Now that you’re celebrating your victory as a new grad nurse, you’re probably eager to pass the NCLEX and start working as a licensed nurse. Before accepting the first nursing position offered to you, make sure you ask for a “share day” on the actual unit/patient care area to determine if it will be a good fit for you.
A “share day” is simply spending a few hours, up to a full shift in the area in which you were offered to work. The purpose of this is so that you can observe the staff, experience how things run, and get a feel of the overall vibe of the work environment. You can either do this as part of a group or on your own. It is also important to consider that you will need to take an active role in assessing a few key components of the nursing work environment that could make it a great place to work, or a place you’d really wind up hating.
Here are three questions to ask yourself on a “share day” to determine if it is the best fit for you:
Is the work environment a good fit?
Spending time in the area you’ll be working is the best way at getting a good feel for a work environment. There are things that are easily observed within a few short hours, and these things could very well influence your decision about accepting that particular nursing position.
You’d want to pay close attention to the attitudes and teamwork efforts of the nursing staff, functionality, layout of the patient care area, available equipment to help streamline patient care, and the condition of the unit and facilities. If the nurses are overwhelmed without any additional support personnel available to assist them, or if patient call lights are not being answered in a timely fashion, perhaps these are warning signs that the nursing team is not working together as effectively as they could be.
What are the norms of the unit?
Spending a few hours on a unit during your “share day” can also provide you with ample time to interview the staff. Make sure you ask questions regarding the average nurse to patient ratios, scheduling, and the typical flow of the unit.
In addition to interviewing the staff, your observations could include things like patient admissions, transfers and discharge rates, how are breaks handled, what methods of communication are in place to help streamline patient care, and what resources are available to nurses to provide safe and effective care. If there is no formal lunch break process in place, or if the nurses are not provided with cellular phones so that they can call departments, or doctors while providing care, then this work environment may provide unnecessary stress, which could catapult you into burnout.
How balanced is the skill mix of the nursing staff?
During your “share-day”, try to speak with several different nurses on staff. You want to get a feel for the overall blend of experiences. You can ask about how long they have been working in their current position, and ask what they like and dislike about it. You should take into consideration the skill mix and experience levels of the nursing staff on the unit.
Having a nice balance of nurses with high level skills, advanced degrees, and many years of experience will benefit new grad nurses, or nurses that are new to a specific specialty. Having a unit full of new graduate RN’s with only a few experienced nurses is a red flag, and one should exercise extreme caution before accepting such a nursing position.
I hope you find these simple, yet effective strategies helpful as you move towards your goal of working as a licensed clinical nurse!
Best Wishes!
-Damion
