Surviving Your First Year As a Nurse: Real Talk for New Grads During Nurses Week

Welcome back to the Life After Nursing School podcast & blog—and happy Nurses Week!

My first nurses week in 2013!

I can’t believe I’ve been celebrating Nurses Week for over a decade now. My first year as a new grad nurse still feels so fresh. I remember working on a busy med-surg floor when my husband, an orthopedic physician assistant, sent me flowers from the hospital gift shop. It was such a sweet gesture, and it was a “pinch me” moment. I remember thinking, “wow - i’m finally on the receiving end of nurses week!”.

That memory got me thinking about my very first year as a nurse and how much I wish someone had told me the truth about how hard that transition would be. So that’s what we’re talking about today: surviving your first year in the nursing profession.

The First Year Reality Check

As nursing students, many of us binge-watch shows like Grey’s Anatomy or The Pitt, and we imagine saving lives, making a difference, and feeling like superheroes in scrubs. And while those moments of impact do happen, the everyday reality of being a nurse is much messier, harder, and more emotionally complex than TV shows can prepare you for.

This isn’t about bursting your bubble or shutting down your nursing dreams. I love this profession and have had incredibly fulfilling chapters in my career—especially as an ER nurse. But media can’t depict the burnout, the pressure, the rapid learning curve, and the emotional weight of being responsible for human lives. You have to experience it to understand it.

So, if you’re a new nurse who’s struggling: you are not alone. This is one of the most stressful and transformational periods of your entire career.

And yes, it gets better.

New Grad Nurse Turnover is at an All-Time High

Let’s talk about turnover.

In this context, "turnover" means new grad nurses leaving their first job, often within the first year. And the numbers are alarming:

• According to the Journal of Emergency Nursing, the national turnover rate for first-year nurses is 27.7%.

• Within emergency departments, that rate is even higher—jumping from 20% in 2020 to 29.7% in 2021.

Why? Because we’re not just facing a staffing shortage—we’re facing a shortage of nurses who want to stay in high-stress, poorly supported environments.

From my perspective as a former nurse manager and hospital recruiter, I can tell you that first-year retention is crucial.

When you get one to two years of consistent experience, you build clinical judgment, critical thinking, and confidence.

Without that, your development becomes fragmented. And unfortunately, frequent job-hopping early in your career can amplify imposter syndrome.

The Psychological Toll of Being a New Nurse

A 2022 study in Frontiers in Psychology showed that 12.8% of new grads were already thinking of quitting within their first eight weeks on the job.

Even more telling:

• For every point increase in job stress identified by participants, results showed the intention to quit increased by 7%.

• If you add sleep disturbances to the mix, the risk of quitting jumps by 19%.

• ICU nurses were 10 times more likely to want to quit compared to med-surg nurses
  
  
  
  

I’ve been there. My first job was on night shift, and after three months of chronic sleep deprivation, I was ready to leave. Thankfully, I was able to switch to evening shift, and I stayed on that unit long enough to gain my footing.

If you’re currently on nights and struggling, check out blog post “Thriving on Night Shift: Real Talk & Survival Tips with Ashleigh Small” or listen to Episode 13 of this podcast, where I chat with night shift nurse Ashleigh Small on how to thrive working nights.

You’re not alone in this.

Why the Urge to Quit Feels So Strong

Let’s talk about that impulse to walk away from it all—the one telling you to quit and run the other way.

That’s your brain reacting to instability. Starting something new throws your entire nervous system out of whack. You’re flooded with doubt, imposter syndrome, and exhaustion. You feel like everyone else has it together while you’re just trying to stay afloat.

Here’s the truth: Quitting doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you’re human. And pushing through this uncomfortable, uncertain period is where you build the grit that carries you through your entire career.

The Four- and Eight-Month Stress Peaks

Another study, this one from the Healthcare Journal, found that new nurses tend to experience major stress peaks around the four- and eight-month marks of their first year. This is usually when orientation ends, workloads increase, and the reality of the job hits hard.

By the 12-month mark, stress levels tend to decrease as new nurses adjust and gain confidence. So if you’re in that 4–8 month window and feeling like you’re drowning—you’re not failing.

You’re right on schedule.

Job Satisfaction (or lack thereof) Among New Nurses

A 2023 survey by Park and Oh looked at over 400 new nurses and found:

• Job satisfaction scored just 5.52 out of 10.

• Institutional satisfaction was even lower at 5.16.

• 42.5% considered leaving the profession within their first year.

• Over 50% thought about leaving their current job.

The top stressors? Heavy patient loads, poor communication, and confusion about hospital policies. All of that leads to burnout, isolation, and self-doubt.

Why You Should Try to Stick It Out

Now, I’m not saying stay in a toxic workplace. But if your environment is even somewhat supportive, try to stick it out for a year.

Here’s why:

• Many nursing job postings require a minimum of one year of experience.

• Without that year, you’re often ineligible—even for residency programs.

• Recruiters may see short stints as red flags, even if the context was valid.

I’ve worked with many new grads who’ve left a job too early and struggled to find their next one. One client I coached had only six weeks of inconsistent orientation and ended up resigning. She bounced from job to job before finally landing in a clinic—not her dream, but a place to rebuild.

Had she been given a more structured, supportive start, her journey might’ve been different.

Practical Tips for New Grad Nurses

So how do you survive that difficult first year?

1. Lean into your resources.
If you’re in a nurse residency program, use it. Ask for help. Bring your concerns to your preceptor or educator. Identify your weakest areas and be proactive.

2. Advocate for yourself.
You’re not a burden. Your employer doesn’t want to lose you—they’ve invested in you. Speak up. Ask for more time, clarification, or a change in preceptor if needed.

3. Practice time management.
If this is a struggle (and it is for most new grads), use orientation to learn how to cluster care, anticipate needs, and organize your day. These small wins build confidence.

4. Don’t compare your journey.
Everyone’s experience is different. Some nurses adjust quickly; others take longer. That doesn’t make you less capable.

5. Find a support system.
Whether it’s through work, online, or with a mentor—find people who get it. Isolation breeds burnout.

The Power of Community: The New Nurse Society

That’s why I created the New Nurse Society.

Initially, it was a space to help students and grads land their first jobs. But it’s evolved into something much bigger. Now, we offer monthly workshops, Q&A sessions, downloadable tools, and something I’m especially excited about—Connection Calls.

Led by my friend Julia, a nurse life coach-in-training, these calls offer a space to vent, reflect, and connect with other nurses going through the same struggles. Our first session was full of new grads who bravely shared their challenges—and walked away feeling seen and supported.

If you’ve ever thought, “Am I even cut out for this?”—this community is for you.

You’re Not Alone—And You Can Do This

To the new nurse lying awake at night, wondering if they made a mistake: You didn’t.

You’re in the messy middle of one of the hardest transitions of your life.

And guess what? That discomfort? That doubt? That’s what growth feels like.

Stick with it. Ask for support. Advocate for what you need. And don’t forget—there’s a whole community cheering you on.

Happy Nurses Week, my friend. You’re doing better than you think.

If this resonated with you, share it with a fellow new nurse who might need to hear it. And check out the New Nurse Society—we’d love to support you on this journey.

And remember—I have one hand for me and the other for you. Until next time.

Caroline

PS. Want more on this topic? Listen to Life After Nursing School Podcast  Episode 15