When Should a New Nurse Ask for Help? (The Moment No One Talks About)

Jun 6

I am a NCLEX student...
I have passed the NCLEX...
I am now an RN with a license...

So why do I feel this way?

I know I can’t keep doing it this way.

I asked for help yesterday from a nurse I’ve worked with since I got my license.
Afterwards, the question came to me:

At what point in a scenario am I allowed to ask—or need—to ask for help?

Let’s dive in!

Should I ask?

I entered my client’s room and felt uneasy immediately.
What was different?

I took his vitals.
118/70.

My stomach sank when I remembered it was 148/88 previously.

Should I ask...

I slowly went for the pulse.
It surprised me at 110.

His breathing was much faster.
And again, as I counted, I became very nauseated.

I knew I should get his O2 saturation…
But I did not want to know.

It was going to make me need to ask for help.

Was I asleep in class when they went over the rule of when to ask...

I placed the O2 device on his finger.

91%.

Should I wait for the next set of vitals…
or another change in status?

...

I’ll wait...

➡️ Join the Facebook Group [Here] We are aware the link does not work working on getting out a promotion so you can join easily on Facebook

💬 Join the Conversation:

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

💙If you are not on our email list, click the contact link here.

💙Don’t forget to follow me on my Instagram account @nclex_one_on_one_tutoring and share it with your colleagues!

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.