new nurse/seasoned nurse

Nurses General Nursing

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Ive read many posts regarding here from newer nurses complaining of being treated less than kindly from seasoned nurses. I am a new nurse, working with a seasoned nurse. She comes off as angry and unfriendly as she is constantly yelling and clearly frustrated. However, after carefully listening to her views, I have fully come to understand her frustration and know thats it NOT personal. She is disgusted with the nursing profession in general. She has been a nurse for 36 years and is very experienced and knowledgeable. As she watches over me during my orientation, she sees that preceptor sleeping for 2 hours while Im on my own. Literally... This is every night. Each nite I have a difference preceptor, and each nite they sleep, stay in the nursing station and let me pretty much go on my own. She told me the other night, this is terrible and she is "embarassed." She seems to actually feel sorry for me, because she was not trained in this lackadaisal type mentality. My preceptors are newer nurses, with 2-3 yrs of experience maximum. This profession that she takes so much pride in, is crumbling, and shes sick of it. So to the newer nurses, sometimes the older nurses arent as mean as they may appear, they may simply be disgusted at the changes they have seen. And want new nurses to respect our position as much as they do... so my simple advice to new nurse, dont take things personally if all doesnt seem well intially, keep your eyes open, listen carefully and learn from them.. even if their is a little grumbling! :)

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Specializes in critical care, Med-Surg.

Are you serious? Who the &@#( has time to SLEEP?

You must be working in some podunck hospital in the middle of no-where, where nothing is happening.

Seriously, who has time to sleep?

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Specializes in Emergency Room, Trauma ICU.

I've had coworkers sleep...in their lunch breaks. They only take the time allowed for meals. Granted this was in the ICU at night so it wasn't too hard. On any other floor I don't know how this is possible, especially if you are orienting someone. I'd be ****** too if I saw that. And you bet your sweet butt I'd be emailing the manager.

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Specializes in Med/Surg,Cardiac.

They sleep? Please let me come work there. I admit on slow nights my coworkers and I discussed a plan to use a room and rotate nap shifts. If we actually did it though... Yeah, hello hobo status.

~ No One Can Make You Feel Inferior Without Your Consent -Eleanor Roosevelt ~

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She sounds like a nurse I worked with during my first year. She came across as grumpy and tired all the time. Over the course of the first year I learned that she was a single parent who worked two jobs and her oldest son had just been sent to prison.

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Specializes in Sleep medicine,Floor nursing, OR, Trauma.

As a seasoned nurse who can come across as short or cranky at times, I assure you, it is very seldom personal. (Though there are vindictive and nasty people in this world who are merely....well...vindictive and nasty.)

It can be difficult to juggle life, two sickly/dying parents, family demands, call/work demands and drama (read: political bs) and then pull out the happy face for a new grad in the middle of a chaotic day. I try to leave it all at the other side of the double doors. Mercy I try. But I am flawed and I have failed.

Sometimes you are tired to the core of your soul, vulnerable, and just...human.

So to that end, I say thank you. Thank you. Thank you for seeing the good in this nurse who is frustrated and wanting better for you. Thank you for reading between the lines to view who she is and what fuels her words. Thank you for allowing her to be human.

I encourage you to remember this moment when dealing with the demented, the detoxing, the drug seeking, the grieving.

I do not, however, encourage you to take abuse. Ever. You have the right to a safe work environment.

As such, you should not be forced to work while other nurses sleep. That is completely unacceptable and something you need to report. In this case it is not only about making noise to fix a bad situation, but also because if you say nothing but remain aware and management decides it's time to take action, you run the risk of being involved as guilty by association and failure to act.

Oh, and then there's that whole patient safety thingy too.

I have a feeling you will go far, OP.

Kindest regards,

~~CP~~

P.S.

I cannot be held accountable for spelling and grammar errors. I have OD'ed on pancakes laden in natural syrup and corned beef hash and I regret nothing. Blood sugar sold seperately.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
As a seasoned nurse who can come across as short or cranky at times, I assure you, it is very seldom personal. (Though there are vindictive and nasty people in this world who are merely....well...vindictive and nasty.)

It can be difficult to juggle life, two sickly/dying parents, family demands, call/work demands and drama (read: political bs) and then pull out the happy face for a new grad in the middle of a chaotic day. I try to leave it all at the other side of the double doors. Mercy I try. But I am flawed and I have failed.

Sometimes you are tired to the core of your soul, vulnerable, and just...human.

So to that end, I say thank you. Thank you. Thank you for seeing the good in this nurse who is frustrated and wanting better for you. Thank you for reading between the lines to view who she is and what fuels her words. Thank you for allowing her to be human.

I encourage you to remember this moment when dealing with the demented, the detoxing, the drug seeking, the grieving.

I do not, however, encourage you to take abuse. Ever. You have the right to a safe work environment.

As such, you should not be forced to work while other nurses sleep. That is completely unacceptable and something you need to report. In this case it is not only about making noise to fix a bad situation, but also because if you say nothing but remain aware and management decides it's time to take action, you run the risk of being involved as guilty by association and failure to act.

Oh, and then there's that whole patient safety thingy too.

I have a feeling you will go far, OP.

Kindest regards,

~~CP~~

P.S.

I cannot be held accountable for spelling and grammar errors. I have OD'ed on pancakes laden in natural syrup and corned beef hash and I regret nothing. Blood sugar sold seperately.

^^^Well said as always CheesePotato!!! :)

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

Thank so much OP!

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That needs to be reported. No one will benefit from sleeping preceptors, particularly the patients.

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Specializes in Transitional Care, Home Care.

Good post! I personally love crotchety old nurses because I know their training was more strict and that they are going to teach me something if I prove to them I really want to learn. They are experienced and they have a legacy of skills and information to hand down. It's the stuff they don't teach in school! :nurse:

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Specializes in Transitional Care, Home Care.

They aren't all crotchety, but I think you know what I mean :)

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Ive read many posts regarding here from newer nurses complaining of being treated less than kindly from seasoned nurses. I am a new nurse, working with a seasoned nurse. She comes off as angry and unfriendly as she is constantly yelling and clearly frustrated. However, after carefully listening to her views, I have fully come to understand her frustration and know thats it NOT personal. She is disgusted with the nursing profession in general. She has been a nurse for 36 years and is very experienced and knowledgeable. As she watches over me during my orientation, she sees that preceptor sleeping for 2 hours while Im on my own. Literally... This is every night. Each nite I have a difference preceptor, and each nite they sleep, stay in the nursing station and let me pretty much go on my own. She told me the other night, this is terrible and she is "embarassed." She seems to actually feel sorry for me, because she was not trained in this lackadaisal type mentality. My preceptors are newer nurses, with 2-3 yrs of experience maximum. This profession that she takes so much pride in, is crumbling, and shes sick of it. So to the newer nurses, sometimes the older nurses arent as mean as they may appear, they may simply be disgusted at the changes they have seen. And want new nurses to respect our position as much as they do... so my simple advice to new nurse, dont take things personally if all doesnt seem well intially, keep your eyes open, listen carefully and learn from them.. even if their is a little grumbling! :)

All I can say is WOW!

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