Is this new grad a nut or what? Opinions please !

SmilingBluEyes · Oct 5, 2005

I find the accent thing interesting. Some people unconsciously pick up accents very easily. My sister is that way. She can immitate accents easiy ... and will unconsciously pick up a little of whatever accent she is around. I also do that a little without noticing it. We are a very verbal family and I suspect it has something to do with the way our brains are wired for auditory processing.
It would be interesting to know if she were conscious of it.
llg

Yep it does happen.

the thing that concerns me is not the accent, but the negligence of her patients. THAT needs to be addressed more than her "odd" characteristics, if you ask me.

SmilingBluEyes · Oct 5, 2005

Nobody can take a bite out of anything, or anybody, that moves fast enough!!
That being said, caution is suggested if you notice a lot of condiments on the nursing station desk!
(just trying to lighten it up a little, ok?)

TOOO CUTE! :chuckle

RN12345656 · Oct 5, 2005

She says she knows how to do everything but you check on her and she's got the PB plugged in under the pump.
I say give her the whole patient load...I bet she'll lose that accent real fast :rotfl:

truern · Oct 5, 2005

we have a new grad (23 y/o, single wf) on our floor.
question, who cares that she is 23 yoa, single, white, or female? sounds like she is just immature which is not always indicative of ones age. also labeling someone as white and female is border line discrimination. :angryfire
we do it everyday in charting, reporting, etc. about patients. it's identifying, not discriminating.
rm 7 cw 75 yo wm chole

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Oct 5, 2005

lpnsam. . .sometimes people get "roped" into being preceptors or sometimes they prefer the word "orienting" new people. They never wanted the postiion to begin with because they don't feel comfortable at it, or feel they are inadequate for the job, or some just will admit to not having the patience to work with a brand new nurse or employee. However, it is generally an official duty listed on every nurses job description. So, this is their problem not yours. In addition to that, most preceptors are not trained educators to begin with so they can only draw from their past experiences in nursing and their own personal lives. For this reason, some preceptors act in unique ways. I've had preceptors that loved doing the socratic method where you constantly ask the orientee questions only to have an orientee break down in tears. After a little investigation I found that the preceptor did that because one of the best teachers they ever had taught that way, so they were just mimicking them! Preceptors who are negative, constantly criticizing, and never giving an encouraging word I believe come from personal backgrounds where that kind of behavior was present all the time. These people behave that way because to them it is normal, and unfortunately, they did not take away very much from their communications and psychology classes. I do think that most people who end up as preceptors actually believe they are being helpful although I know that a few will verbalize that they hate it. Many people are invited or "roped into" being preceptors because they are seen by their supervisors and managers as good nurses. They all don't fit the mold of a nurturing teacher and that is as important an element of a good preceptor as well as being very good as a nurse. You are in a work situation, however, and the focus now is going to be on the work you produce and education kind of takes a bit of a back seat. Sometimes they are the only nurses a manager has to work with when it comes to orienting new people. What I'm saying is sometimes it is the luck of the draw that lands you in the situation you are in. It is good that you have a supervisor who is encouraging the staff to be more tolerant of you. Sometimes this is what it takes to get regular staff on track--that's one reason why there are supervisors. Some preceptors will just jump in and do the procedures she should be letting you do in order to master them because they are impatient and know they can do them faster and they want to get on with their work. Again, this is a personal trait of the preceptor (impatience) and is not your fault. You could try exerting yourself a little and saying, "I want to do this blood draw," instead of waiting to be tossed a bone. Don't feel badly that you are slow at things. All new grads are. It's too bad your preceptor won't acknowledge this as it is very likely she went through similar experiences as a new grad herself. You need to make a promise to yourself that you will never treat a new grad or an orientee the way that has been done to you. You are going to work with many, many different nurses over your career and will find that each is unique and brings their own prejudices and beliefs into the job with them despite the cautions they received as nursing students against doing this. It is human nature. As the years go on and you become comfortable with your role as a nurse your own prejudices and beliefs will sneak their way into your work behavior as well.

I had an awful time with starting IVs when I started in nursing. At the recommendation of one of the hospital supervisors I took a 30 hour IV therapy class for LVNs that was offered at another hospital out here in California years ago. I learned so much more from that class than I ever learned in school. Well, it was taught by an expert in IVs so that may have been the difference. I've since worked as an IV therapist for many years and taught IV insertions to nurses and medical students. The biggest obstacle that I found with new "stickers" is that they have to get their thinking about it correct. You are trying to introduce a straight, rigid needle into a somewhat flexible, hopefully straight tube. However, in order to enter this tube you have to go in with the needle at an angle. If you don't correct the angle of the needle once you have pierced the vein, you will puncture the opposite site and create a hematoma. New "stickers", I've found, either stick too far left or too far right of the vein and so they never get into it. If you can't see the vein but are sticking by feel, you have to train yourself to kind of visualize where the vein actually is in relation to the needle which you can see. It took me a good 6 months to start to feel like I was getting better at inserting IVs. Phlebotomy is not that much different. At least with phlebotomy you can chose the largest veins. Just keep practicing your sticking. It takes lots of practice.

Please understand that right now is a very emotional time for you. Your preceptor isn't making it much easier, unfortunately. However, one thing you didn't have in your post is this. You haven't been counseled by your boss for not working up to standard or given a verbal or written counseling or warning that your behavior needs improvement. That's a good sign! Honestly, it is! If your workplace felt that you were doing a poor job, you would have been taken aside and given a serious talking to long before this. So, hang in there. Remember that your preceptor is visiting her own prejudices and beliefs on you and there is not much you can do to change that. When she is telling you you are too slow she is also giving you an unspoken message that she pushes her ownself to be faster. In a way, she's kind of thinking out loud and telling you volumns about her own self! We almost all criticize what we percieve to be negative things in other people because we ourselves actually do those very things and subconsciously don't like that we do them! That is a psychological fact--think about it. Try to be a little more assertive in seeking opportunities to practice new skills. Maybe at the beginning of a couple of days you can let the other nurses know you want to do any blood draws or other specific procedure that they have that day. You will make it through this period of your nursing career, I promise. We've all been through the same period of learning, so just hang in there.

jnette, ASN, EMT-I · Oct 5, 2005

I find the accent thing interesting. Some people unconsciously pick up accents very easily. My sister is that way. She can immitate accents easiy ... and will unconsciously pick up a little of whatever accent she is around. I also do that a little without noticing it. We are a very verbal family and I suspect it has something to do with the way our brains are wired for auditory processing.
It would be interesting to know if she were conscious of it.
llg

Gotta agree there !

It takes VERY LITTLE time for me to pick up the accent I'm around.. even if I happen to not LIKE that particular accent ! And I mean, it can be merely DAYS, too, if I'm around it a lot. This new grad probably spends quite a few hours per day with her preceptor.. I can see that happening easily enough.

Would also depend on just how MUCH of an accent as well, and if it is forced, or obvious. If it's simply a few little items here and there, that's rather common. I know it is for me. Pretty much as llg described above.

Has anyone mentioned the pager bit to her? She might still consider herself immersed in the "student" role, and has not quite accepted the reality that she is, indeed, now a nurse.. with all the responsibilities that go with the title.

She might just need a reality check.

Anyway... give the girl a chance.

While book knowlege isn't everything, I'd be careful to not be tooooooo judgemental yet, either. I, too, am a "slow learner". But once I have it down, I'm good to go, and you can count on me ! Everyone has their own pace. I'd hate to be judged on that.

Some ppl love to jump on someone (even if subconsciously) simply BECAUSE said person had a 4.0, or simply BECAUSE parents are physicians, etc. Know what I mean?

"Assuming" things, and perhaps even projecting their own subtle little jealousies/assumptions onto the new grad simply BECAUSE of these things.

Give her time, and I say don't be too rash in judging. That can still come later if warranted. :)

eagnd · Oct 5, 2005

:nono: TURN OFF HER PAGER!!!! ABSOLUTELY NOT I WOULD THINK THAT IS VERY ILLEGAL..AND ALSO A THREAT FOR WHERE YOU WORK..IF SOMEONE NEEDED HER ASSISTANCE AND SHE HAS THAT OFF I WOULD CONSIDER IT AN EASY LAWSUIT...SLOW..I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT IF YOU ARE TAKING TIME AND RIGHT OUT OF ORIENTATION THAT TO ME IS UNDERSTANDABLE..TO IMMITATE A COWORKER..THAT IS VERY DEMEANING TO THE WORKER INVOLVED. I WOULDNT CARE IF HER FAMILY IS DR'S I WOULD WRITE UP THIS BEHAVIOR...ESP. THE PAGER SINCE YOU ARE AWARE WOULDNT YOU BE PART TO BLAME THINK ABOUT IT THAT COULD BE VERY SERIOUS............ :nono:

We have a new grad on our floor. We kept hearing that she was going to be so good. She graduated with a 4.0 and her parents are both physicians. Well, she is far from good.
First of all the RN who is precepting her is from England and now she goes around speaking with a Britiish accent to everyone including the doctors. They kind of look at her like they are not taking her serious.
Second she turns off her pager to chart. In the meantime her patients are asking for pain meds and she is ignoring them.
Third, she is sooo very slow. She has been on orientation for a month and this week they have started letting her take her own patients (just 2 easy pts)and everything she does is being overseen by one of us. She says she knows how to do everything but you check on her and she's got the PB plugged in under the pump. I can take alot, I've been a preceptor for years and with some real challenges who have turned out to be very good nurses. The thing that really blows my mind is the fact that she has picked up the British accent. Fiona, our brit, has told her numerous times to cut it out and speak normally but has finally given up. I mean is she immature or what? Any opinions? Suggestions? Thanks!

Guest2010 · Oct 5, 2005

Are you just her co-worker, or are you in a supervisory position? How is it that you see everything she is doing wrong?

I can completely understand your anger at her lack of patient load, but honestly, if you are not her preceptor--its not your immediate concern.

Talk to her and see if she is really slow or just slow to learn the procedures-then step aside and let others observe her.

Its nice that you intend to "protect" the floor from someone who is incompetent and could quite possibly endanger patients, but I fail to see how you can observe so much that she is doing if you are doing your job too.

Aquamarine · Oct 5, 2005

Hey, I think you should try to be more accepting...she is new, who cares who her parents are....? You obviously do. That should not matter. A lot of personalities walk into nursing, she can still be a good nurse someday. Maybe you can actually be kind, have a heart to heart with her after work. Extend yourself and you canl be responsible for making her a good nurse perhaps. Everyone is different, haven't you noticed? It does not mean she cannot be good...she is still learning and still new. Be the one that makes a dfference and I think you will be surprised at what reslults you get. Just try and see...

Diahni · Oct 5, 2005

We have a new grad on our floor. We kept hearing that she was going to be so good. She graduated with a 4.0 and her parents are both physicians. Well, she is far from good.
First of all the RN who is precepting her is from England and now she goes around speaking with a Britiish accent to everyone including the doctors. They kind of look at her like they are not taking her serious.
Second she turns off her pager to chart. In the meantime her patients are asking for pain meds and she is ignoring them.
Third, she is sooo very slow. She has been on orientation for a month and this week they have started letting her take her own patients (just 2 easy pts)and everything she does is being overseen by one of us. She says she knows how to do everything but you check on her and she's got the PB plugged in under the pump. I can take alot, I've been a preceptor for years and with some real challenges who have turned out to be very good nurses. The thing that really blows my mind is the fact that she has picked up the British accent. Fiona, our brit, has told her numerous times to cut it out and speak normally but has finally given up. I mean is she immature or what? Any opinions? Suggestions? Thanks!

yeah, she's immature - the accent is a dead give away that she's not happy with herself. I'm a nursing student, and it's not easy, anyway. Even worse when somebody's playing games.

boulergirl, CNA · Oct 5, 2005

I worked in nursing homes for four months when I was a teenager, and I picked up an accent doing that. Mom got irritated and told me I came home everyday sounding like "white trash". She would die if she had to come visit me and heard the accents my roommates have. Some of them lay the Southern on THICK.

Now I work with a lot of African-Americans, and I don't have an accent, but I've picked up some of the hip-hop lingo. I'm sure my parents would be impressed :icon_roll

zicovico · Oct 6, 2005

We have a new grad on our floor. We kept hearing that she was going to be so good. She graduated with a 4.0 and her parents are both physicians. Well, she is far from good.
First of all the RN who is precepting her is from England and now she goes around speaking with a Britiish accent to everyone including the doctors. They kind of look at her like they are not taking her serious.
Second she turns off her pager to chart. In the meantime her patients are asking for pain meds and she is ignoring them.
Third, she is sooo very slow. She has been on orientation for a month and this week they have started letting her take her own patients (just 2 easy pts)and everything she does is being overseen by one of us. She says she knows how to do everything but you check on her and she's got the PB plugged in under the pump. I can take alot, I've been a preceptor for years and with some real challenges who have turned out to be very good nurses. The thing that really blows my mind is the fact that she has picked up the British accent. Fiona, our brit, has told her numerous times to cut it out and speak normally but has finally given up. I mean is she immature or what? Any opinions? Suggestions? Thanks!

From my perception, you sounds somewhat very judgmental. Why don't you try and give this new graduate the benefit of the doubt. By the way, what's wrong with mimicking British accent? Give her a break.