fbpx

The Nurse Becoming Podcast 

#010 New Grad Mindset and How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome

Do you ever wonder what speciality is right for you?
Check out our NP Specialty Takeovers series now and explore 10 different NP specialties right now!

Let me guess. You’re here because you feel like you need to be. You feel like there have been and always will be people that are better at “insert thing here” than you are and could ever be. 

And in your constant quest to be more worthy of a seat at the table or a place to stand in the room, you clicked on this episode. 

Well, you’re in the right place. And not because you need to be to learn something you don’t already know. In today’s episode, I talk about some of the ways that imposter syndrome might show up in your career. How are we all perpetuating this reality of feeling I am not enough?

  • You don’t apply to positions that you feel you could not do, positions that scare you, despite being fully qualified.
  • Creating excuses for why you cannot get a job (market oversaturation, already have another great job, won’t make as much as you do now as an NP, etc.)
  • When interviewing, you accept a condition that you’re not comfortable with, a schedule that you actually cannot do, or any salary offer because you do not believe you are worthy of more. 
  • As a new grad, you don’t ask questions about things you’re unsure of. 
  • You procrastinate! 


Sometimes we get so afraid that we stop trying. When we give up being new and awkward, we stop growing, and, to quote
Brené Brown, when we stop growing, we stop living. The more we are willing to embrace this discomfort, the more we can normalize it and consistently push through those uncomfortable moments. Here’s my strategy, borrowed from Brené. She calls it the FFT strategy f*cking first time.

Name the FFT when you’re in it. Calling something what it is makes it mean something and gives it power — power that we will take back!

  1. Normalize it. Brave is uncomfortable. We know this.
  2. Put it in perspective. The discomfort won’t last forever. 
  3. Give your expectations a reality check. Chances are you’re not going to crush it right away.
  4. Form a habit!

Before I leave you today, I just want to affirm that you are supposed to be here — and not just because this is your calling. You’ve worked to earn your seat at this table, and we are going to honor that. Starting now. Together. 

LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED TODAY:

Listen to more episodes here!