New Job: It's All About Relationships
Karla A. Knight, RN, MSN

As a new grad, you’re headed to your first job with a new uniform, a new stethoscope, a pocketful of notes, and a look of anticipation. But in addition to your outward appearance, you should start your new career with an inner willingness to participate in professional activities and a commitment to developing good relationships with members of the healthcare team.

Getting to Know You

Orientation to the OR at Wellstar Cobb Hospital, Austell, GA, involves learning about and observing relationships among all of the OR team members, according to Perioperative Nurse Manager Beth Horack, RN, BSN, CNOR. “If new grads are not given the opportunity to observe how each team member interacts with others, we are setting them up for failure,” she says. “They need to learn names, roles, and the basics of relating to one another in the OR before they learn the technical aspects of being an OR nurse.”

Relationship-building is critical to your success in the early part of your nursing career, says Annette T. Vallano, MS, RN, CS, in her book, Your Career in Nursing. She writes: “Just because you’re new doesn’t mean you can’t make some amazing things happen. Become politically astute and develop the relationships required so that your ideas can have the influence and impact you desire.”¹

Supporting One Another

Vallano also suggests joining or forming a support group for new grads or chat room on the Internet to talk with other new nurses. “Remember that the stress of many experiences is relieved by the support of others with whom you talk. You teach this to your patients, now use it for yourself.”¹

The Wellstar Cobb Transitions group is composed of all new grads who meet for about six weeks to talk about the realities of nursing, what is expected of them as new grads, and where they can go for support. Horack also meets with her OR nurse interns who are enrolled in a six-month orientation and precepting program. Horack brings the interns together once a week to provide support and to get feedback from them about their experiences which she uses to change and improve the internship program.

“This is an ongoing process. We ask the interns to stay involved with the next class of interns so that they can help us make changes in the curriculum,” says Horack. They are also always looking for new grads to volunteer for performance improvement initiatives because their feedback is important for improving the way the OR processes work, she adds.

Joining a Specialty Organization

Horack has high expectations of the new grads who join the Wellstar Cobb OR team. In fact, it’s a requirement for being a nurse intern to join the local chapter of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN). New grads are expected to participate regularly in the meetings and to take the certification exam (CNOR) after two years of working in the OR.

The Northwest Georgia Chapter of AORN, of which Horack is a board member, is active in recruiting not only new grads but also nursing students. “While it may be scary to get out there and attend the meetings, it’s a great way to network early on in your nursing career,” says Horack.

And the more experienced nurses appreciate the presence of the next generation of nurses, adds Horack. “We know how hard nurses work and that attending AORN meetings takes away from personal time,” she says. “But being involved in your professional organization shows a commitment to your career. You meet new people and you learn new ways of doing things.” Of course, adds Horack, that’s not only important for new grads but for all nurses.

Extend a Hand and a Business Card

While you may say that you don’t need a business card because you don’t have a business, you should think of a business card as a way to maximize your impression and by giving people a tool to remember you by, according to Donna Cardillo, RN, MA, Nursing Spectrum’s Dear Donna and author of Your First Year As a Nurse.² Cardillo says that the cards should be kept simple, professional, and not generated on a home computer. Most print shops or copy stores can provide you with cards inexpensively, or find an online printing service where you can design your own such as www.weprintcolor.com/buscardcorporate.htm.

Since resumes can be cumbersome because of their size, business cards are great for the purposes of networking, according to Horack. “Business cards tell me that a nurse is taking her profession seriously,” she adds. “I would be impressed with a new grad who had a professional appearance and the foresight to come prepared with a business card,” she says.

Dressed for Success — Outside and In

So, when you get ready for your first nursing job, think about making a professional appearance. But also make sure you walk through the doors with a professional attitude. Get involved with inhouse committees and your nursing specialty organization, and develop your interpersonal skills not just with your patients but with your coworkers and other nurses as well.

Karla A. Knight, RN, MSN, is a contributing writer for Nursing Spectrum.

References

1. Vallano AT. Your Career in Nursing. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster;2002:87-89.

2. Cardillo DW. Your First Year as a Nurse: Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional. Roseville, CA: Prima Publishing;2001:112-113.