Ugghhh, another new nurse...

Nurses Rock Toon

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We've all run into a "new nurse". What's the most memorable experience you ever had with a new nurse? Maybe it was something they said ??? Or, something they did? Good or bad share your story...

Specializes in kids.

I was recently working with a brand-new nurse who, and her mid-forties, and never experienced death in any way shape or form. She has her parents, her grandparents, her siblings, friends, aunts and her uncles and nobody has ever died. One of her very first days on the floor one of the residents was dying. She was traumatized. So instead of orienting her to the task of dealing with an imminent death, I was also supporting her emotionally. She will be a great nurse.

It was surprising, as I have experienced death, my whole life it seems.

Specializes in Emergency and Critical Care.

I was precepting a new nurse in an ICU. She was going to insert a foley into an elderly patient, and she comes running out of the room with her hands flailing in the air, screeming, I asked her what was the matter and she told me he didn't have a member. I kind of giggled under my breath and went in the room and pushed on his pubis and his member popped out she gasped, and screemed again and ran out of the room, we had a good teaching moment, but this is my favorite and it happened way back in the early 80's. I will never forget. But now that I am a teacher, I remember this and I teach my students that this happens and what to do.

Specializes in Emergency and Critical Care.

I was not the sort of person to feel and act superior just because I'd already had so many chances to get the experience under my belt while still in school. I was kind; I know what it's like to feel new, and dumb even though actually quite smart., even though for me, it might have been under different circumstances. NOBODY likes to feel that way! So, I'd demonstrate for them by doing it for them, and with the next patient, talk them through it as they did it for themselves.

I never could figure out why RN education didn't include a good, healthy dose of the actual practice. If simply playing the piano requires a lot of lessons and experience, why on earth would a good nursing school with a good reputation not include something so necessary in their curriculum?

I agree, I started out as an LPN as well, and I loved helping out the new students, it didn't matter to me if they were RN's, I even taught them how to be charge nurses even though I couldn't be one. Early on we could be charge on night shift though

I was a med tech for 5 yrs.

Just became a nurse been on orientation for 6 weeks.

Even with experience its so scary to think the responsibility you now have. And i am grateful for my preceptor cause i personally hate training people. Takes a person with alot of patience to answer my sometimes silly easy questions.

And i love nursing

It give me a sense of purpose. Even after a bad day i know at least one person appreciated my help.

[COLOR=#000000]"I was precepting a new nurse in an ICU. She was going to insert a foley into an elderly patient, and she comes running out of the room with her hands flailing in the air, screeming, I asked her what was the matter and she told me he didn't have a member. I kind of giggled under my breath and went in the room and pushed on his pubis and his member popped out she gasped, and screemed again and ran out of the room, we had a good teaching moment, but this is my favorite and it happened way back in the early 80's. I will never forget. But now that I am a teacher, I remember this and I teach my students that this happens and what to do."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#000000]I am a new grad and I am dyyyyying laughing a this, only because it happened to me in clinical once.... I seriously, can not stop laughing remembering my own reaction! I will never, ever, ever, forget this moment in my teaching![/COLOR]

Specializes in Emergency.
Not smart to make bad comments cause everyone was a new nurse before..Do you all not remember??

Grow a sense of humor, you will last longer.

I told me new preceptee I don't want her to end up like me, so I am putting on my best front so she isn't jaded right out of the gate. The powers that be did not allow that to last long. First 3 nights and we saw 2 patients 10 times in those 3 days. Poor thing, I hope she lasts.

I get where both of you are coming from but at the same time doesn't this just reinforce and encourage nurses to 'eat their young'?

Working with a new nurse of several months...she actually asked if normal saline & Coumadin were the same thing. Then another time wanted to argue that a telemetry patient that was having a run of svt was wrong. She insisted we were referring to rsv.

Specializes in Registered Nurse.
Working with a new nurse of several months...she actually asked if normal saline & Coumadin were the same thing. Then another time wanted to argue that a telemetry patient that was having a run of svt was wrong. She insisted we were referring to rsv.

Oh my.

My supervisor was doing an evaluation on a new nurse, ands the new nurse told her that she looked up to me and hoped to be the kind of nurse I was someday. And beleive me, I'm hardly Super Nurse. I was really touched by it, though, and it made me strive to be better. I think your new nurse could have been sincere.

I am glad for new nurses, I think we should all appreciate them more, heck someone will have to carry the torch when we older nurses wake up one morning, sit on the side of our beds prior to going to work and say, "I am done". We need them.

Most new are excited about working and haven't been in it long enough to feel the burn-out. They are like, "O I will get this and that etc".

Specializes in IMC, school nursing.

I enjoy the new nurses, they bring a hope filled energy to the unit. I'm glad I like it, seems like that is all we get, every six months. Sadly they leave almost as fast as they come. I have seen well over 1000 people come and go from my unit over the decades.

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