Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

My first year as a nurse taught me what true resiliency is

Mandeep Garha, RN
Education
December 13, 2015
Share
Tweet
Share

I remember attending an eight-hour seminar on my job, where experts educated new nurses about the transition we would experience in our profession. We learned about the change theory and the different levels of transition, from novice to expert. I remember not taking the two-day session very seriously, thinking that my accelerated three-year nursing degree had prepared me well for the workplace. Now that my one year of practicing as a registered nurse is coming to an end, I marvel at how much I’ve been changed.

My decision to enter nursing was rather sudden but the right one. I spent two years volunteering at my local hospital while completing my bachelor’s of science in genetics. Half of my academic time would be spent in the lab, reading journal articles and culturing bacteria. My weekends would be spent volunteering at a local hospital. When it came time for graduation, my passion for providing service to others trumped my love for research. At the age of 23, I decided to obtain my second bachelor’s degree and become a registered nurse.

The journey of completing nursing school shaped me into a more responsible, accountable, and mature individual. It taught me how to critically think, how to save lives, and how to advocate for my patients.

However, nothing could have prepared me for the psychological experience I would face during my first year of being on the job. While adapting to my new life of working 12 hours a day, surrounded by sickness and disease, the fragility of life became very real all of a sudden. I had to reinvent the definition of normalcy in my life. I remember being frozen during my first death, bagging the body in sheer terror. The second time around it became slightly less terrifying, but the experience still shakes me to the core every time.

I learned how to focus all of my energy and compassion into my patients and their family members for 12 hours of my day and come home to meet the needs of my family. During some of the toughest moments in my life, when I was facing personal grief, I learned how to compose myself into a cheerful and supportive nurse, who was there for her patients. I learned what it meant to have strength on an entirely different level.

I learned that you can never have enough compassion or empathy in this profession. Even during periods of burnout and exhaustion, you’ll be expected to provide compassion and empathy, as if you have a never ending supply of it. It helped me develop a newfound appreciation for the physicians I worked with. I’ve heard many complaints from the public about the poor quality of care the physicians and nurses provide, when in reality we are tirelessly caring for others every day of our professional lives, often during times when we might be needing care.

The experience of becoming a health care professional has not just been an intellectual one, but one of resiliency. It has humbled me in ways I had never imagined and taught me how to truly serve selflessly.

Mandeep Garha is a nurse.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Physicians experience grief in a different way

December 13, 2015 Kevin 2
…
Next

The ethical implications when physicians' roles merge

December 13, 2015 Kevin 1
…

Tagged as: Nursing

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Physicians experience grief in a different way
Next Post >
The ethical implications when physicians' roles merge

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

  • A call to clinicians: Contrary to what you’ve been taught, use social media

    Joshua Mansour, MD
  • Why medical students should be taught the business side of medicine

    Martinus Megalla
  • Registered nurse for president!

    John Green, DHA, RN
  • What my first patient in medical school taught me

    Ton La, Jr., MD, JD
  • “You’re making a huge mistake because you’re threatening a nurse.”

    Admin
  • My first patient taught me a humbling lesson

    Mirissa D. Price

More in Education

  • Why medical schools must ditch lectures and embrace active learning

    Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA
  • Why helping people means more than getting an MD

    Vaishali Jha
  • Residency match tips: Building mentorship, research, and community

    Simran Kaur, MD and Eva Shelton, MD
  • How I learned to stop worrying and love AI

    Rajeev Dutta
  • Why medical student debt is killing primary care in America

    Alexander Camp
  • Why the pre-med path is pushing future doctors to the brink

    Jordan Williamson, MEd
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How veteran health care is being transformed by tech and teamwork

      Deborah Lafer Scher | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

      David Carmouche, MD | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • How veteran health care is being transformed by tech and teamwork

      Deborah Lafer Scher | Conditions
    • Why judgment is hurting doctors—and how mindfulness can heal

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
    • Why medical schools must ditch lectures and embrace active learning

      Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA | Education
    • Why helping people means more than getting an MD

      Vaishali Jha | Education
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
    • Why evidence-based management may be an effective strategy for stronger health care leadership and equity

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 4 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How veteran health care is being transformed by tech and teamwork

      Deborah Lafer Scher | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

      David Carmouche, MD | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • How veteran health care is being transformed by tech and teamwork

      Deborah Lafer Scher | Conditions
    • Why judgment is hurting doctors—and how mindfulness can heal

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
    • Why medical schools must ditch lectures and embrace active learning

      Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA | Education
    • Why helping people means more than getting an MD

      Vaishali Jha | Education
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
    • Why evidence-based management may be an effective strategy for stronger health care leadership and equity

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

My first year as a nurse taught me what true resiliency is
4 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...