Where are all of the attitudes of new nurses coming from? Did they teach you this in nursing school? Did your preceptors teach you this? I am stunned every day to hear new nurses confidently saying things to patients that do not make any sense. The new nurse seems to think that as long as they say it with confidence, it will somehow make sense.
For example, the patient and their family asked about the medication doses the patient was receiving. At home, the patient took different doses than what was prescribed in the hospital. The new nurse said "The reason the dose is different is that the doctors do not like to give you too many medications while in the hospital". Nurses are not doctors and do not speak for doctors. SHE SHOULD HAVE SAID "I will talk to the doctor about your concerns and get back to you". The medication was for seizures and the patient had not had a seizure since the dose was increased.
I believe patients when they tell me that they asked the nurse before me to follow up on something and nothing was ever done. The new nurses do not even document that the question was raised by the patient.
NEW NURSES: You are not doctors. Just because you say something with confidence, does not make what you said believable. That patient is your responsibility. You do not need to "like them". You do need to take care of them.
Any other nurses out there have experience with new nurse attitudes?
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
My first job out of nursing school, I had an older nurse who was suppose to be a "mentor" ask me "Did you even go to nursing school?" in front of other colleagues when I simply asked about something I didn't understand. She then proceeded to call me STUPID as I walked away in tears. Been there with the nurses "eat their young" theory. We should want to encourage each other, whether you are new or experienced, not break their spirit for nursing.
I had a nursing instructor do something similar to me in front of a physician after I asked him a question. Boy, was she ever surprised when he turned to her and told her that my question wasn't stupid, and that she was out of line for mocking me. He then turned to me and addressed the question.
I had a nursing instructor do something similar to me in front of a physician after I asked him a question. Boy, was she ever surprised when he turned to her and told her that my question wasn't stupid, and that she was out of line for mocking me. He then turned to me and addressed the question.
Oooh, I can only imagine how embarrassed your instructor must have felt. I love it. Thanks for sharing.
I had a nursing instructor do something similar to me in front of a physician after I asked him a question. Boy, was she ever surprised when he turned to her and told her that my question wasn't stupid, and that she was out of line for mocking me. He then turned to me and addressed the question.
I wish more people were like this! I would loved to have seen the instructor's face. I am happy to say that I did leave that job after the nurse manager told me to my face that "You are not a good nurse." I knew it was a toxic environment for me. This "mean girl" group of nurses, I later found out, frequently chased off new grads. It was a very sad situation.....but I think it gave me a thicker skin. I am currently interviewing for positions, and one main goal is to find a place where they are open to teaching, in a family atmosphere.
Where are all of the attitudes of new nurses coming from? Did they teach you this in nursing school? Did your preceptors teach you this? I am stunned every day to hear new nurses confidently saying things to patients that do not make any sense. The new nurse seems to think that as long as they say it with confidence, it will somehow make sense.
For example, the patient and their family asked about the medication doses the patient was receiving. At home, the patient took different doses than what was prescribed in the hospital. The new nurse said “The reason the dose is different is that the doctors do not like to give you too many medications while in the hospital”. Nurses are not doctors and do not speak for doctors. SHE SHOULD HAVE SAID “I will talk to the doctor about your concerns and get back to you”. The medication was for seizures and the patient had not had a seizure since the dose was increased.
I believe patients when they tell me that they asked the nurse before me to follow up on something and nothing was ever done. The new nurses do not even document that the question was raised by the patient.
NEW NURSES: You are not doctors. Just because you say something with confidence, does not make what you said believable. That patient is your responsibility. You do not need to “like them”. You do need to take care of them.
Any other nurses out there have experience with new nurse attitudes?
Newbie: I don't really understand your rant....you speak as though the problem was because the nurse in question was new, when really your issue was with her speaking at all. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe you misheard. Maybe YOU were wrong. Can't really say, as your post is more than a little odd, coming FROM a new nurse.
The sad thing here is that it perpetuates the stereotype of "Nurses eat their young" when in fact in this case, it was a new nurse doing the "eating". Widespread criticism of all new nurses based on your own exceedingly limited experience is a poor reflection on you, not them.
I wonder what I might overhear if I eavesdropped on you?
"I believe patients when they tell me that they asked the nurse before me to follow up on something and nothing was ever done. The new nurses do not even document that the question was raised by the patient."
Oh, and it might be worth mentioning that not all patients are honest. Some LIE. And some lie frequently in a quest to get someone to do something that shouldn't be done, eventually they will find the weak link and get whatever they wanted. Just worth bearing in mind when you are always the one "fixing" something someone else "didn't do".
New young old burned out. You'll find both incredibly intelligent and incredibly dumb nurses of all ages with varying levels of experience. I thought this was going to be about bad attitudes. The only thing at my hospital with nurses that bothers me is a poor and demanding attitude when giving report. Some are like robots programmed by mgt and lack common sense.
I had a nursing instructor do something similar to me in front of a physician after I asked him a question. Boy, was she ever surprised when he turned to her and told her that my question wasn't stupid, and that she was out of line for mocking me. He then turned to me and addressed the question.
This happened to me as well with a particular instructor that I had for clinicals; it happened TWICE in the same clinical!
This happened to me as well with a particular instructor that I had for clinicals; it happened TWICE in the same clinical!
OCNRN63, RN
5,979 Posts
I had a nursing instructor do something similar to me in front of a physician after I asked him a question. Boy, was she ever surprised when he turned to her and told her that my question wasn't stupid, and that she was out of line for mocking me. He then turned to me and addressed the question.