Hi, all. I'll try to be brief here. I'm scheduled to graduate from nursing school in a month, and even though I'm committed to graduating, I'm considering not entering the profession. Barring failing finals, I stand to graduate with a 3.75-ish GPA. More important, I find providing direct patient care rewarding and meaningful, and every time I leave the clinical site for the evening, I feel both spiritually and scholastically uplifted. See, when I'm there I really want to be there and feel as though I am doing something to really help others, regardless of how menial the task may seem. I believe that many times, small things can matter a lot.

The problem is that for years I have heard the expression, "Nurses eat their young." It is so true. Even as a lowly nursing student, I have seen glaring examples of this. I'm not referring to nurses' treatment of nursing students; I'm talking about how I've seen them treat each other. Now, I currently work in another so-called "pink collar" profession (no offense, XY's) and have battled the "tacky female" politics for the past fifteen years, and it turns my stomach. It always has. I see examples of this philosophy in the nursing kingdom and hear horror stories from people I know in person and in this forum, and I'm scared to death of being chewed up and spit out when all I want to do is help these patients. I'm so scared that right about now...opening a surf shop in Belize sounds mighty attractive.

Guidance, please, if there are any takers.

It depends on where you are working........there are fabulous work environments out there with wonderful co-workers, then there are also the places from h---. You just need to find a place that has what you want, and I promise that it does exist................. :wink2:

At the risk of sounding like I'm belittling your concern, which I'm not trying to, many of us as new grads had those thoughts.

Not all units have cliquey, bitter, burned out nurses who tear each other up. Or some places may have only one or two, which you can either deal with or lean on them until they mellow out or leave.

Sometimes it's just more challenging to find the right unit, but they are there. I've experienced both. My ICU coddles new grads to a fault, but that's the way we want it.

Some aren't cut out for ICU, at least at the start of their career. But if they do get transferred elsewhere, it's after a LOT of orientation and training beyond the normal 12 weeks.

Yes, we laugh about the little mistakes and awkwardness of the new grads at times, but it's more for comic relief, not to belittle or shake up new nurses. We all share stories about ourselves as new nurses and the dumb things we did as new grads.

You will too, someday.

I always thought it was funny how nurses on toxic floors where they were all nasty to each other would complain about not having enough staff and how agency nurses are clueless.

They refuse to train in any encouraging or positive way new nurses who could help their staffing problems once on their own, and run off agency nurses who know that they can work anywhere and don't have to tolerate their crap.

When you graduate, if you really feel that your co-workers are out to hang you up to dry, and your preceptors/charge nurse/manager leave you to fend for yourself, move on.

Good nurses, floors, orientation is out there, just maybe not at the hospital you expected.

I sometimes think we perpetuate these behaviors ourselves with our attitudes. All you can do is try to be true to yourself and not partake in the bashing that you may see going on around you. You have the advantage that you havent been there so you arent privey to all the inuendos that will be flying. Try to avoid getting caught up in it yourself. And if you find you do, maybe its time to move on.

Ive found the farther i stay away from that chit chat stuff at work the better off i am. If they get the point from the start that you wont be there to help in their bashing they wont bring it to you either. Try to keep upbeat, positive, work within a team and it will probly pass you by. Just remember everyone needs a sounding board, but it doesnt mean you have to be a member of their telephone game.

It really does depend on where you work. I graduated in December, started work in January & feel very comfortable where I work. Coincidentally, I never thought I would work at this hospital because I did not enjoy it during clinicals in school - most of the nurses were not very friendly (different floor). It's not like that now that I am a co-worker. Most are very helpful when I need help & the ones that are not - seem to be the lazy nurses or the ones that aren't all that bright to begin with & don't have much to offer anyways.

First rule of nursing - don't allow yourself to be intimidated by others!!! There are always going to be those that are non-conducive to helping you out, but that can be in any profession, not just nursing. To throw in the towel before you even step foot in the ring (so to speak) would be a disgrace to yourself.

Jen

http://journals.aol.com/jennerizer/nurse