Graduation day is in sight for many nursing students. And whether you’re saying farewell to nursing school this month or in May, your first year as a real, actual, honest-to-goodness nurse is fast approaching. Your first 12-hour shift. Your first real patient. Your first day without your preceptor. Your first run-in with your manager. Your first, well, pretty much everything. And to help you out, this week, we’re going to dip into one of the books in the Stressed Out series to give you some advice.

Stressed Out About Your First Year of Nursing was written by Patricia Duclos-Miller and its practical, simple advice has already helped thousands of new nurses get their feet on the ground. Here’s a glimpse of what’s inside:

You are entering one of the most rewarding professions in the world. Nurses are highly respected and trusted by the public. Nurses touch lives in many ways and are remembered by patients and families for the care they provide. Along with the job title, however, come a number of stressors–stressors that make the job of nursing one of the most challenging of all fields. With that in mind, there are realities that you need to know from the beginning so that you are prepared and can manage the stresses that come with this noble profession.

You probably already know some of the factors that you will face on the nursing unit:

• Rapid turnover of nursing staff or lack of adequate nursing staff
• Increasing patient acuity
• Shorter stays in the hospital
• An aging workforce

In addition to the challenges of the work environment, you will be facing the challenge of being a new graduate. How will you cope with the challenges of this new role? How will you handle some of the stressors of the work environment, such as fulfilling the high job demands of nursing, coping with a lack of support from your peers, floating to other nursing units, and struggling with work overload due to poor prioritization and time management?

There are a number of strategies you can use to control your stress–strategies you may even want to share with your fellow nurses and nursing administration:

1. Understand yourself so that you can build relationships with your colleagues.
2. Never be afraid to ask questions. It is okay to let people know that you do not have the answer. Nursing is a lifelong learning profession.
3. Know your limitations. Do not be afraid to express them in a professional manner when asked to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable.
4. Be a sponge and soak up as much as you can–watch and listen and you will learn so much more than what you learned in school.
5. Find a personal mentor and ask him or her to be your support person for at least the first year. You will need to talk to someone about your good and bad days in nursing.
6. Always have integrity–with it, you will gain the trust and respect of everyone with whom you come in contact.
7. Do it right the first time, even if you think there is no time. Chances are, you won’t have to do it over.
8. Develop good organization skills. Do not save things for later–there may not be a later.
9. Do not complain about something (or someone) unless you have a solution. No one likes a complainer.
10. Listen to your patients; they know their bodies better than you do.

Editor’s note: This excerpt was adapted from Stressed Out About Your First Year of Nursing. For more information on this book, click on the book cover on the left side of the page. It’s the purple one.