i just need some help with a management decision to place a new grad in our unit on the night shift.... we have a small unit only 6 beds...we usually work two nurses alone on the the night shift...we have been short handed and the manager hired a new grad right out of nursing school..... she has had a few months of orientation but failed her boards and had to work as a tech for 6 weeks until she could retest....she passed her boards a few weeks ago and will have three more weeks of orientation on days ...then she will work as the second nurse on the night shift with me......i have nothing personal against this new nurse....i am just uncomfortable working alone with a new grad in the icu....we have some very crazy nights there, as we are alone without the benifit of all the resources they have on days....( managers, extra resp people, techs).....to work with only two nurses we have to be very resourseful and be true team players to cope with some of the critical care patients that come in on the night shift....am i crazy to be so afraid? i think back on my first year of nursing and can see how difficult the transition was....i really learned how to be a nurse after i left school and worked on the floor....if this was a three person unit i would have no problem with this decision...that would be a good learning environment for her and there would be two experienced nurses to provide resource for her and care for the patients ...please help with advise....or your experiences, or just some new ideas for management.....thanks again
