The Experience as a Newly Registered Nurse-First Quarter!

Enjoying documenting my experiences in the first year of my nursing career in Nigeria has always been a dream of mine. I am happy this is becoming a reality. Read and enjoy!

Finally,

When I graduated from nursing school, I anticipated working as a nurse in the real world, but I was shocked.

I finally chose one after applying to many places to get a job. It was a hard choice, as I had other options, but I don’t regret it.

This forced me to move to an entirely new place, and adjusting to a new place was so hard, but I am three months into the nursing experience, so I am adjusting well.

So yes, this is my story.

The Antenatal/Gynaecology Experience

I wouldn’t say I genuinely liked the idea of midwifery, so it was shocking to find out I would be working in this department for two months as my first placement.

This department is focused on the care of a pregnant mother whose foetus is viable at 24 weeks of pregnancy and also on the care of any gynecological case presented to a woman. Here, I managed two departments in one: the Antenatal Ward and the Gynaecology ward.

It took a lot of work to blend in. Even though I had a formal introduction, I still found it very hard. There were many concepts that I needed to familiarise myself with.

After being introduced to the department by my nursing leaders, I started catching on very fast. In one of my resumptions, I became familiar with nursing care and the workflow. I am super thankful to the nurses I met. I didn’t even feel lost, although I asked so many questions. No one left my hand in my first two weeks. In my third week, I was told to go to the theatre and be the midwife for a caesarean section. I was nervous, but I was also confident.

As a midwife, caring for a patient either for an elective or emergency caesarean section is your responsibility. Your patient must be stable before the transfer to the Port-Natal ward, which focuses on the aftercare given to the mother and baby after a safe delivery.

When I got to the theatre, I met the scrub nurses and the paediatrician working with me. I was clueless, but they tapped my back and put me through without condemnation. I felt alive seeing that I could assist in delivering a newborn. I was so excited to be a midwife.

In the following weeks, I started becoming more confident. Aside from cases that involved caesarean section, I got exposed to lots of medical/surgical cases and diagnostic procedures such as intra-uterine fetal demise, endometriosis, severe pre-eclampsia, endometrial biopsy, hysterosalpingography, myomectomy, cases of infertility, cervical and menstrual disorders, evacuation and so much more.

Women are superheroes, actual queens!

All this happened in two months, alongside helping deliver 15 live babies (yes, I counted🤣). I was on a roller coaster of emotions when my stay in this ward ended. I had made good friends and acquaintances, and the ante/gynae department had lovely people ❤️ I am grateful our fates crossed.

The Adult Accident and Emergency Unit.

This department is focused and usually the first emergency contact in the hospital. I managed all cases in the hospital for young adults and above (18 and above). This department attends to all cases except ante-gynaecological cases after a patient becomes stable for specialty care.

I was not prepared to work here. Although I had sourced and prepared information, I was still consistently shocked at my daily encounters.

I started working here immediately with the Night Shift (8 pm-8 am the next day) for five consecutive nights, and I remember falling ill after my first night at work. The Emergency Room (ER) is distinct as critical thinking and safety come first. On resumption, I had a case of a middle-aged woman with no respiration who was said to have slumped while watching her favourite show. After checking vitals, the patient was announced clinically dead, and the relatives took her away. In less than ten minutes, I had another case of gunshot, which I attended to. As all these events occurred, my mind had one goal: to save the patient. I tried my best with the assistance of senior colleagues and the medical team.

I know that I have to attend to all the other patients already in the ER, and dealing with everyone can be overwhelming, but as a professional, I am expected to give the optimum care. After my first night shift, my orientation of life changed. I learned to be better at handling patients and more empathetic, and I know I have to live my life for myself.

One minute, someone is alive and vibrant; the next, they are gone. I can’t explain this as a medical professional, but it made me appreciate life more.

It was a lot of work, and if you are distracted in the ER, making costly mistakes is inevitable, so I ensured I was healthy, focused, and ready to get hands-on experience while coming to work. I even got compliments from my superiors that my work ethic was excellent, which motivated me. Another vital thing that saved me from a lot of stress was ensuring I came to work earlier and read all the case notes of all the patients I would be handling. It helped me give better care and know any updates in their care plan.

On a side note, I wish people were knowledgeable about CPR and first aid. I witnessed so many deaths that could have been prevented if the first response system had been effective. It saddens me to remember how poor the Nigerian health and educational system is, and I hope there will be an improvement in these sectors.

The ER exposed me to several cases such as medical, surgical, mental, and gynaecology cases, such as road traffic accidents, sepsis, chronic kidney diseases, schizophrenia, congestive cardiac failure, and many more, and this is because the ER is the first point of contact with all incoming patients. I even gave my first successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation for a patient.

In general, I love the ER, but it drains me physically and, sometimes, mentally. Patients harass me, which makes me feel incompetent and unsafe, but I always remember humans coming to the hospital in their worst times, which made me more empathetic and improved my work ethic. I also learned to protect myself as a nurse and a young lady in the labor force.

My experience so far has improved my clinical and critical thinking. It has also allowed me to learn many areas of health care, such as triaging, and given me hands-on experience.

LESSONS LEARNED SO FAR

1. Constantly asking questions did not harm me: I asked questions about everything and pushed myself to learn. This made my superiors eager to teach me and allowed me to gain so much experience quickly, taking advantage of opportunities.
2. Drawing healthy boundaries: Doing this early helped me handle situations diplomatically and uphold the nursing reputation. It also strengthened my relationships with co-workers and acquaintances, making me appreciate confidentiality.
3. Active listening is very beneficial: Listening is a life-saving skill for the patient and colleague. Listening helped me empathize and give accurate care to my patients. In nursing, listening also involves being observant and having a strong sense of urgency.
4. Reading as you learn is efficient: I didn’t start doing this early, but when I did, it helped refresh my theoretical aspects of nursing care. It also helped me know the next step and pointed out mistakes in a particular routine, such as the administration of medications.
5. Eating before every shift helped me stay healthy: I tried taking healthy snacks and safe food before work because it allowed me to work effectively. This also helps me be physically and mentally healthy to give optimum care.

Overall, my experience in these units gave me a good head start to the remaining months of my nursing internship. It helped me appreciate life in all its aspects, even death.

I want to write more about my ongoing experience, and I will.

Till then, with all my starlight,

Esther.