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

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Pediatrics, Home Health.

I have been working on the unit since July as a GN. I passed boards on Oct. 3. :balloons: :balloons

We were short a nurse Wednesday night and the NM said I could have a few patients but that the other RN would have to co-sign my work. The other RN flat refused to allow me to take the pts because she would have had to assess them and pass all their meds. I didn't blame her. It was her [and my] licenses that were on the line.

I called the NM to find out when I will be taking the hospital training for new nurses and she said she didn't know, but that I could just continue to do what I have been doing, which is practically NOTHING!!

Right now I am allowed to do assessments [with another RN in the room with me]

Change dressings

QC the accucheck machines, and do accuchecks

Answer call lights and take pts to the bathroom, set them up for their baths, help the Cna's and chart on my pts.

I am NOT allowed to give meds, hang/start IV's, hang blood. I don't know how to hook up a pump for the IV's, I haven't been taught how to use the computer to scan the meds.

I feel absolutely USELESS!! I am an RN in name ONLY!! The night shift needs me to be an RN not a glorified CNA!! Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE helping my patients and I love answering the call lights. I find it enjoyable. I don't even do vitals, the cnas do that.

So I guess my question is: After you passed boards when did you start your nurse training?

I have had no training. i went to hospital oreintation for 2 days and then I was on the unit!!

Please advise! Is my NM dragging her feet?

Thanks!!

Specializes in Case Management.

Please advise! Is my NM dragging her feet?

Thanks!!

Yes. You are wasting your time. You should be learning the clinical while the knowledge is still fresh. they are paying you for doing practically nothing. I would suggest takilng to the NM and ask her how long she plans to pay you RN salary while getting CNA work from you. If she looks at it that way she may decide that today is the time for you to start your official trainnig.

Specializes in Palliative, Geriatics.

You should definately be having some form of RN orientation at your place of work now. This makes no sense. Like the other poster said, talk to your NM or move on. This sounds really bizarre. :uhoh21:

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

OMG,, you should have had your hospital orientation the first week you were there. They should have had you hit the floor running and had you doing most of the things the RN has done for her patients. By now the Rn that is orientating you should have a real easy shift being there for you if you need her. Otherwise, she should be your shadow and following you around, or staying out of your way and following through with things you have done to make sure they are complete.

I'm not sure id stick around much longer, however, i guess if they are paying you Rn wages to work basically as a tech, its their problem. Enjoy the money, the other people hired to do the tech jobs arent making that much.

Most of the new grads we hired, started in late June and are completely off orientation and take full teams themselves. Granted they need resource through the shift now and then, but for the most part THEY are it.

Where are you working and is this a regualr hospital? Do they not have a specific new grad orientation? Something sounds quite fishy to me.

Specializes in Geriatrics, Pediatrics, Home Health.
OMG,, you should have had your hospital orientation the first week you were there. They should have had you hit the floor running and had you doing most of the things the RN has done for her patients. By now the Rn that is orientating you should have a real easy shift being there for you if you need her. Otherwise, she should be your shadow and following you around, or staying out of your way and following through with things you have done to make sure they are complete.

I'm not sure id stick around much longer, however, i guess if they are paying you Rn wages to work basically as a tech, its their problem. Enjoy the money, the other people hired to do the tech jobs arent making that much.

Most of the new grads we hired, started in late June and are completely off orientation and take full teams themselves. Granted they need resource through the shift now and then, but for the most part THEY are it.

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!!

The hospital I work at gives new grads 6 months with a preceptor! Are there any other hospitals around you that offer better training for new graduates?

Specializes in Geriatrics, Pediatrics, Home Health.
Where are you working and is this a regualr hospital? Do they not have a specific new grad orientation? Something sounds quite fishy to me.

Yes it is a regular hospital. When I went down to HR to have my badge changed, she called the director of my unit and asked for verification. The director gave it and then said,"Oh., I guess there is some paperwork that needs to be filed, right? The lady in HR said,"Yes, she just got a substantial payraise!!"

They have a new Grad oreintation, but didn't want to waste the money until I passed boards!

Thanks!!

Something just doesn't seem right here. After central orientation, you should be paired with (ideally one for consistency sake) an experienced nurse for a few months. I am glad that the other nurse refused to accept that type of assignment as well.

As a licensed professional, you are expected to work up to your license. So even if you are doing vital signs and taking people to the bathroom, you are still expected to assess and react as an RN would. But without the proper training, how can you be expected to do that?

You need to talk to your NM, even as a GN you should have been receiving training as an RN. As a GN, I checked and hung blood, gave chemo, IV push medications, performed assessments and did my own charting. I had a preceptor who kept up with what I was doing, and did not have an additional assignment. After a while, she brought a book to work! But that is what was supposed to happen, so the day that I was on my own for the first time, I was ready for it.

Good luck, and start looking around to see what your options are!

Jen

I have been working on the unit since July as a GN. I passed boards on Oct. 3. :balloons: :balloons

We were short a nurse Wednesday night and the NM said I could have a few patients but that the other RN would have to co-sign my work. The other RN flat refused to allow me to take the pts because she would have had to assess them and pass all their meds. I didn't blame her. It was her [and my] licenses that were on the line.

I called the NM to find out when I will be taking the hospital training for new nurses and she said she didn't know, but that I could just continue to do what I have been doing, which is practically NOTHING!!

Right now I am allowed to do assessments [with another RN in the room with me]

Change dressings

QC the accucheck machines, and do accuchecks

Answer call lights and take pts to the bathroom, set them up for their baths, help the Cna's and chart on my pts.

I am NOT allowed to give meds, hang/start IV's, hang blood. I don't know how to hook up a pump for the IV's, I haven't been taught how to use the computer to scan the meds.

I feel absolutely USELESS!! I am an RN in name ONLY!! The night shift needs me to be an RN not a glorified CNA!! Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE helping my patients and I love answering the call lights. I find it enjoyable. I don't even do vitals, the cnas do that.

So I guess my question is: After you passed boards when did you start your nurse training?

I have had no training. i went to hospital oreintation for 2 days and then I was on the unit!!

Please advise! Is my NM dragging her feet?

Thanks!!

That is terrible! I would leave this position and look for another job. Good luck!

Stephanie RN

Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.
That is terrible! I would leave this position and look for another job. Good luck!

Stephanie RN

:yeahthat: Nursing jobs in most areas of the country are plenteous (because of the shortage). It is dangerous to work in an environment in which there is so much disrespect. YOU deserve much better than this.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

After seeing your response, i dont know that i wouldnt go to nursing administration and find out what is going on. If they hired you as a New grad, you deserve the same treatment as any other new grad. If they have a general hospital orientation you should have been sent through that first, then split off with the new nursing staff for the rest of nursing "book" orientation. If they didnt even bother to put you through the first week of general orientation before you went to work they are probly breaking some very basic rules as far as patient safety (JAHCO and State regs).

If i misunderstood sorry, but otherwise make the calls and get out.

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