AN HONEST NEW GRAD REGISTERED NURSE UPDATE | RN residency program in the emergency department 

Hey Sierra! You did wonderful this week. I'm so proud to see on your own, as a full fledged ER nurse. You handled that propane explosion like a boss!!! From you charge nurse ;)

I’ve been in the army, I’ve had children and now I’ve been a nurse for 12 years. Nursing is by far the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. You’re right, no one talks about the hard parts. No one wants to hear about it or they think you are being dramatic for attention. The only people who understand it are fellow nurses. It is physically and emotionally draining and it is a very thankless job. I have good days and I have very bad days. The best advice I can give is to TRY and leave it all at work. Don’t bring it home with you. Cry in the car on the way home but then let it go if you can. Don’t do cbls or answer emails at home. You MUST maintain a work and life balance. Find as much joy as possible! It’s hard but it is possible.

THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS VIDEO!!!! I feel the EXACT same way!! It literally made me cry because I thought I was the only one who felt lost in life and didn't know who I was anymore because I spent the last 1.5 years focused on nursing school....

I’m so glad that I found your channel! I start as a new grad ER nurse in a level 1 trauma center in January 2023 and I’m so excited but nervous!

This is exactly how I feel I’ve been an ultrasound tech for 6 months and life is such a mixture of emotions

Sierra I'm a new subscriber from Australia and I love your vlogs this vlog is one of the best most eloquently and thoroughly spoken I have ever seen thank you beautiful girl for keeping it real with your beautiful humanity and caring nature I am a security patient munder here in Australia and believe me it's the same here as all over the world you are the best Sierra keep up the good work hugs and keep the faith ❤ from Australia 🇦🇺

Nursing is such a selfless career. Be intentional and selfish when it comes to making time for yourself outside of your job. It’s okay to sleep all day and get nothing done. Give yourself grace and be proud of how far you’ve come. The journey of life isn’t easy. Don’t be afraid to enjoy it!

Appreciate your honesty 😊❤ looking forward to more vids

ER is not easy. Get a year or two experience in the ER and move on. The larger hospital er's are not an easy place to work. I had 2 years in at a large inner city ER, and thought to myself why am I still here. Got a different job and moved on. A great deal of the ER's as of recent are staffed by travel (last 3 years). People don't want to work there unless they are getting paid a substantial amount of $.

I am probably as old as your parents but just about to graduate nursing. I feel weird too. I feel the pandemic has really done a number on society. It's not a specific issue , but just this undercurrent of worry and isolation I didn't have, pre Covid. Health care is an intense place to be, too. I wouldn't have survived emotionally if I started the journey any earlier.

Thank you so much for your raw input. The ER is so lucky to have a nurse like you taking care of these patients. Wish we could duplicate and clone more people like you for your good heart, authenticity, and kindness. I think anyone can sense your good character from across the screen. Sending love and hugs as you are adapting to being a nurse on your own... One day I might be in your shoes and I will remember your words to remind myself that I am not alone.

Love the transparency that you always have in your videos and how you talk about the tough times too. I am currently applying to nursing schools for my second time, hoping I get in this round. When I want to give up, your videos remind me that is will all be worth it! Thank you!!

I graduate tommorow 💙💙💙 I have been watching your journey...thank you for sustaining and inspiring me to get here...

Damn this got way more real n deep than I expected. Thank you for sharing. I can forsure relate with the feeling lost and out off touch with yourself after graduating. That surreal weirdly expansive but freaky feeling lasted about 6 months for me. I also took a year off of school for mental health reasons so.... yeah it took probably 2 years all together to find a good sense of myself again.

Thank you for this❤️ I’m a newer nurse on medsurg (night shift as well) and could relate to a lot of the things you said. Our mental health isn’t talked about enough…work-life balance/sleep schedule is hard!

I cant agree more with you, I am a CNA at a hospital (currently in nursing school) and the traumatic things I have seen have really affected me and while you are working you have to keep your emotions in check and its so hard thank you so much for this video

Hi Sierra thank you for sharing! I relate to feeling like not myself lately since nursing school has been my priority. Tonight is my pinning ceremony so it’s a step closer to having the extra time to explore and find myself again! I also work as an ER tech and I deff agree on how draining it can get. I think managing energy and time is a skill that’s deff gonna help with feeling less overwhelmed and drained 💕

I’m a nursing student and I work in the icu as a nursing student. We sent a patient out of the icu was doing great and then coded and we went to the code, he bled to death. The worst thing I’d ever seen in my life. No one talks about these things

This why im going into software engineering.

I'm in an RN program in Oregon and I started making videos starting 3 months ago, just to document my experiences (specifically heartbreaking ones doing clinical rotations in the hospital) and hearing your words when you got emotional.. I realized I said almost verbatim the same exact thing you said in this video. I just searched "new grad RN Oregon" trying to gain info about what's to come, and I was shocked that it sounded like I read a script of your words in some of my own videos with like 30 views. My heart goes out to you and I hope we can connect at some point! Regardless thank you for saying this, it's so validating and such insightful advice 🥺🤍

As a fellow new grad, this is soooooooo relatable omg! Thanks for making this video!

Sierra!!!! I'm a 3rd year Canadian Nursing student and I've been following you for a while now. I work as an undergrad currently and recently finished my mental health rotation this semester and feel some of the the things you've explained. It's so tough when you don't know what exactly triggers you, and I'm so glad your giving the advice of finding what will help you release those emotions mentally. Keep up the amazing work! I know I'd never make it on ER, I'm planning on L&D😊 you are making the difference for your patients. Amazing job!

You never understand what being a nurse is until you actually work as one. You learn more working than in school. Actually you have to unlearn a lot of stuff. Being a nurse is the greatest gift you can give to humanity. Cultivate is the proper word. Hang tough you will figure out how to deal with the heartbreaking side. It takes time. All of us have cried in the car. My Mom had to hug me one night cause I had trouble dealing with a child getting hurt bad. The med surg floor deals with death also. I avoided labor/delivery and Peds cause I learned to deal with death but kids was hard for me. Being in the ER is stressful but you are the first line of care to lots of pt's. Please don't give up .

Sierra the reason you feel empty and lost is because you don't have Jesus in your heart. Come to know Him personally as your true Savior and Creator and you will a new meaning to life with eternal purpose and fulfillmet. He is worth your time. He loves you so mcuh. I will be praying that God would draw your heart toward Him and reveal Himself to you in the most personal and loving way. We all love you so much. Thank you for sharing your journey with us! I am taking NCLEX next month. Hope to get into ne grad program and hope to work in ER just like you(:

OMG an update. I'm excited😂

Love your channel and videos!!!! Thanks so very much for being honest and authentic!!! Look forward to your next video!!!! 🙏🎄🙏🎄✨🔆🎄🙏🎄

Sierra, I was in the hospital a year ago for a full month (Providence) and have to say., which I did then, that the nurses are angels and hearing your emotional story proves it to me. They are indispensable and cannot be appreciated enough. A 12 hour day is trying enough at any job no less yours. Please keep being the wonderful example of a nurse that you are in so many ways. Thank you.

I feel the same. Just got off orientation two months. Then I was super focused on school now I have sooooo much free time on my hands it’s crazy now I find out what I like

I just graduated in December and wrote my NCLEX a few days ago. Now that I’ve gotten to this point I feel so empty.

Thank you for sharing the downs and please continue sharing how you bounced back.❤

I have a nurse residency interview for 11am-11pm ER shift. What was your opinion about the midshift? Everyone that I talk to says its the worst shift because I will hit the floor running.

Hi Sierra good morning happy Friday morning and happy vlogmas day and happy December and happy winter season and I hope you having amazing day today and this was amazing video I enjoy your channel because you are amazing Supporter

thank you SO MUCH Sierra for making this video! you are so well-spoken and I LOVE that you mentioned finding yourself again, it is so important to realize while nursing is part of your identity in that you worked extremely hard for the accomplishment, it is your career and allows you to touch so many lives, you are also not just your job and are so much more than that. Even on the days you drive home not feeling the best, just know that even in cases where something heartbreaking happened, your presence and being kind and pure has made a huge difference in a situation where there was nothing you could do you still brought light to the situation. thank you for being honest in this, it is so brave and so helpful. I am studying nursing and my family doesnt know but on the fence because I am honestly scared of all the heartbreaking stuff and how it would affect me mentally so I am thinking about it.

I failed 3 times, i lost money to reviews that never helped but the major thing is that I've not lost hope

Sweet girl, I wish I could give you a hug! My final semester starts Jan 5. Capstone, studying for NCLEX, the job search, applying for residency programs... it's a lot. I have been thinking ahead to that next phase of my life after all of the preparation and hard work, the job itself, and an eventual resuming of a more normal life, all that you talked about here. Scared, excited, exhausted, in a state of disbelief, can see the light at the end of the tunnel but not feeling ready yet. Trying to reach for that balance at least a bit more starting now, but knowing it will be an ongoing effort. Thank you for the insight and sharing your heart. You are killing it. 💕

I graduated last Saturday start my Nursing Residency in mid Jan

Girl I feel the same way! I truly don’t know who I am anymore after school I have no routine no focus I don’t know what I wanna cook what I wanna eat it’s weird

I had my first code the other day, it was heartbreaking

Thank you for always being so genuine. We love you so much!! When you work 12 hour shifts together, you become family ❤️

Oh man, im not curious at all but i want to know what to expect :( We all cant wait to wear nurse uniform, but i have no idea what to expect. I kind of know thats its heartbreaking when some patients dont make it, but other than that.. whats going on? do you clean up the patients, what the hell is going in that makes you run out of the hospital and never come back?i really dint know who to ask and everyone is sugarcoating. Since i graduated outside of US we had to work a little but in the hospital in order to graduate, but not in the er. and a patient in a psychiatric part wanted to choke me because i opened the window for fresh air the room smelled so bad. My mentor helped me and mediated i just froze. So i know that happens too, and im freaking out of fear. It would be so much better if i hear it first hand even in a comment from a nurse. Whats the worst things in the er? Btw Sierra, you are the most pleasant person ever 😍

Have you been struggling with NCLEX be it LPN or RN, have you taken the exam for more than once? Are you taking it for the first time? Do you have a too busy schedule to study? Get to Dr Needham for your NCLEX assistance. I’m so happy I finally passed my exams thanks to him. He’s got a magical qbank which will help you become a RN

Yup it’s part of the job !

Maybe it’s just temporary because eventually you can work in a different unit/department. Hopefully, your next job will be better

I start in Jan 8 as a cardic new grad nurse … thank you for sharing .. I’ll be nights as well 😊

Wow you explained my brain 😮 , thank you

I pray for your breakthrough as a nurse I’ve heard so many sorry stories although I don’t know what you’re experiencing, I can tell nursing you just have to be a strong person I hope that you find your joy again and remember why you started in the first place 🙏

Thank you for sharing your thoughts in this video. It's nice to know other people in the healthcare field may have similar thoughts and feelings as well. I currently work as a CMA at an urgent care and we have to also work 3 twelve hour shifts. It really can be exhausting mentally and physically. One thing I do struggle with is trying to not bring work home with me mentally. Im currently applying for a nursing program for this up coming year. Im extremely nervous.

Do you mind sharing how you set up your resume and cover letter??

I used to sleep for 3 days after my 6 shifts

I feel you girl. On my own now on nights in the ER and that one ICU patient on pressors and tubed being down with you for a whole shift because there are no beds is HARD. My 3 other poor patients get neglected on those days.

Did you choose to start on Night Shift or they only offer Night Shift to new grads

❤ hang in there. You are doing great ❤

post nursing school blues.its a real thing. and almost anti-climatic. its weird for sure.

Good job 😊

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Baby when you really start on your own please give us an update It’s not all rainbows and when you have more experience of working on your own without a perceptive it’s totally different as well

If I feel depressed just imagining the thought of dealing w the heartbreaking things, bagging, etc all the hard stuff do you think I should reconsider? i dont think I could ever handle putting someone in a bag, even during cadaver lab at school i cant be hands on I just watch from far away and I would value your opinion! you are so brave!