive to get better at whatever it is you do. Be inquisitive!
Bring passion. Show interest. Be positive. Encourage others. Have zero
tolerance for any negativity. That way you force your environment to always be
uplifting.
Some of the challenges I know I am going to face at my new
job is simply getting used to how things are done at this hospital. There are a
few things I have already encountered that I don’t agree with the way they are
done. The hardest part about being in “training” is the person that is training
you most of the time wants you to do things the way they do them. I’ve trained
plenty of nurses. A lot were new graduates. I always told them, “this is the
way I do it but in time you will come up with your own routine and find a
groove that works for you”. New grads tend to need a little more hand holding
because everything is new. They want you to show them how to do everything.
They are afraid of doing things wrong. But, I always encouraged them to be
independent. If they did something wrong I was hyper aware of not addressing it
in front of a patient. If it were something that needed to be fixed right then
and there I would just fix it discretely and then talk to them about it after
we left the patients room. It’s different now, training for a job and not being
a new grad. I already know how to do most of these things. I have my own
“groove”. It’s difficult when I’m getting trained and I am expected to follow
someone else’s “groove”.
Part of being the “newbie” is also getting to know everyone.
Expect that everyone already have perceptions about you. Everyone makes his or
her own judgment of a person within the first few seconds of meeting you. Make
sure you make a good impression. SMILE. Shake peoples hands. Don’t wait for
people to introduce you. Introduce yourself to EVERYONE not just your immediate
coworkers. This includes, housekeeping, lift team, physical therapists,
physicians, the pharmacists, the cafeteria, lab techs ect. You want to know
everyone. Addressing someone by name is a big deal. Even on the phone. When you
speak with someone say for example if you called Verizon for something that is
wrong with your phone. At the beginning of the convo the person from Verizon
will say something like, “Thanks for calling Verizon my name is Josh, how can I
help you today”. If you reply saying something like, “Hi Josh, I am calling
because I want to upgrade my phone plan…” and you have your convo with Josh. At
the end you say something like, “I appreciate all your help today Josh thanks”
the impact is different than if you didn’t address him by name. It’s just one
way to stand out. The next time you call
the operator at work, or the help desk, or pharmacy, or anyone let them know
you were listening by addressing them by their name. It creates a connection
and makes a difference.
It takes time to build that comfort zone you had at your old
job at your new job. It all happens in time. Focus on mastering the skills
specific to your unit and creating positive perceptions of yourself with the
people around you. Don’t get caught up in drama. Steer clear of those people.
You will know who they are quickly. They will just drag you down. Being the
newbie gives you the chance to start over. It’s a fresh start. Be better than
you were at your previous job. Everything you learned there, now you know
before even starting at the new job. Bring the best you everyday. Don’t give
anyone a reason to say anything bad about you. You will be envied for the
simple fact of being positive, especially if you are a lady. Keep it together.
If something is wrong and it upsets you be firm and flat in terms of emotion.
Don’t let your emotions get the best of you. I don’t care if you are PMSing or
you’re in the middle of a divorce. Everyone has issues going on in their life.
Unfortunately, people simply don’t care or are happy to see you down. Don’t
give people a reason to try to invalidate your actions. There is nowhere to go but
up if you play your chips right.
Until next time.
-Norah
