New nursing and midwifery graduates recently spent an afternoon quizzing RNs and social media stars Ellie Peach and Nurse Priya about what to expect as they embark on their new careers.

Ellie and Priya spoke alongside Elle Brown, a Peer Support Clinician with Nurse Midwife Health Program Australia, answering questions ranging from ‘who do I turn to when work gets tough?’ to ‘How do I cope with grief after a patient dies?’

Ellie (@_ellie. peach) shared the advice that helped her stay positive and confident throughout her new grad placement.

“Model the behaviour of nurses that you want to be,” Ellie said. ‘Keep a positive role model in mind, try not to get caught up in the negativity that exists. The culture changes with one person.”

Ellie said she was excited to meet the new grads at the event, many of whom follow her and Priya on Instagram and TikTok. “We don’t get to engage with them properly online,” said Ellie.

Nurse Priya (@priyaprosser), a radiology and travel RN, discussed the importance of team nursing, standing up to workplace bullying, and building a strong support system.

People asking questions were “on fire”, Nurse Priya said. “Sometimes I still feel like a new grad, and I think it is really important to remember that feeling never really goes away, and that’s a good thing because that means you are never going to stop learning.”

PROTECT YOUR ENERGY

She had some key pieces of advice for new graduates starting their career: “Don’t let anyone dull your sparkle. Protect your energy, take your breaks, drink your water and treat yourself regularly.”

Priya said while it is important to budget for necessities, she advised including some “spending money” in your budget. “Otherwise, you are going to feel like ‘I can’t enjoy my life’.”

New graduate Mary, from Shell Harbour, said listening to the panel was a reminder that “each nurse has their own strengths”. It made us “feel like ‘we’ve got this’”, she said.

Amy, from Cooma, said the speakers taught her that “you don’t have to know everything”.

With this in mind, starting her new job in a rural nursing position was not as daunting as she had feared.

And for new graduates yet to secure a position, the message was not to give up hope. One piece of advice shared was to contact a NUM where you did a placement, as you never know who might be short-staffed.

The NSWNMA’s Grads at the Grounds lunchtime event was held at The Grounds of Alexandria on 3 December last year.