Advice for the new hire (hint: don't show your faults for awhile 😇)

[Emergent]

A coworker and I were discussing a gal who was let go during the probationary period. She was dumb enough to show her slacker side way too early in the relationship.

If you were dating a hot guy or gal, wouldn't you clean up your place before a visit? You wouldn't want to show what a slob you are until you'd reeled him in a bit. You wouldn't criticize his nosy mother, loudmouth brother or irresponsible friend too soon in the relationship.

The same with a new job.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

It sure do depends on the person.. Sometimes discussing it with the individual makes matters worse. ������

If someone has that type of personality, how do you think they will react when they find you went over their head and reported them to your manager for some kind of offense, and then went over your manager's head with said complaint when you didn't get the desired result? (just realized I'm referring to another thread here at AN, which not everyone reading this thread may be familiar with). I really doubt they will handle that better.

[OlivetheRN, ADN, BSN, RN]

"Ain't nobody got time for nothing no how."

I tell that to the latest crop of new hires on our unit, because some want to take, shall we say, an interventional approach to our more established coworkers. Unless you witness other nurses actively trying to kill a patient, mainly your patient, stay in your lane and drive your own car. The "nursing school" way is often not the best way to accomplish a task.

I LOVE that. I brought a patient from the PACU to the floor one time. Big open belly case. Poor guy was hurting like crazy. I tell the nurse that I gave him 4 mg of dilaudid total in PACU and the look I got you would have thought she thought I was trying to kill the man. I wanted to put my hands up and be like, "Hey man, he's breathing and talking to you and he's not hurting like he was, I'm good. You good?"

[scout mom]

I think you should check your attitude towards patients. If patients can't resolve a situation that regards their care with their nurse, then they are justified in asking for the supervisor, and should do so. This does not mean they think they are special; it means they want their concern addressed and resolved properly/to their satisfaction. Patients do have the right to have their concerns addressed, and as a nurse you are the patient's advocate. I have seen signs posted on the walls of patients rooms advising patients of the number of the Charge Nurse and the Nurse Manager, encouraging patients to call if they have concerns about their care.

Did you notice that Neurotic Student specializes in Psych? How many times a day do psych patients want to speak to the supervisor and of those, how many are actually legitimate concerns regarding their care?

[quazar]

I also think people should take their time before leaping to judgment (bad OR good) about personalities on a unit, especially when it comes to preceptors. At the hospital where I worked the longest (over a decade), my preceptor when I started was just...well....mean. Very crabby, very cranky, very curt. She took me way off guard at first, but because I was a seasoned nurse by then (thank goodness), I just sort of responded to her with good humor and cheer and went on my merry way. She ended up being one of my best friends on the unit. Yeah, she was still a cranky, difficult person to get to know, but I genuinely liked her and liked working with her.