You’ve probably already realized that beginning your journey as a new nurse is just as exciting as it is intimidating (maybe a little more intimidating than exciting but who’s counting? 🫣).

I totally get it because I was you once upon a time. You are stepping into a profession that’s oftentimes more challenging than it is rewarding, and it can sometimes feel like you’re the only one trying to figure it all out.

Let me reassure you: you’re not alone. Every nurse has been where you are, and every nurse — no matter how experienced — has made mistakes in nursing at some point.

Starting out as a new nurse graduate, you might feel like you’re juggling a lot. You’ve got plenty of theoretical knowledge, shiny new clinical skills, and a determination to succeed. But nursing is as much about adapting and growing as it is about applying what you learned in school. And even seasoned nurses transitioning to a new specialty can stumble.

The bottom line is: mistakes in nursing happen every single day. And while those nursing mistakes can be incredibly disheartening and discouraging, they’re also some of the greatest learning opportunities you’ll have in your career. The key is to acknowledge them, reflect on what went wrong, and never let yourself get too comfortable. Comfort can lead to complacency, and that’s when preventable mistakes in nursing are more likely to occur.

Whether you’re a fresh-out-of-nursing-school new nurse graduate or you’ve been around a while and you’re starting out in an unfamiliar specialty, this nursing advice will help you confidently tackle challenges, grow in your practice, and ultimately become the nurse you’ve always dreamed of being.

Let’s dive into the most common nursing mistakes new nurses make — and how you can avoid them!

How To Avoid Common Nursing Mistakes as a New Nurse

1 | Improper Time Management

As a new nurse graduate, one of the biggest challenges you'll face is managing your time effectively — especially when you're responsible for multiple patients. Learning how to juggle tasks and prioritize care will be your ticket to providing safe and timely care. (But don’t worry, time management gets easier with experience!)

HOW TO AVOID THIS NURSING MISTAKE

1. Keep a To-Do List

Writing down your tasks — whether on a notepad or in a phone app — can help you stay on track and feel accomplished as you check things off. Personally, I love the satisfaction of a physical checklist where I get to cross off each item as I go, but use whatever works for you. Just avoid trying to keep it all in your head — trust me, that rarely ends well! Find what works for you and master it.

2. Be Realistic About Your Limits

You are not a superhero, and that’s okay. Understand that you can’t do it all, and trying to will only lead to stress and potentially more nursing mistakes. Prioritize your tasks, ask for help when you need it, and delegate appropriately. Focus on what truly needs your attention first, and let go of the pressure to be everywhere all at once.

3. Become a Queen at Prioritizing

As a new nurse graduate, you'll quickly realize that prioritization is your best friend. So when you’re starting out, research some nursing prioritization algorithms to help guide your decision making (you can imagine this as being the NCLEX in real life essentially 🤓). Just remember, you will always have something you have to do next, so figure out what’s MOST critical and do that first. Then go about checking off the little to-dos as they come so you’re ready for urgent needs when they arise.

2 | Medication Errors

Medication errors are among the most common and serious mistakes in nursing, affecting both new nurses and seasoned professionals alike. As the nurse, you're the final safeguard between a potential error and the patient, making it critical to stay sharp and super methodical when administering medications.

As a new nurse graduate, you might feel pressured to work quickly, but this is one area where speed must never come before accuracy. Your ability to remain vigilant, avoid distractions, and fully understand the medications you're giving will set the tone for safe, effective patient care.

HOW TO AVOID THIS NURSING MISTAKE

1. Keep Your Focus

Medication errors often happen when nurses are interrupted during their routine. Years ago, during a medication pass, I answered a phone call from a coworker asking me whether or not I had an insulin bottle. It sounds like such an insignificant call, but it distracted me enough to take my focus away from my patient’s medications and ultimately led me to make a mistake. So, my best advice here is to stay focused on the task at hand because, unless there’s an emergency, nothing else should matter aside from you passing your patient’s medications.

2. Verify Your 5 Rights

As basic as this seems, these principles are your first defense against medication-related nursing mistakes. Sometimes we get too comfortable, and when you stop being vigilant in your approach to your patient care, mistakes happen. So before giving any medication (even if it’s Tylenol … seriously), verify your fundamental 5 Rights — Patient, Medication, Dose, Route, and Time.

3. Know the “Why”

Just because you completed school doesn’t mean you’re done learning. Always continue to educate yourself on the pathophysiology and medications you commonly see in the specialty you work. Knowing the indications, side effects, and potential interactions will not only improve your confidence but also help you recognize when something doesn’t seem right. You may need to take time out of your busy, never-ending task list to research this information, but avoiding a potentially life-threatening mistake is worth it.

3 | Poor Communication

In healthcare, communication is quite literally everything. Miscommunication can lead to mistakes across the board, but especially nursing mistakes. And those mistakes can result in poor patient outcomes. As a new nurse graduate, mastering effective communication should be at the top of your priority list — it’s the foundation for safe, high-quality care.

HOW TO AVOID THIS NURSING MISTAKE

1. Build Rapport With Your Team

You can’t just come into a new unit as a new nurse with your guns blazin’. You’re stepping into a new environment, and coming in too strong can create unnecessary tension. Take time to learn about the people you work with and how they communicate so you can effectively delegate tasks appropriate to their capabilities. Teamwork makes the dreamwork after all, and a good relationship with your support staff will make everyone’s day smoother.

2. Respect Everyone’s Time

A vital lesson to learn in healthcare is that everyone has a job with tasks to do. While you may need help from a colleague, be mindful that they have their own tasks and patients to care for too. Respect their time and work with them to accomplish the overall goal.

3. Use Communication Tools Effectively

Communication boards have become a bit of a joke over the years, but there iiis a reason why communication boards were developed and still exist in modern healthcare systems. These boards can keep you organized, help communicate important information to your team, and serve as a visual reminder of your patients’ needs. When used properly, they’re a great tool to help you (and your colleagues) avoid common nursing mistakes.

4 | Ineffective Hand-Off Reports

In many ways, the ability to give a strong hand-off report is similar to mastering effective communication in general. Both rely on clear, accurate, and timely sharing of information to ensure the best possible outcomes.

But the art of giving report is just that … an art.

Why is this so important? Because an ineffective report isn’t just an inconvenience for the nurse receiving care — it’s a direct patient safety risk. As the Joint Commission states, “Potential for patient harm — from the minor to the severe — is introduced when the receiver gets information that is inaccurate, incomplete, not timely, misinterpreted, or otherwise not what is needed.”

HOW TO AVOID THIS NURSING MISTAKE

1. Keep Things Simple

When you’re a new nurse, it’s easy to either overshare irrelevant details or leave out crucial information. A deep dive into their history more than likely isn’t necessary. Instead, focus on what’s most important first, and the more minor details will follow. Ask yourself what YOU would need to know to take care of this patient safely and start from there.

2. Use Both Physical & Digital Records

Paper worksheets (AKA your “nursing brain”) are super helpful when giving a report quickly, at the bedside, or on the move, but your worksheet may not be up to date, which could create inaccurate details in your report. Also, it’s helpful to speak to specific orders and medications when the EHR is open and right in front of you. Using both physical and digital records will help to provide more detailed and accurate reports overall.

3. Use a Well-Established Handover Report System

For example, a mnemonic like ISBAR has been studied extensively and is appropriate for most handovers (at least speaking from experience).

Identification: Who you are and what your role is in caring for the patient
Situation: What is happening? Why is the patient transferring?
Background: What led to the present situation?
Assessment: What is your assessment? What do you believe is the problem?
Recommendation: What do you believe should be next for the patient?

Other mnemonics could make more sense to you and how you like to give/receive report in various situations. Try out different styles and once you choose one, master it. Turn your ineffective reports into effective ones.

5 | Self-Reliance to a Fault

Learning to be independent and self-reliant in your first year as a nurse is critical. But! Leaning too heavily on self-reliance can become one of your more dangerous nursing mistakes. Being overly confident or refusing to ask for help can put both your patients and your nursing license at risk.

Don’t allow yourself to drown for the sake of drowning. You have support staff. You have other seasoned nurses on your unit. Use those colleagues as your resource so you can continue providing safe and competent care to your patients without being overwhelmed.

Because the truth is, nursing is a team effort. Trying to handle everything on your own — especially in your first year — can lead to mistakes, burnout, and even compromised patient safety. Don’t let pride or fear keep you from seeking the support you need.

HOW TO AVOID THIS NURSING MISTAKE

1. Know When to Ask for Help

Recognizing your limits is not a sign of weakness — it’s a sign of wisdom. And a little help can go a looong way! Communicate with your colleagues and support staff, delegate when appropriate, and ask for help if you’re drowning. Be independent and self-reliant but remember it takes a village to care for your complex patients.

2. Actually Allow Others To Help

Your unit is full of seasoned nurses, assistants, and allied professionals who want to help. In my first year, I avoided letting my coworkers help when they offered to help. Maybe I felt like I would be judged for admitting I needed help and accepted it. Save yourself from this drama. If a coworker offers support, they must have the time and capacity to help, so let them!

3. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask for Guidance

You don’t know it all. As a new nurse graduate, you’ll come across many skills and procedures that are unfamiliar to you, and you’ll continue to learn even as a seasoned nurse. In your first year, asking for guidance on clinical skills or patient symptoms is especially important because asking questions will only teach you about competently caring for your patients. Learn as much as you can from the seasoned nurses you work with because one day, you’ll be the seasoned nurse and can offer your guidance and knowledge to the new nurses that come after you.

6 | Believing You Won’t Succumb to the B* Word

Pssst … I’m talking about burnout …

During my first year as a new nurse graduate, I didn’t call off one. single. shift. Not one. I look back at that now, and honestly, just shake my head. I probably could have avoided being sick off and on for about 9 months during my second year as a nurse.

If I had slowed down and taken time to care for my well-being as much as my patients’, I don’t think I would have gotten so sick and burnt out over the course of my 6-years-long bedside career. So please, take this new nurse advice to heart: don’t make the same mistake I did.

HOW TO AVOID THIS NURSING MISTAKE

1. Develop a Self-Care Routine

It may sound straightforward, but self-care is far from it. You are responsible for caring for yourself with the same compassion and love you care for others. You deserve care that brings you peace and rest, even when you feel overwhelmed and burnt out. Take the time to discover more about your authentic self, what you love to do, and what brings you joy. Develop a self-care routine that brings harmony and balance to your life.

2. Talk About Your Experiences

You don’t need to share all the gory details, but bringing language to your experiences is hugely therapeutic and impactful. Not everyone will understand, but no one will understand if you don’t give them a chance to. If you’re not one to share aloud, then at least share within the confines of a journal. Use this verbal or written language to take back your power and help you process and let go of challenging experiences.

3. Take Extended Breaks

There’s a reason you have annual leave hours accumulating every paycheck. Maybe you can’t take a vacation in Mexico for a week, but you can take a few extra days to recuperate at home. These extended breaks can allow you to implement some self-care you’ve been neglecting. Maybe you can clean out a closet that’s been your “Room of Requirements” for years (yes, that IS a Harry Potter reference 🧙🏻‍♀️). Maybe you can spend a little extra time with your partner or your kids. Maybe you can take yourself on a date to your favorite restaurant. Take the time you need to recharge, and you’ll be a stronger nurse for it.

7 | Staying in a Job for Too Long

Staying in a job that’s draining you — physically, mentally, emotionally — is not a badge of honor. It’s easy to convince yourself that the struggle is “worth it,” but I promise you, it’s not. If you’re unhappy, unfulfilled, burnt out, or constantly exhausted, it’s time to rethink your situation.

Staying in a job that’s sucking the life from you isn’t heroic. You deserve more than that. You deserve a job that is fulfilling and satisfying. You deserve a job you love and one that brings you joy.

Life is too short to spend it stuck in a job that doesn’t make you happy. Your time is finite, and your energy is precious. Instead of surviving each day, find a role that excites you, inspires you, and allows you to live the life you want.

HOW TO AVOID THIS NURSING MISTAKE

1. Stand Your Ground

You deserve a safe workplace environment. You may encounter abuse, unsafe staffing, or a manipulative manager. Whatever you decide about this particular job, remember you have a right and a responsibility to protect yourself and your license. No one else will stand your ground for you, and sometimes leaving bedside nursing is the best thing you can do for YOU (and no one is going to fault you for that).

2. Let Go of Feeling Like You’re Letting the Team Down

Choose you first. Don’t allow your job to steal your joy. It’s not selfish to choose your well-being over others. You have a right to create the life you want; you can only do that if you choose yourself first. Don’t stay in a job longer than you need to just because you think it’s your responsibility to keep the position filled or because you don’t want to let down your coworkers. Trust me; the harsh reality is that the unit (and your coworkers) will carry on without you, whether you’re suffering with them or not.

3. Professional Development

Take advantage of all the opportunities that nursing can afford you! You don’t have to completely change careers in order to do something a little different. You can change specialties, work a per diem schedule, work from home, go back to school, travel the country, or start a business. Don’t be afraid to learn new skills and use those skills to create a career you’re genuinely passionate about.

So, What’s Next?

No matter how many times it’s said, it’s worth repeating — Nurses are human, and humans make mistakes.

As a new nurse graduate, your learning curve will feel steep, but that’s because every shift brings new opportunities to grow. You’re building your nursing skills, gaining experience, and becoming more confident with every passing day. And just like learning a new procedure or mastering time management, learning from your nursing mistakes is part of the journey.

Take a deep breath, embrace the lessons, and trust the process. You’ve got what it takes to navigate this journey, mistakes and all, and become the incredible nurse you’re meant to be.

7 Mistakes New Nurses Make at the Bedside (and How To Avoid Them)