"We offer a Nurse Residency Program that is designed for the new graduate nurse. It is structured around monthly learning sessions, with a focus on providing an interactive, reflective and enriched learning environment. The program is designed to enhance recruitment/retention of the new graduate nurse and support their transition into a competent practitioner. I am proud to announce that we recently completed year 19 of this program. I asked our participants to write an open letter to a Dear New Nurse. These kind words of support and encouragement are meant for every nurse, in every position, in every stage of their career."
– Erin Smital, Nursing Professional Development Educator & Nurse Residency Coordinator, RWHC
LETTER 13 - Dear Brand New Nurse...
It gets better, I promise! We all make mistakes or miss things in the start, but everything is a valuable lesson in the making. It just depends on how you process the lesson. Never be worried about sounding stupid; chances are if you are questioning something, others have that same question. Someone just needs to take the risk of being vulnerable and asking the question. My start to nursing was very rough; my nurse manager and I didn’t get along well. I learned how to talk to her in a way that she could accept and a year and a half later we get along very well. This program helped a lot. I wish you luck!