Surviving Your First Ninety Days In Your New Healthcare Job as a nurse manager
In the last few months, I have been working with a few nurses due to start new jobs shortly. Getting a new job is a nerve-wracking experience. There’s the stress of the application process to consider, the headache of the interview, and the agonising wait while you wonder whether you’ve got the job.
Unfortunately for those who hate the process of getting a new job, the work doesn’t stop after you’ve been offered the role either.
During the first thirty or so days at your new job, you’re going to be under the watchful eye of your manager, supervisor, and even the head of the directorate. These people need to ensure that they’ve made the right decision in hiring you.
In some cases, you might even need to prove yourself before the end of a probation period to keep your new role.
So, how do you survive this crucial initial stage?
A few ways have helped me thrive in the first 90 days of a new job. I hope you find them as helpful as I have done.
Start on a Positive Note
Start positively, with a good attitude. Rush into work each morning or before your shift starts with a smile on your face and a can-do attitude. Make sure you look the part too. If you don’t wear a uniform in your role, dress to impress according to the organisation’s standards and look cleanly pressed before you walk through the front door.
If you’re working remotely, you can still try this strategy by sending a positive message to the group chat for your team first thing when you start your shift and getting appropriately dressed just in case you need to drop into any video meetings.
2. Get to Know People
Don’t maintain “the new guy” position for too long. For people to remember your name and feel an affinity with you, they need to speak to you regularly. With that in mind, make an effort to know as many people you’ll be working with as possible.
While you shouldn’t necessarily be a chatterbox while you’re meant to be working, you can always make time to socialise on your breaks, at lunch, and even after the workday is over.
Knowing people and remembering their names will make you more memorable in return.
3. Take the initiative and Ask Questions.
Don’t be afraid to be the curious type when you’re getting started in your new job. Staying quiet and blending into the background will mean people forget all about you, which might not be the impression you’re going for.
Failing to ask questions when you need to also means you’re more likely to make mistakes in your work. Have a balance between showing your worth and being curious about how things are done.
Asking questions will show you’re committed to doing things right.
Just make sure you don’t ask the same things over and over. Make a note of what you discover and try to learn as you go.
It’s also worth taking the initiative as often as possible, inquiring if there’s anything you can do to be more valuable or helpful.
4. Get a Mentor
If you have been following me for some time, you may know that I am a keen advocate of Mentorship.
I have already mentioned getting to know people, but if you want to improve your chances of success, you can go beyond internal networking and choose a mentor.
A mentor is someone in a leadership position you can turn to for guidance.
You’ll need to ensure that this person is comfortable with being your mentor, but getting one can be extremely useful, as it gives you access to constant support and expertise.
Having a mentor also means you have someone in the organisation who’s invested in seeing you succeed. When someone chooses to mentor another person, they can’t help but feel a sense of responsibility for what happens to that person.
5. Set Goals
Setting goals is a great way to ensure that you accomplish things in your new role.
While it’s tempting to hold on tight and go with the flow during the first few weeks of a new role, you should always be looking towards the future. Setting goals will help you to figure out what to focus on as you begin to develop new relationships and work on your skills.
Goals will also come in handy when you have follow-up meetings with your manager to discuss how your new role is going. You’ll be able to talk about what you’re hoping to accomplish and show the person in charge that you’re envisioning a future with the organisation.
Although the first ninety days in your new role can be scary, using a plan with the tips above can make you feel like you have more control over the impression you make. With these hacks, you’ll be able to capture the eye of the people in your new job for all the right reasons and avoid missing out on a long-term position.
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Beaulah Chizimba is the Founder of Limitless Nurses, a senior nurse leader, leadership coach and speaker . She writes about how health and care leaders at all levels can raise self-awareness, grow leadership skills, thrive and advance their professional success