New Grad Entitlement

[SunshineAnytime]

Im a mid-20 something new grad who just recently started orientation on a med-surg floor in a local hospital. I've been working in home health for the past few months and this is my first acute care job. I'm starting to notice some things about myself and it probably holds true for some people in my generation, especially after reading several posts from other new grads on here... Our generation really does feel entitled. "Our nursing program should've prepared us for what we will face in nursing, our jobs should go above and beyond meeting our expectations, our coworkers should never talk down to us."

I've worked before, never as a "professional" though, so I know what the real world is like. But for some reason, I just believed that things would at least be above average for me in nursing. Maybe its the caring nature of the field, I don't know... But obviously floor nursing is very stressful. No one's entitled to hold your hand. Your school isn't there to tell you what you're signing up for. That's YOUR responsibility (research your field, shadow established professionals, look online, etc). The reality shock of what nursing is really like can't all be blamed on our schools or new jobs. And just like the rest of life, other's won't always build you up.

Not to pass the buck, but I grew up in the early 90s and a lot of what we were taught in school was that "everybody is a winner", "you're special", and "you can be whatever you want to be." What was left out of the equation was that it won't always be easy, everyone won't always be happy for you and it's definitely going to take more than just thinking positive (i.e. some hard work and dedication). I don't ever really remember hearing about that side of the coin until late in high school.

A lot of posts on AN's for new grads tell us to "fake it till we make it." Maybe I'm not quite understanding what that means, but it couldn't be farther from the truth. Be humble. Ask questions. Regard your patient's safety over your ego and need to "fake it."

I came on to the floor for my 3rd shift with a preceptor, scared as hell but not wanting to ask many questions for fear of looking dumb, etc. After making a few mistakes early in the shift (none that were harmful to the patient, just wasted our time and put us behind), my preceptor nailed it in my head that it's better to ask NOW while I'm on orientation, then to be on my own and have my job on the line. She said when she first started in nursing she was humble, told everyone that she needed help and recieved any instructions/criticisms that anyone had to tell her. This preceptor has been working at the hospital for 18+ years and stopped at least 10 times during the day to double check something with the charge nurse, call pharmacy for clarification or even to ask another nurse what color tube she needed to draw a certain lab. No one looked at her as if she had three heads, her patient's got the best care and that was that.

I'm a quiet person by nature and a bit timid with my nursing skills. But I found that the more I let my guard down, admitted I needed help with things, the more confident I became. I didn't go into a room with a Lovenox needle that I haven't used in over a year, wondering If I would remember how this specific needle would work. I stopped and asked other nurses on the floor, and could walk into my patient's room confident.

This is just a start and floor nursing is a big reality shock for me but hey... I'm learning. Just wanted to throw this out to other new grads and for the older grads that are scratching their heads wondering why the hell some of us are how we are. I really appreciated the words from my preceptor today and know it'll help become a better person and nurse in the long run.

Penn and Teller ******** S08E09 Self Esteem Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCa0YlXBeD8&feature=related

The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement

http://www.amazon.com/Narcissism-Epidemic-Living-Age-Entitlement/dp/1416575995/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327244953&sr=8-1

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

Only dumb people never ask questions.:)

We have two new grads that work with us. I don't see an entitlement in their attitude thankfully, but they do hate to ask questions. One doesn't want to look stupid and the other to waste our time. I think that was the most difficult thing for them to over come.

Good luck in your career.

[Morainey, BSN, RN]

OOoooooh thank you for writing this. Could have written it myself!!

[karamarie91]

Thanks for writing this. I will keep this in the back of my head when I'm in nursing school.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Dear Sunshineanytime.

You seem to have a great attitude and a good head on your shoulders -- both of which are great assets that will help you succeed. I wish you a long and happy nursing career.

Welcome to the real world.

llg

[Guttercat, ASN, RN]

Nursing programs know what they're doing. If they truly endeavored to prepare students for reality, half the class would change majors by the third semester.

[whichone'spink, BSN, RN]

Nursing programs know what they're doing. If they truly endeavored to prepare students for reality, half the class would change majors by the third semester.

Very true, although I should say, my program has not fed us sunshine and rainbows about nursing. They've been more honest than I would expect a nursing program to be.

[karamarie91]

Nursing programs know what they're doing. If they truly endeavored to prepare students for reality, half the class would change majors by the third semester.

they really would. Just being a CNA has taught me to grow a thicker skin, although I will admit that I still have a long way to go because I really that the BS doesn't stop at being a CNA. It actually can get worse as a nurse.

[Perpetual Student]

I believe the "fake it 'til you make it" advice is more for interaction with patients and folks in other departments rather than your preceptor. Even with your preceptor you should at least act somewhat confident and not panic-stricken. Asking questions is good. Acting like you have no idea what you're doing is not--unless it's something you've never done before nor even read about.

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

a lot of posts on an's for new grads tell us to "fake it till we make it." maybe i'm not quite understanding what that means, but it couldn't be farther from the truth. be humble. ask questions. regard your patient's safety over your ego and need to "fake it."

and maybe i'm misinterpreting this, but i never took it to mean "don't ask questions" but more about projecting a confident image while you work to gain confidence. idk. i was super nervous and panicky before starting my job, especially the day before, and i went in and acted like i had had good sleep the night before (fake), acted calm (fake), and smiled and greeted my new coworkers as i met them like i cared about anything at that point other than royally screwing up (fake). i probably looked comically relieved when my preceptor told me that for the first day she was going to have me just shadow her and work right next to her, lol. i don't know what i was expecting but she was fantastic and wonderful and gradually pushed me along without letting me feel like i shouldn't be asking questions or letting her know if i was uncomfortable doing something for the first time by myself. i felt supported and challenged and truly, truly lucky to have her as a preceptor.

i definitely agree that it's essential to ask tons of questions even if you think you know how to do something. i had to give a patient a medication, and i remembered giving that particular medication in nursing school. i looked it up in the hopsital's formulary on the computer to confirm that i could give it ivp as a slow push, so got everything together and went in to give it. turns out, the policy at my hospital is to give that particular medication over a pump and more slowly than a slow ivp, so now with new meds i look them up but then double check and make sure there isn't a specific policy on giving that med differently.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

i've always thought it must be terribly difficult to start a career and be treated like everyone else after being raised to believe that you were the most special little girl in the world, awarded trophies for showing up and graduated from everything from kindergarten to ballet class. i've heard the honest puzzlement in the voice of a new grad fresh from a bad evaluation saying, "i show up for work every day and i'm on time. what more do they want?" a lot more, as it happens. and this gal was raised to believe that she was so special all she had to do was show up.

your generation was raised almost 180 degrees from mine. i wasn't special or perfect; you didn't get a trophy unless you did something really outstanding and no matter how hard i worked, it was never good enough for my folks. if there was a problem between me and an adult, it was immediately assumed to be my fault, and after i apologized to the adult, i was taken home and punished. mom didn't go "straighten out the teacher" when she gave me a poor grade; i was assumed to have earned it.

nursing is a profession, a career and a job. but we're not all angels of mercy, nurturing and doting on our newest members. we assume that you're here to work with us, not to be cossetted. i know that assumption falls short in some cases; many new grads need a lot more hand holding than a busy nurse has time to indulge in.

i have a step-daughter raised in your generation, and while i see that her self esteem flourished with the way her mother raised her, i continue to believe that the child could have benefitted from hearing the word "no." i don't think she's figured out yet what you have. i hope she does.

[skyegirl]

i've always thought it must be terribly difficult to start a career and be treated like everyone else after being raised to believe that you were the most special little girl in the world, awarded trophies for showing up and graduated from everything from kindergarten to ballet class. i've heard the honest puzzlement in the voice of a new grad fresh from a bad evaluation saying, "i show up for work every day and i'm on time. what more do they want?" a lot more, as it happens. and this gal was raised to believe that she was so special all she had to do was show up.

your generation was raised almost 180 degrees from mine. i wasn't special or perfect; you didn't get a trophy unless you did something really outstanding and no matter how hard i worked, it was never good enough for my folks. if there was a problem between me and an adult, it was immediately assumed to be my fault, and after i apologized to the adult, i was taken home and punished. mom didn't go "straighten out the teacher" when she gave me a poor grade; i was assumed to have earned it.

nursing is a profession, a career and a job. but we're not all angels of mercy, nurturing and doting on our newest members. we assume that you're here to work with us, not to be cossetted. i know that assumption falls short in some cases; many new grads need a lot more hand holding than a busy nurse has time to indulge in.

i have a step-daughter raised in your generation, and while i see that her self esteem flourished with the way her mother raised her, i continue to believe that the child could have benefitted from hearing the word "no." i don't think she's figured out yet what you have. i hope she does.

well said ruby, and so very true.