About those new grads----!!!!!

amoLucia · Apr 2, 2016

Isn't it great when you come across someone who is truly awesome (yes, this word is appropriate here). Really makes you appreciate newbie-ism at times.

I met a new LPN couple years ago - she was like a breath of fresh air when things would stand still.

Farawyn · Apr 2, 2016

Most new grads I have worked with and/or preceptored were better rather than worse.

The last awesome one was an LPN as well. She was very young, bilingual and smart as a whip. :inlove:

NanikRN · Apr 2, 2016

Most new grads I have worked with and/or preceptored were better rather than worse.
The last awesome one was an LPN as well. She was very young, bilingual and smart as a whip.

This is actually my experience also. Just like the frequent failed NCLEX postings we see on this site, I think we hear much more negative than true positive experiences about new grads.

And I think it's valuable to say the positive outloud every once in a while. ðŸ‘ðŸ˜ƒ

crj96 · Apr 2, 2016

As a relatively new nurse, I would suggest that it's how we treat new nurses that truly makes them great or awful. If a new nurse is treated like a person who is about to embark on the greatest roller coaster ride of their lives, who is encouraged to ask questions/fail/learn/grow, then they're going to soar. If they're initiated into the eat or be eaten world of close-minded "seasoned" vets, they will grow bitter and jaded very quickly. So thankful that I left the job that would have turned me bitter and have found the better place!

NanikRN · Apr 2, 2016

As a relatively new nurse, I would suggest that it's how we treat new nurses that truly makes them great or awful. If a new nurse is treated like a person who is about to embark on the greatest roller coaster ride of their lives, who is encouraged to ask questions/fail/learn/grow, then they're going to soar. If they're initiated into the eat or be eaten world of close-minded "seasoned" vets, they will grow bitter and jaded very quickly. So thankful that I left the job that would have turned me bitter and have found the better place!

Above has not been my experience.

The new nurses I am referencing (and the many I worked with before) are strong enough in themselves that others don't " make" them feel anything. And I would strongly disagree that negative workplaces like you mention are common.

Sounds like you were smart enough to determine that your former workplace wasn't for you. i have confidence that most new nurses also have that same ability

adelejune22 · Apr 2, 2016

New grads!! Great to work with them!!

la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN · Apr 3, 2016

This makes me want to be as awesome as I can be when I'm a new grad. :)

Farawyn · Apr 3, 2016

This makes me want to be as awesome as I can be when I'm a new grad. :)

You probably will be. :)

la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN · Apr 3, 2016

You probably will be. :)

Thank you!! :shy:

Libby1987 · Apr 3, 2016

As a relatively new nurse, I would suggest that it's how we treat new nurses that truly makes them great or awful. If a new nurse is treated like a person who is about to embark on the greatest roller coaster ride of their lives, who is encouraged to ask questions/fail/learn/grow, then they're going to soar. If they're initiated into the eat or be eaten world of close-minded "seasoned" vets, they will grow bitter and jaded very quickly. So thankful that I left the job that would have turned me bitter and have found the better place!

Us old vets are having to adjust to lesser prepared new grads for higher patient acuities. The work itself is getting more challenging for us, add under prepared new grads, or those who interview well and/or look good on paper but under perform, and it's a tough mix.

The employer plays a huge role as well, if they put the responsibility and workload all on the shoulders of the staff nurses, it's going to have a trickle down effect.

I think the new grad experience should be shouldered by the new grad as well. The new grad may have unrealistic expectations of how things will go, their perception of how they're being treated may be unrealistic. There's no doubt that there's a continuum of how stress is perceived and tolerated.

Hopefully, everyone is being as kind, gracious and forgiving as possible all around.

Trauma Columnist · Apr 3, 2016

I just came back from NSNA 2016 and I was so very impressed with the professional caliber of the students. They presented themselves as mature individuals, well-read, had very well thought out comments and were great representatives of themselves and their schools.