On Shift Voices Shift Talk Bedside New Grads Next Move Leaders What's in Your Bag

RNSignal · New Grads

The New Grad Nurse Guide: Your First Year, Shift by Shift

Photo: Sahil Singh / Pexels

You passed. You're an RN. And now the real learning starts.

Smiling nurse in blue scrubs with a stethoscope

The first year of nursing is hard for almost everyone. That isn't a sign you picked the wrong career. Hospitals know it too: in the most recent NSI national survey, 22.7% of newly hired RNs left within their first year (NSI Nursing Solutions, 2026 National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report, nsinursingsolutions.com/documents/library/nsi_national_healt).

This guide is the friend who's two years ahead of you. It covers how to pick a first job with real support, what to do between NCLEX and day one, how to work with a preceptor, how to give report without rambling, what your first code is really like, how to know when to ask for help (always sooner than you think), and what to do when the unit isn't the right fit.

In this section

First job and residency programs

New Grad Nurse Residency Programs: How to Find a First Job With Real Support

NCLEX to orientation

What to Do After Passing NCLEX: Your To-Do List Before Day One

Orientation and preceptors

New Nurse Orientation Tips: How to Work With Your Preceptor (and Get the Most Out of It)

Time management and giving report

Nursing Time Management Tips for New Grads: Brain Sheets, Clustering and Clean Report

First code

Your First Code as a New Nurse: What Happens and How to Be Useful

Night shift adjustment

Adjusting to Night Shift Nursing as a New Grad

When to ask for help

New Nurse Asking for Help: When to Speak Up (Hint: Earlier Than You Think)

Lateral violence and incivility

Lateral Violence in Nursing: Recognizing It, Responding to It, and Not Passing It On

First-year burnout

First Year Nurse Burnout: Why It Happens and How to Get Through It

Switching units

When to Switch Units as a New Grad (and How to Leave Well)

Browse RN jobs →Get the weekly Signal Report →

New-grad and residency job category pending on the board.