Healthy Living

Nursing Career Advice: What I Wish I Knew When I Started

May. 6, 2025

A career in nursing is both rewarding and challenging. Many new nurses enter the field with a passion for patient care, but can feel overwhelmed by the expectations and pace of the work.

To help, we asked UR Medicine nurses to share their best nursing career advice—the things they wish they knew when they first started.

Don’t do too much at first. Then, get involved.

“I know it can be intimidating and overwhelming jumping into nursing. I always tell new employees to take at least six months before joining a committee, to understand what it is to just be a nurse.

Don’t take on too much overtime until you’re ready, and tell your scheduler your preferences when you figure out the schedule that works best for you.”

Sarah Corsette MS, RN, MEDSURG-BC Senior Level III
Acute Medicine, Unit 73600
Professional Nursing Council Officer
Unit Shared Governance Council Leader

The sky is the limit at UR Medicine. Take advantage of it.

“UR Medicine is so oriented around development and career advancements. If you show that you can do the work and you want to learn more, you can almost do as much as you like and progress as much as you like. Just build trust in your team and then let them know that you’re ready and interested in taking on different roles.”

John Papaleo BS, RN, CCRN
Assistant Nurse Manager, NeuroMedicine ICU

You don’t have to be perfect.

"I was so worried about knowing everything, and I felt like I needed to know all the procedures and policies before I started. But 90% of the training is on the unit; there are so many opportunities for more education. Take advantage of your resources—med surg educators and nurse managers are there to explain policies and answer questions.”

Payton Elliott BS, RN
Acute Medicine, Unit 73600

Find someone to confide in.

“As helpful as Mom, Dad, your significant other are, they don’t know what it’s like to walk through the fire that can be nursing. Find that nurse mentor or confidant that you can call and say, ‘This crazy thing happened at work’ because they’ll understand and offer different feedback. I’m also a huge advocate of the Employee Assistance Program. There’s no financial risk there, and I advocate for everyone to go to therapy. Even if it’s just for a few sessions, see how it goes.”

Benjamin Lindsay MS, RN, CCRN, NPD-BC
Nursing Professional Development (NPD) Specialist, Medical Intensive Care Unit 7-1600
PNC Cultural & Inclusion Co-Chair

Lean on your team.

“It’s less about the population and more about the team and the culture. Spend time in different care areas and look at the teams and how they function. At the end of the day, we’re providing nursing care. What will be key to your success is whether you have people around you who will support you and support your growth.”

Adrianne Edlund MS, RN, CHFN, NPD-BC, NE-BC
Director of Nursing: Cardiac Care, Thoracic & Dialysis

Consider all the opportunities.

“The hours are long and it’s a mentally, emotionally, and physically taxing job. It’s a very difficult profession but it’s worth it, and there’s so much you can do within the realm of nursing. You can have both hands-on, critical experience, and education work with patients and staff, and professional development and quality improvement for the healthcare system. There’s more to nursing than just bedside care.”

Jessica Tambe, MS, RN, SCRN
Stroke Educator, Nursing Practice
Neuroscience Musculoskeletal Nursing Service

Embrace mentorship and set goals.

“Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Everyone is a learner in the field; we’re all just at different stages. This is an ever-changing field full of excitement and compassion, and it’s important to maintain your openness to learning new skills and knowledge. A little bit of regular self-reflection goes a long way. Keep setting goals to progress professionally.”

Jaspreet Kaur, BS, RN
Assistant Nurse Manager, Acute Medicine, Unit 63400