I am an RN but am NOT getting training. HELP!!

cpillow · Oct 8, 2005

I disagree with the other posters. Leaving your job when you've barely gotten your feet wet is a red flag to the next hospital. And really, the first few months in your job there as a new grad should center around catching routine, not around taking full responsibility for patient care. I know you want to jump in head first, but I would say relax. Watch the other nurses, try to catch the nuances of the floor. Read charts in your spare time and restock supplies to figure out where they all are. Lend your spare hands to the other nurses when they are bogged down. Ease into the new position. And realize that not all hospitals orient new grads the same. In a year, if you still feel the same, move on. Give it a solid year though. As a new grad, you just don't know what qualities you love and hate about a hospital. If you move too soon, the grass may be browner on the other side of the fence, and you'll be kicking yourself for it later. And in a few years, when you find yourself teaching new grads, remember how bad it felt to be "eaten". Don't spread this horrible nursing practice. We should be teachers, not vultures...... :flowersfo

holikow · Oct 8, 2005

As a new GN, upon entering the hospital, you should have been assigned to an experienced RN (preceptor.) You should have been velcro'd to her/his hip immediately to learn this new unit. Both working the same shifts/dates preferably, for continuity of learning. This should have been assigned by the NM/DON, and it seems this person who is the NM needs a kick in the pants for allowing a valuable new nurse to fall through the cracks! NO, not all nurses "eat their young". Granted, there are alot of nurses out there who are grumpy and uninterested in training a new RN, but that's not because she/he doesn't want to, it's pure nurse burnout. There are alot of nurses, like me, who love to welcome new RN's, because I know you will help lighten my load, lower my staffing problems and bring fresh air/new ideas to the unit. I hope you hook up with a nurse who will appreciate you. Don't always generalize about nurses appetites of eating our young....we are all different. Take time to know us experienced nurses, we have alot to offer. You'll attract more bee's with honey than vinegar. If all else fails, and you don't seem to get attention of your learning needs, don't hesitate to leave that place. There are so many jobs for you out there, and maybe another hospital will make you feel more welcome. Good Luck!

kwagner_51 · Oct 8, 2005

I disagree with the other posters. Leaving your job when you've barely gotten your feet wet is a red flag to the next hospital. And really, the first few months in your job there as a new grad should center around catching routine, not around taking full responsibility for patient care. I know you want to jump in head first, but I would say relax. Watch the other nurses, try to catch the nuances of the floor. Read charts in your spare time and restock supplies to figure out where they all are. Lend your spare hands to the other nurses when they are bogged down. Ease into the new position. And realize that not all hospitals orient new grads the same. In a year, if you still feel the same, move on. Give it a solid year though. As a new grad, you just don't know what qualities you love and hate about a hospital. If you move too soon, the grass may be browner on the other side of the fence, and you'll be kicking yourself for it later. And in a few years, when you find yourself teaching new grads, remember how bad it felt to be "eaten". Don't spread this horrible nursing practice. We should be teachers, not vultures...... :flowersfo

Please allow me to elaborate:

I was hired on July 11,th as a GN [they call us Nurse Externs]. The nurses on my unit had NO IDEA that I had been hired, they didn't know what I could/couldn't do. Most of them thought I was a STUDENT nurse! :eek: The NM didn't know what i could do. Out of desperation, I went to HR and asked them for help. They called my NM and told her to call nurse education to see what I could do.

The way they [NM and RNs] understood this was that an RN MUST be in the room when I assess the pt. Keep in mind that the pt is medically stable and is usually in for rehab of knee/hip or CVA/CABG. I have to have the RN in the room, when we both know the pt.; know nothing has changed yet she MUST be in there to make sure I don't put my steth in the wrong place [like up a pt's nose, maybe?]. I am soooooooo frustrated. I am ready to scream. I do NOT blame the RN [my preceptor]. Her license is on the line not the NM's.

I have read the policy manual until I am blue in the face, trying to see just exactly what an NE can do. My preceptor doesn't know and the NM isn't any help at all. For example: I answered the phone the other day, and took a dr.'s order for a CBC. I didn't know if I had violated policy or not. The RN didn't know and neither did the NM!!

So now, I am afraid to answer the phone, or do anything else related to ANYTHING remotely related to nursing. I am ready to apply to a med/surg floor even though I LOVE this unit. I actually get to see these pts leave in a lot better shape than when we got them.

Thanks!!

JentheRN05, RN · Oct 8, 2005

I was in this exact situation myself from 1 week after graduation, passing boards 3 weeks later, throughout my probationary period (3 months). I ended up leaving the job because of the lack of orientation. I got another job fairly easily.

I am not saying you should leave your job, but correct me if I'm wrong you ARE and RN now, no ones license is on the line but yours, not your preceptor, YOURS. You need to put your foot down and say, look, either get me into the next nursing orientation or I'm outta here. I know you like your job, so did I at the last job, but the difference between yourself and I. I was thrown onto the floor with no idea if I even had a preceptor, let alone who it might be. I was expected to know everything there was to know 1 week after graduation from nursing school! And take patients as if I knew their equipment and their routine!

I knew it was my license on the line, and I wasn't about to risk it. After 3 months on the job, I was so frustrated and confused I ended up with ulcers. I broke down, called my boss and said I need to quit, I just don't feel comfortable working in these conditions. Asked her if she needed me to work (give notice) for a couple of weeks. She said, no, since I'm on probation it wasn't necessary. It really hurt the department because they were in desperate need of a night nurse, but dammit I deserve an orientation, not to be thrown to the wolves. And so do you. Stand up for your rights or get out!

Will be thinking of you, I know how you feel, good luck!

suzanne4, RN · Oct 8, 2005

Sorry, but your facility has som eissues with me. A nurse extern is someone who has not graduated from school, you were a graduate nurse, two completely different things.

If you want my honest opinion, I would look for another job, if they exist in your area. What they are doing to you is just not acceptable in my book.

NurseLatteDNP, MSN, DNP, RN · Oct 8, 2005

I dont know if I would stay there.... they do not even seem worried about you being there without orientation. :no: I really would consider my other choices.

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Oct 9, 2005

Your nurse externship should have been done between your junior and senior year. You are a graduate nurse who they have hired as staff. There is no way a hospital is going to let someone take a backseat and observe nursing while paying them RN salary. They in most instances want the new staff off orientation as soon as possible, take their assignment and work a shift that they have a solid resource person there during the same hours as the new nurse.

It could be that because of expense of orientation process they only have nursing orientations every so many weeks. In that case,, yes you need to be following an RN and soaking everything up you can and doing most things rather than watching with the RN with you while you do the procedures etc. But there also comes a time when you should be very comfortable with procedures that you can do them on your own safely. You have passed your boards,, so you can practice. Maybe you need to be a little more assertive and tell the nurse you want to do this or that procedure and dont make them ask you. Most experienced nurses will go ahead and do things and not really think about asking you if you want to do it because it is sometimes just easier. But if you SAY Id like to do that, or i need to do that i havent done it before, they may just let you.

Meanwhile, make someone (nurse educator) be very precise about when you will get orientation, who will be your preceptor (tell them who you would like for a preceptor if there is someone you have already observed and would like to work with), how long the orientation with the preceptor will be, and if you will be floating to other areas while on orientation.

Maybe its time to show them you have the assertiveness for nursing. Show them you are eager to learn.

psalm, RN · Oct 9, 2005

...this place of employment wouldn't be a Michigan hospital, would it?

kwagner_51 · Oct 9, 2005

Your nurse externship should have been done between your junior and senior year. You are a graduate nurse who they have hired as staff. There is no way a hospital is going to let someone take a backseat and observe nursing while paying them RN salary. They in most instances want the new staff off orientation as soon as possible, take their assignment and work a shift that they have a solid resource person there during the same hours as the new nurse.
It could be that because of expense of orientation process they only have nursing orientations every so many weeks. In that case,, yes you need to be following an RN and soaking everything up you can and doing most things rather than watching with the RN with you while you do the procedures etc. But there also comes a time when you should be very comfortable with procedures that you can do them on your own safely. You have passed your boards,, so you can practice. Maybe you need to be a little more assertive and tell the nurse you want to do this or that procedure and dont make them ask you. Most experienced nurses will go ahead and do things and not really think about asking you if you want to do it because it is sometimes just easier. But if you SAY Id like to do that, or i need to do that i havent done it before, they may just let you.
Meanwhile, make someone (nurse educator) be very precise about when you will get orientation, who will be your preceptor (tell them who you would like for a preceptor if there is someone you have already observed and would like to work with), how long the orientation with the preceptor will be, and if you will be floating to other areas while on orientation.
Maybe its time to show them you have the assertiveness for nursing. Show them you are eager to learn.

Ok, first of all, where I work, people who are still students are called STUDENT Nurse Externs I & II. Graduate nurses are called NURSE EXTERNS. I have asked to do things. I am willing and eager. HOWEVER, the NM says the ONLY things I can do are assessments, accuchecks, and dressing changes. I CANNOT pass meds, give shots, hang IV's, hang blood, take telephone orders, or ANYTHING else r/t nursing!!

I called her [NM] after I got off shift Thursday morning and ASKED her when I was going to do the nurse education. her answer was..."Well, I don't know. You can keep doing the things you are doing right now, nothing has changed."

I had to point out to her 2 months ago that she was paying me to sit around and do nothing, and get paid for it.

I have decided to wait until the end of this week to say anything else to my NM.

Please pray for me, that I say the right things in the meeting I have Monday to discuss my 'misdeeds'.

Thanks!!

Nurseinthemaking · Oct 9, 2005

The reason given for not doing my nurse training at hire was because they didn't want to waste the money training me if I failed NCLEX.. I do not think the unit I am on has ever had a GN before. It was like pulling teeth to find out what I could/couldn't do.
I also got called into the NM's office 2 weeks ago for some very blatant lies about myself. Things like frequent BO, wrinkled uniforms, not being a team player, not wanting to answer call lights, basically saying that "when I become an RN, I won't answer lights" and "I don't do poop, blood or vomit." Acting as though anything not related to RN was a waste of my time. Everything is a lie. look back through my posts. you will see that what I was accused of are lies.
I just don't know what to do. One other thing, the follow up meeting for these so called 'misdeeds' was scheduled for 2 days AFTER I took boards. When I passed, she postponed it to this following Monday the 10th. I really p***** someone off and I don't know who. I understand the phrase "Nurses eat their young" because I am being chewed to bits.
The NM said that all the accusations came from night shift but when I asked they all said it wasn't them.
Thanks!!

Hmmm, sounds like you work in the same place I do.

jnette, ASN, EMT-I · Oct 9, 2005

Sorry, but your facility has som eissues with me. A nurse extern is someone who has not graduated from school, you were a graduate nurse, two completely different things.
If you want my honest opinion, I would look for another job, if they exist in your area. What they are doing to you is just not acceptable in my book.

Agree.

Seems that the ppl there who SHOULD be in the know, certainly are clueless. That would worry me.. nobody seems to know anything there. :uhoh21:

And yes, as an RN, it is now YOUR license as mentioned above.. not the one training you. And as an RN, no longer the GN, you SHOULD be getting the training you need and be practicing as an RN !

I'd be outta there ! These ppl don't know their orifices from their elblow, it doth appear.

MamaTheNurse, BSN, RN · Oct 9, 2005

...this place of employment wouldn't be a Michigan hospital, would it?

if it is, it sure isn't the hospital I work at!!

each unit has a preceptor program in place and the preceptors themselves go to classes to learn how best to be one.......our GN's are up and running ASAP and we rejoice when they pass their boards! this crazy stuff about not wasting an orientation on someone in case they fail their boards is not right......

you need to take your new license and move on before something weird happens and you are blamed................