Let’s look at what we are taking off of the list.

This time of year always comes with pressure.
Finish strong.
Make next year bigger.
Set goals, chase growth.

But if you’re a nurse, a student, or deep in NCLEX prep… you’re probably not finishing the year on a high.
You might be finishing it tired.

I hear it all the time:
“I’m behind.”
“I’ll never catch up.”
“This will never get me there.”

And maybe it’s more than just NCLEX questions.
Maybe it’s the moment you’re asked to pass meds and your body tenses up—because you already feel like you’re failing.

Maybe it’s your preceptor firing off questions like a quiz show, and by the end, you’re not thinking, “I’m learning.”

You’re thinking: “I’m dumb. I shouldn’t be here.”

So no—this isn’t about what you’re bringing into the new year.
This is about what you can choose to put down.

Let’s dive in!

What You Can Put Down

This year, you carried a lot.
Pressure to keep up.
Fear that you were already behind.
The belief that if you didn’t know everything, or that you weren’t cut out for this.

You carried the voice that said, “You should know this by now.”
You carried the fear of looking stupid.

You carried the belief that asking for help meant I wasn’t strong enough to be here.
You told myself, “I’ll never ask for help—no matter how bad it gets—because then they’ll know I’m not good enough.”

And you probably carried the weight of comparison.
Scrolling through other students’ posts—how they nailed it, how confident they look, how proud their instructors seem.

Meanwhile you were thinking: How could I ever get there?
You don’t have time to stand around and talk about how good you are.
You were just trying to survive the shift.

But heading into the new year… you can put some of that down.

The Space That’s Left Behind

I thought letting go of all that pressure would feel like quitting.
Like I was lowering the bar.

But what’s actually left behind… is space.

Not for more hustle. Not for more proving. But for something gentler.

There was more room now to breathe on the floor, not just survive it.
More space to ask a question without bracing for judgment.
More moments where I could admit, “I don’t know that yet” — and let that be okay.

I was not rushing to become someone else’s version of a “good nurse.”
I was learning how to become my version. Slowly. Steadily. Honestly.

An Invitation (Not a Lesson)

If you’re carrying all of it right now — the doubt, the fear, the comparison, the pressure — I get it.

You are not the only one wondering if you’re already behind.
You are not the only one keeping silent because asking for help feels like admitting failure.
You are not the only one looking at someone else’s highlight reel and thinking, “How will I ever catch up?”

And if you need to put some of that down, just for a while — you can.

You’re not weak for needing space.
You’re human. And becoming a nurse doesn’t require you to carry everything.

Sometimes, the strongest thing you can do is set something down.
And if you need someone to walk with you while you do? Rhoda’s here.

If this hit close to home, and you’re ready to stop carrying some of it alone — you can reach out.

DM me on Facebook, or send a message through the Contact Us page on the website. I’ll be here.

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💬 Join the Conversation:

Share your stories in the comments or reach out—I’d love to hear from you.

What will you stop carrying into the new year?
Any tips or advice for other new nurses?

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Want Mentorship?

If you’re a new nurse (or an experienced one) who wants help building communication skills, I’m here to support you.

Let’s imagine a nursing culture where we handle conflict with courage, professionalism, and care—not fear or silence.

Let’s build that together.