Hi Kara Thanks for agreeing to chat with me! Can I start out by asking which state you are from, what year you graduated and whether you are RN or EN?
Hi Nurse Meg. I am an RN in QLD. And graduated Feb 21 and have been registered for 6 months.
Awesome! So when you graduated did you apply for any grad programs?
I didn’t apply for any grad programs. I have 4 children and my husband works away so couldn’t commit to a grad program and shift work. My youngest hasn’t started school yet so wasn’t looking at fulltime hours either.
Fair enough. It is very common for nursing students and new grads to be having young families so it is important that we can adapt to support this. So what did you do instead?
I was looking at going into GP land as they had fairly family friendly hours. And noticed an ad on Seek for a practice nurse position for an ophthalmologist for approx 20 hours per week. I applied and was lucky enough to get the position
Amazing 
And did you feel well supported in your role there?
And did you feel well supported in your role there?Absolutely!! It’s a small one Dr practice and I was lucky enough to have a lengthy induction. The team of technicians and assistants have been wonderful and supportive as well. Dr encourages questions and gives me opportunity to sit and observe his examinations as well as offering debrief/education sessions at the end of the day. I have also put in lots of time at home reading and educating myself on the eye.
Oh wow that sounds great. Are there other nurses that work with you or are you the only nurse on staff?
That’s something I struggle with. I’m the only nurse on staff. And the previous RN had resigned prior to me starting due to health issues. I was trained by the clinical assistant who was wonderful and thorough but didn’t know the full extent of the RNs duties.
Yes I imagine that could be isolating for any nurse let alone a new nurse. Have you found nursing support networks elsewhere?
A couple of Facebook groups, but not really anywhere else.
Are you a member of ACN at all? I just thought of it because I know you can find mentors through them, might be handy. All in all though do you enjoy what you do?
I have heard of them but haven't looked too much more into it. I really do enjoy working where I am. I’m loving learning about the eye and being exposed to the medical field. The possibilities are endless. I do think that it to enjoy a job you need have a great supportive team around you.
Yeah a good team can make even the worst day seem manageable. Do you see yourself have a long career in this area? And have you felt at all disadvantaged by not doing a "grad program"?
Yes and no for both questions. I wouldn’t mind if I stayed in ophthalmology. There is so many sub sections and even more to learn. But the thought of trying something new and different interests me as well. I have fleeting moments of panic thinking that my position will limit my employment opportunities after my Dr retires (I plan on staying until that time, which will be within 5 years) but at the same time, I am learning so much and involved in patient education, creating relationships with clients and assisting my doctor. All skills which will be sought after when I do need to find a new job.
Absolutely! I truly believe the most important thing is learning how to work as a nurse as in being responsible for your learning, being responsible for your actions and your registration. Apart from that every job has aspects that you can learn and apply to a wider range of jobs. What else do you think you might like to try?
I got to observe Dr in theatre one day so that opened up all the theatre position possibilities that I hadn’t known of before. And a different speciality. I think I would like to specialise in one thing rather than ward nursing or similar. And palliative care. I’ve always been interested in that.
Amazing! Have you thought about what skills you have learnt in the opthalmology practice that could be applied to jobs in theatres or palliative care?
My visual observation skills have improved. Noticing something that is not normal and assessing that and knowing what avenue of questions and tests to do based off my findings. These skills would be transferable to other fields. Anticipating Doctors requests. Learning how they like certain things to make their job easier and practicing speaking up and become comfortable asking questions or provide assistance. And, in my opinion, the most important is patient/client relationships. Developing the relationship, making them comfortable. Studies have shown that patients are more likely to be compliant with care and more open with nurses if they can trust them. Trust and relationships are very important in theatre and palliative. They’re both scary places for a lot of people.
Those all sound like amazing skills for any nurse and it seems like you have a wonderful career ahead of you! Is there anything else you would like to tell new grads who are feeling nervous about getting a job or who are facing the prospect of not getting into a grad program?
Thank you! Being able to chat to you was great. It helped me put things onto paper(text) and helped show me how far I’ve come in the last 6 months. Advice = Be excited and willing to learn something different. There are so many opportunities available besides a grad program or ward nursing. There are going to be times that you feel overwhelmed but it will get better. You will become more confident. And you will make mistakes. Hopefully it’s not going to be a huge one. Own the mistake. Seek a debrief and ask questions and learn from it. And do better next time.
Brilliant advice! Thank you so much for sharing.
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