In The Field: An experienced nurse gives his advice for new graduates
This week, we’re turning the spotlight on Shannon Carrithers, a burn ICU RN based in California. He’s sharing the story of how he overcame his early struggles as a new graduate, and which mental health tips gave him the strength to stand up for himself. Read on for some gems!
What is your name?
Shannon Carrithers
TRUE or FALSE: Nurses eat their young?
TRUE.
Shannon Carrithers, Burn ICU RN
What is your specialty and where are you based?
7 1/2 yrs medical-surgical RN, but currently in Burn ICU. San Francisco, CA.
Any self care or mental health tips for new nurses?
I’m going to pass on some advice a seasoned RN gave me when I was a struggling new grad. The nurses I worked with made things very difficult for me at times. I would ask a question about something and they would answer it for me, which was great! 6-8 weeks would go by and the situation would come up again. There’s such an information overload when you’re first starting that I couldn’t remember, so I’d ask again. These same nurses would refuse to help me bc, “they told me once already”. It was very hard for me. So one day when I was blessed enough to float to another unit I opened up to a seasoned nurse who was about to retire and what she said to me changed everything. She put her pen down, looked me square in the eye and said, “Well that’s horse shit! Listen honey you tell them that as long as you’re not sure you’re going to ask, because that’s exactly what’s expected of a new nurse. And it doesn’t matter if you ask the same question 10 times, because maybe you’ll get it on the 11th! And if not, ask a 12th time until you’re sure!”
Then she says to me, “If they have a problem with that then it’s their problem, not yours!”.
I thought about that for a couple of days and you know what, she was right! They were the ones with the problem not me! And that’s the day a switch was flipped for me and I was off and running! I did tell them that (a little softer though) and they respected me for it.
Just because it’s hard isn’t a reason to stop doing something. It’s up to you. You’re in charge of yourself and you’ve earned the right to do what makes YOU happy. Don’t let anyone else tell you what you can or can’t handle. Good luck!
How did you choose your specialty? What drew you to it?
My father passed away recently. He was burned as a child and spent many months in a hospital. My way of honoring him.