Baby RN's running ICU?!!

[kmarieCCRN]

My particular unit has had such a huge turn over even in the last year that it is now mostly staffed with new grads on my shift (night shift). Baby, baby nurses are being thrust out and literally learning thru the trial by fire method. I have nothing against new grads in ICU, as I started out the same, but so many at once?? It scares me to death because it's a high acuity unit (level 1 trauma & teaching center) and it's the blind leading the blind! I've got 5 years ICU under my belt so I'm considered the seasoned one, but the thought of leading a unit full of babies freaks me out. It's a huge safety issue!

Are you guys having the same problems & concerns??

[Nienna Celebrindal]

However, had to show the "charge" how to hang blood (her first time), & troubleshoot a few minor issues for them because they simply DO NOT KNOW.

[Nonyvole, BSN, RN]

Probably planning on their one year min. to qualify for anesthesia school.

I've always wondered what happens if they don't make it into CRNA school with their year of ICU experience. Do they keep on working and apply the next year? Do they spend the next year griping about how the school didn't know who they were rejecting?

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I've always wondered what happens if they don't make it into CRNA school with their year of ICU experience. Do they keep on working and apply the next year? Do they spend the next year griping about how the school didn't know who they were rejecting?

Some suck it up and keep working, try again next year and never say a word about it. Others decide they need to immediately become NPs, and I don't know of anyone who hasn't gotten into NP school. That says something, I'm sure. Others spend the next year griping about it -- one experienced nurse whose judgement wasn't always (or ever, really) the best was waitlisted her first run at anesthesia school. She spent the next year griping about how she "should have gotten in over someone younger because I have less time to recoup the tuition." She finally did get in, and I'm making it a special point to avoid the clinic that hired her.

And one girl just got her grandfather to endow a chair. Suddenly her grades and her eight months of experience (all of it on orientation) became good enough for anesthesia school.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

I've always wondered what happens if they don't make it into CRNA school with their year of ICU experience. Do they keep on working and apply the next year? Do they spend the next year griping about how the school didn't know who they were rejecting?

Everyone I've known to apply has gotten in (so far; two in my unit are waiting to hear), so if anyone hasn't, they've kept pretty mum about it. Although pretty much everyone except for these two had worked in the ICU for several years, and these are two of our state's big ones so my colleagues could have had a higher acceptance rate. Does that make sense? It hasn't been the ones with exactly 12 months by the first day of class, marginal GPA, minimum references etc. who I've known to apply.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Some suck it up and keep working, try again next year and never say a word about it. Others decide they need to immediately become NPs, and I don't know of anyone who hasn't gotten into NP school. That says something, I'm sure. Others spend the next year griping about it -- one experienced nurse whose judgement wasn't always (or ever, really) the best was waitlisted her first run at anesthesia school. She spent the next year griping about how she "should have gotten in over someone younger because I have less time to recoup the tuition." She finally did get in, and I'm making it a special point to avoid the clinic that hired her.

And one girl just got her grandfather to endow a chair. Suddenly her grades and her eight months of experience (all of it on orientation) became good enough for anesthesia school.

[SubSippi]

I've always wondered what happens if they don't make it into CRNA school with their year of ICU experience. Do they keep on working and apply the next year? Do they spend the next year griping about how the school didn't know who they were rejecting?

With all the degree inflation going on, I wouldn't be surprised if eventually they want NPs working bedside in the units anyway!

[AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

In my opinion this is what happens to hospitals who only hire B.S.N. nurses! Most of the experienced nurses are still in process of obtaining that, thus all you get is inexperienced "baby" nurses with little to no experience, because they choose to not take experience into account. If there is no balance in hiring this is what happens!

HPRN

[kmarieCCRN]

Ok folks, relax. I'm not using the terms "baby and seasoned" nurses in a derogatory manner... Only using those terms to describe experience. As I said, I don't have a problem with new nurses, but so many at one time on a high acuity unit is not a good idea. I feel as if it's the "perfect storm" brewing. We have new residents each month, so it's the blind leading the blind.

I totally agree that it's a disservice to the new nurses... they don't know what they don't know and they don't have many experienced nurses to lean on.

I just found out that my manager & educator have in fact shortened the orientation period because we are so short on night shift... I don't know what they are thinking... I guess they're just wanting warm bodies to man the floor. I don't think they're too interested in trying to retain, because there is the thought that they can just scoop up all the new grads from across the street (they also have a nursing school).

And yes, all of the experience is on day shift... Maybe they should come up with incentive for PM shift. What have your facilities done to retain RNs?

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

It's common in large teaching hospitals. New grads start with no intention of staying. They just want to get "the name" on their resume before moving on to "bigger and better things."

Is that always a bad thing?

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Is that always a bad thing?

Yes.

[RescueNinjaKy]

I feel that this really foreshadows where we are going to be soon. In a couple of years when we get more and more experienced nurses who are retiring, there will be a huge void to be filled. That is when there will be an influx of new nurses who will outnumber the experienced dramatically thus causing an issue in patient safety.

As we all have seen the posts on new grads unable to find a job because of bsn only or new grads need not apply or whatever, there is a tremendous amount of new nurses who need training but will inevitably be thrown into the front line without proper guidance when there is a shortage of experienced nurses. The elderly generation will outnumber the new generation because of decreased birth rates.

Units need to not always gun for the experienced nurse especially if they already have a good amount already. Training new nurses benefit the nursing profession like a pass it down kind of way. Otherwise there's going to be a lot of patients as people get older, not as much experienced nurses, and only new inexperienced nurses taking care of them

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

I feel that this really foreshadows where we are going to be soon. In a couple of years when we get more and more experienced nurses who are retiring, there will be a huge void to be filled. That is when there will be an influx of new nurses who will outnumber the experienced dramatically thus causing an issue in patient safety.

As we all have seen the posts on new grads unable to find a job because of bsn only or new grads need not apply or whatever, there is a tremendous amount of new nurses who need training but will inevitably be thrown into the front line without proper guidance when there is a shortage of experienced nurses. The elderly generation will outnumber the new generation because of decreased birth rates.

Units need to not always gun for the experienced nurse especially if they already have a good amount already. Training new nurses benefit the nursing profession like a pass it down kind of way. Otherwise there's going to be a lot of patients as people get older, not as much experienced nurses, and only new inexperienced nurses taking care of them

And lack of a good skill mix makes for more morbidity and mortality rates.

(research project that I have done in my studies and a passion of mine.)