Main description:

How to Thrive as a Newly Qualified Nurse provides a structured programme of support for nursing students and newly qualified nurses during their first year qualified.

Packed with practical examples, tips and advice, and featuring vignettes from recently qualified nurses, this book will help you to:

Choose your first nursing post and secure the job you really want
Structure your learning and development in the early stages of your career
Work in a team, prioritise your care-giving and delegate to others
Understand safe staffing, patient acuity and dependency tools, care planning, and risk assessment tools
Learn how to escalate concerns and report incidents.

Here's what some of our student and NQN reviewers said:

"The writing style and tone of voice is just right, it reads as though I'm having a conversation with a knowledgeable, trusted friend."

"I noticed that it answered many of the questions I was always embarrassed to ask as I thought I should have already known those things."

"I have wanted a book that covers the information provided in this book and have been unable to find one. I think this book will be an incredibly useful resource."

Drawing on her 30 years' experience as a Registered Nurse and University Lecturer Practitioner, Carol Forde-Johnston has written an accessible and practical book that aims to respond to the questions and concerns that her students and NQNs frequently raise - and to help you thrive as a newly qualified nurse.

Contents:

About the author; Preface; Acknowledgements; Abbreviations

1. Choosing and securing your first nursing post

1.1 How to choose your first post

1.2 Your application and personal statement

1.3 Preparing for band 5 interviews

2. Structuring your learning during your first three months qualified

2.1 What to expect when you start

2.2 How to structure your learning in your first few months qualified

3. Understanding the key structures in nursing

3.1 Past structures and influences on today's health care

3.2 Key local and national structures

3.3 Key types of nursing delivery systems

3.4 The differences between nursing roles and bands

4. Understanding safe staffing and patient acuity and dependency tools

4.1 Past methods used to determine safe staffing levels for nurses

4.2 Today's NHS

4.3 Important safe staffing guidance for nurses

4.4 Workforce planning and acuity and dependency tools

5. Prioritising care and delegating to others

5.1 Support in practice to develop your management and leadership skills

5.2 How to prioritise your care and manage your time

5.3 How to delegate to others

6. Understanding documentation, care planning and clinical risk assessment tools

6.1 Past nursing documentation and record-keeping today

6.2 The importance of documentation and record-keeping

6.3 The difference between 'good' and 'poor' documentation

6.4 Individualised care planning

6.5 The importance of clinical risk assessment tools

7. Assessing mental capacity and supporting those declining care

7.1 The case that led to changes in the law

7.2 Supporting and informed choice

7.3 The law and key policies

7.4 Assessing mental capacity

7.5 Making a decision on behalf of someone

7.6 The importance of documentation and follow-up

8. Understanding escalation and incident reporting

8.1 Patient deterioration and escalation

8.2 Incident reporting

8.3 De-escalating challenging situations

8.4 How to deal with a patient's death and a deceased body

9. Structuring your future learning and support

9.1 Proactively structure your learning and development

9.2 What you should expect over the next year and onwards

10. Developing our practice and profession through future nursing research

10.1 Evidence-based practice

10.2 Research funding opportunities

10.3 Publishing your work in future

Index