It seems probie's can't take a joke or laugh

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Telemetry, Med-Surg, ED, Psych.

Okay, So I have learned very well that new nurses (wet behind the ears) are not the best company to have as friends. Yes, that is a bit harsh but considering my long term nurse friends from school or my first job, It seems that the probies honestly do not have a sense of humor at all.

We all go out for coffee or out to dinner. We share our own "war" stories (we've all done it people, don't lie). My aged co-workers and myself joke and laugh about certain situations.

Then comes the probie "Well I think its unprofessional to make those comments and laugh about a person pooping all over the bed" .

KILL JOY!

What the probie does not seem to understand is that (and I quote my mother here) "If we didn't laugh, we'd cry".

Or for example the probie calling me to to say he is going to call in sick from work that night for a headache. My joking response is to take a Lindsay Lohan milkshake (Milk of Mag, Norco, and 2 shots of Vodka).

Probie's response "How dare you assume I am a druggie - you have no clout or professionalism".

Really - I have no professionalism?

I my opinion, calling off sick for a headache is a sign of unprofessionalism.

My advise to probies under 1 year of bedside experience : Learn to laugh at yourself and the world as a whole. It not all textbook in the real world. Sometimes you have to go out for coffee and make jokes and laugh.

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Specializes in Critical Care/Coronary Care Unit,.

I definitely have to agree that new nurses should relax. I guess they're just so overwhelmed by everything, they don't come up for air. But calling in for a headache, give me a break...take some motrin and drag your butt to work.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

Who in the world calls new nurses "probies?" That's straight out of those old books like "Sue Barton, Student Nurse." I have never heard anyone use that term IRL, and I've been out of school 25 years. It seems kind of disrespectful, if you ask me. New nurses are your colleagues, just as valuable as experienced nurses. Good grief, they're going to be taking the reins some day so we can retire. Give them a break.

Some new nurses do need to lighten up a bit, but I think you are overgeneralizing. We're all needed out there.

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

When it's my turn to be a probie again can you be my preceptor because you have my kind of humor.

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Who in the world calls new nurses "probies?" That's straight out of those old books like "Sue Barton, Student Nurse." I have never heard anyone use that term IRL, and I've been out of school 25 years. It seems kind of disrespectful, if you ask me. New nurses are your colleagues, just as valuable as experienced nurses. Good grief, they're going to be taking the reins some day so we can retire. Give them a break.

Some new nurses do need to lighten up a bit, but I think you are overgeneralizing. We're all needed out there.

I agree- give them a huge break. It's not your job to make them conform to your idea of humor. If some nurses are straightlaced and not making fun of sick patients, then let them be. They offset your irreverence.

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Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.

OP... I get what you're saying & tend to have the same feelings that I must laugh or I may crack.

But, not everyone does get it & I'm not so certain that it just a lack of experience. Some people are just wrapped tighter than others. I say to each his own.

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Specializes in Telemetry, Med-Surg, ED, Psych.

probie is a firefighters term for a newbie

call it what you want - the point is that newbies/probies are too uptight in my opinion

Yes, to whomever suggested that the term probie is disresprectful - get real

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

I don't have an issue with laughing about pt. situations; we all need to decompress, and nurses often have a "black sense of humor."

I do take issue with using negative terms to refer to co-workers. Calling a new nurse a "probie" is a belittling term. A new RN is still an RN. She/He is not a "probationer," or whatever you want to call her/him. Being a new nurse is stressful enough without having co-workers using terminology that demeans.

And people ask why older nurses "eat their young." To me, this is an example of it.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Acute Rehab.
Who in the world calls new nurses "probies?" That's straight out of those old books like "Sue Barton, Student Nurse." I have never heard anyone use that term IRL, and I've been out of school 25 years. It seems kind of disrespectful, if you ask me. New nurses are your colleagues, just as valuable as experienced nurses. Good grief, they're going to be taking the reins some day so we can retire. Give them a break.

Some new nurses do need to lighten up a bit, but I think you are overgeneralizing. We're all needed out there.

Must be a fan of the TV show Rescue Me. They use that term all the time. Of course, they are talking about fire fighters, not nurses!

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
probie is a firefighters term for a newbie

call it what you want - the point is that newbies/probies are too uptight in my opinion

Yes, to whomever suggested that the term probie is disresprectful - get real

Maybe the new nurses you work with are uptight because of how you treat them.

Perhaps you've forgotten what it's like to be new and scared. You could do a lot to ease some of that tension, rather than make things worse by mocking new nurses.

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Specializes in Hospice.

I can take a joke and im only 4 months in maybe its an isolated case. :) I do think that people can get sensitive about drug jokes because of the huge problem of drug diversion out there. It doesn't bother me.. but it took me a bit to feel out the culture. they will get there.

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LMAO @ the Lohan milkshake.........Very funny!!!!

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