You can always tell when I've been hanging out on the Allnurses.com forums too much -- I get up on a soap box. I'm amazed, though, at how many new nurses are grasping at straws to find "reasons" to quit their first jobs because they're unhappy and they're just positive that things are going to be better elsewhere. Even if there is no elsewhere in the immediate future. It's not THEIR fault that they're miserable -- it's the job. Or their co-workers are all mean and out to get them. (Probably because of their incredible beauty.) Staffing is a nightmare, the CNAs are all hiding and they're afraid they're going to "loose" their license. They'd better quit RIGHT NOW, so they don't "loose" that license. (I wonder if that one is as transparent to spouses who are looking for a little help with the rent -- not to mention those school loans you've racked up -- as it is to some of the rest of us.) The job is ruining their lives and their mental health -- they're seriously worried for their mental health if they don't quit right now. Where did all of these fragile people come from?
Seriously, folks. The first year of nursing sucks. You have the internet and all of that -- how could you not know that the first year of nursing sucks? It does. We've all been through it. The only way to GET through it is to GO through it, but there's a big group of newbies every year who are SURE that doesn't apply to them. No one as ever been as miserable as they are. No one understands. They HATE going to work every day. Management is targeting them and they're sure they're going to be fired. They're concerned that their mental health might be permanently damaged by the trauma of staying in that job ONE MORE DAY. Given the inevitability of "loosing" that license and permanent damage to their mental health, it's all right to quit that job tomorrow, isn't it? Or maybe it's that their DREAAAAAAAAM job is opening up, and they've been offered the job. It's OK to quit this job to take their DREAAAAAAAAM job, isn't it?
How do they even know their dream job is hiring if they have every intention of making their first job work out? What are all those job applications doing out there, floating around if they're serious about this job? You DID intend to keep this job for one to two years when you took it, didn't you? If not, shame on you!
The first year of nursing sucks. You're going to hate going to work every day, and some of you are going to cry all the way to work and all the way home. You'll be exhausted, both mentally and physically and your normal hobbies and activities may take second seat to the job. You'll be constantly afraid of making a mistake, and you will MAKE mistakes. You'll feel incompetent. You may lose sleep because you're worrying about your job. Switching jobs isn't going to miraculously make you confident and competent. It's just going to delay you on your path through that first miserable year. It may even look bad on your resume, paint you as a job hopper. (I'm always shocked by how many new nurses are on their third or fourth job in less than two years who will assure me that they're not job hoppers. Honey, if you're on your third job in less than two years, you're a job hopper. Really.)
Don't people have bills to pay? Or is it that no one feels responsible for paying their own bills anymore? How is it that so many people feel free to just up and quit a paying job without another one in sight? I guess I'm getting old, because I really don't get it.
Please. No one forgets what it was like to first start off as a nurse. I remember vividly the first time I was in charge. I was out of school about 4 months, and the charge nurse was ill. My manager broke the news to me that I had to be in charge because the other nurse hadn't gotten the results of her boards yet. I remember what the nurses' station looked like, I remember where I was standing, I remember who was standing next to me.
We didn't have it easier in school. We didn't have it easier taking NCLEX. We didn't have it easier working as new grads. We've BTDT, plus we've had to keep up with decades of everchanging practice, something new grads have not done...yet.
When we were students (in my program), it was instilled in us to stay for at least one year in our first job before switching. We took that admonition seriously. I know some of my classmates had jobs they wound up hating.
Nursing is hard. It gets less hard the longer you practice, but there are still days that make you want to run for the nearest exit. My previous job made some changes in what we had to do with our patient care that had me a ball of nerves for about 2 months. I felt sick, even had some days that made me cry. But I stuck it out. I had bills to pay and rent to pay, plus I needed to prove to myself that I could do it.
Please. ( ) You are reading more into my post than what was there. I did not say that older nurses forgot what it was like to be new, nor did I say older nurses had it easy. I am saying that being a new nurse today is different than being a new nurse years ago, so it can be hard for either party to fully relate to the other. (I had just focused on how experienced nurses see new nurses in my post because that was what the thread was more about)
For example, others pointed out that physician respect was a big issue previously which has advanced leaps and bounds today thanks in large part to the experienced nurses advocating for it.
Its well agreed upon that nurses on the whole today are dealing with a much sicker population, and with nursing schools that seem to be giving worse/more restricted clinical training (many have never started an IV, a foley, or cared for more than 2-3 patients at a time for more than 4 hours at a time, for example) it can be argued that new nurses have a steeper learning curve as they have little foundation to build all this rapidly advancing medical knowledge on, which experienced nurses do have, so they can handle it better, but as I said in my original post, stress is affecting both new and experienced nurses in significant ways (i.e. needing to start anti depression medicine).
I've spent most of the last year training a new nurse and its been interesting.
Nursing is not my first career, and while some stress in all jobs is to be expected, having a universal 'horrible' first year of nursing should incite us all to work for change. Improving working conditions, namely starting with safe staffing, would help all nurses and patients alike.
To be direct...pick yourself up. If anything this post SHOULD jar you, put things into perspective, as uncomfortable as it may be. You can take the part you need and it WILL get you to your destination. Not solely directed to you, but in general. If one doesn't, pick themselves up because life is "HARD", then it will get EVEN HARDER before it gets better-TRUST me, as well as the BTDT posters. [/quote']
I can't disagree because I got over most of my "new nurse fears" in the exact way suggested by Ruby Vee: full immersion, sticking out the rough patches. TBH though, without being able to air things out and get feedback from this AN community - my transition may have been very different. Venting was very therapeutic for me as I'm positive it's key for every other new nurse on this board. Posts like this are destructive to that process and it's sad to see so many in support of it. On top of that, many of these new nurses come from different situations that we simply can't understand. Everybody handles stress and depression differently. The whole discussion brings two childhood lessons to mind:
1) Treat others as you would want them to treat you.
2) If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.
Bravo, Ruby Vee!!!! Well written. During my first year of nursing, I cried on the way home many times. Then I got on allnurses.com and looked for threads on being a new nurse. Most said "just keep going back, it gets easier". And it did.
As a new nurse, you have no idea how much you don't know till you are on the job. Hang in there, keep asking questions, don't be afraid that the other nurses will think you are stupid for asking "that" question, take the best care of your patients that you can and guess what...after about the 7th month, it will start to get easier.
I can't disagree because I got over most of my "new nurse fears" in the exact way suggested by Ruby Vee: full immersion, sticking out the rough patches. TBH though, without being able to air things out and get feedback from this AN community - my transition may have been very different. Venting was very therapeutic for me as I'm positive it's key for every other new nurse on this board. Posts like this are destructive to that process and it's sad to see so many in support of it. On top of that, many of these new nurses come from different situations that we simply can't understand. Everybody handles stress and depression differently. The whole discussion brings two childhood lessons to mind:
1) Treat others as you would want them to treat you.
2) If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.
Ahh, but this is Nursing; the balance between mortality and morbidity takes a fortitude to endure RESPONSIBILITY and ACCOUNTABILITY at times it's #1 but looks like #2 for instance, ESPECIALLY when we carry a HUGE responsibility.
Again, the onus is on the nurse to DO the work that's needed to understand and handle the stress that occurs; there are PLENTY of us that have depression and other hard lives-for your perusal, read some of MY posts, a great read of trauma and triumph-that DOESN'T deter us.
Also remember, TONE doesn't show; sometimes we may read into a tone, sometimes it hits a mere nerve or to, and can make one uncomfortable; and it being uncomfortable, may galvanize one to action; I sincerely hope it does to the betterment of the nurse.
From your original post; I remember at times those feelings; I've watched other nurses grow from those feelings because I reminded them, as well as myself, the onus we have; we have to have sometimes the humility to learn-expect the unexpected, and you will NEVER go wrong- DON'T go in with a chip; come with a bat, and use it when necessary.
Do you see this with junior doctors/lawyers/engineers etc? Of course not.
Hazing is present in all professions. I'd say it's mild in nursing compared to other professions. Watch surgeons with their residents if you think your local nursing crusty old bats are "mean" and "bullies." Baby lawyers will be stuck at the office into all hours of the night just in case a partner needs someone to make a copy. And they are treated like dirt. Engineers? My dad has a story of an engineer at his job that would glue another engineer's things down. Every single day. And those are professions with men at the top. So it's not just something done by catty women either.
"Being new is no excuse for accidentally killing someone." What a great line!
I wonder how many new grads understand that when we're correcting their practice, we're advocating for OUR patients. They might be your patients today, but yesterday they were mine and tomorrow they might be mine again. They're all OUR patients.
Yes they are OUR patients, and our colleagues are OUR colleagues. We have as much responsibility to our colleagues and our profession as we do our patients. If a patient/visitor/doctor/nurse/manager/cleaner is discourteous, we all need to call them on it. "We treat each other respectfully/speak politely to each other here."
Another aspect that strikes me is that many nurses seem to feel overwhelmed by the idea that they are solely responsible for keeping their patients from the jaws of death. Somehow, there is no collegial culture, each individual nurse is expected to sink or swim and will be judged accordingly. Add to this burden an insensitive COB pointing out their deficiencies, without ever a modicum of positive feedback and it is untenable for many nurses, especially new ones who might be already feeling insecure, inadequate and overwhelmed.
We have as much responsibility to our colleagues and our profession as to our patients and our facilities. Never be afraid to be advocate for each other and to try to change the culture for the better.
Specializes in Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgical.
Thank you, Ruby, for writing this. Because of awesome OG nurses like you (writing, precepting, etc.), I had a very good idea of what I was getting myself into before and during school. Now
I can't say what I think my dreeeaammmm position might be. Am I the only new grad that doesn't honestly know?
Hazing is present in all professions. I'd say it's mild in nursing compared to other professions. Watch surgeons with their residents if you think your local nursing crusty old bats are "mean" and "bullies." Baby lawyers will be stuck at the office into all hours of the night just in case a partner needs someone to make a copy. And they are treated like dirt. Engineers? My dad has a story of an engineer at his job that would glue another engineer's things down. Every single day. And those are professions with men at the top. So it's not just something done by catty women either.
Yes they are OUR patients, and our colleagues are OUR colleagues. We have as much responsibility to our colleagues and our profession as we do our patients.
If a patient/visitor/doctor/nurse/manager/cleaner is discourteous, we all need to call them on it. "We treat each other respectfully/speak politely to each other here." Another aspect that strikes me is that many nurses seem to feel overwhelmed by the idea that they are solely responsible for keeping their patients from the jaws of death. Somehow, there is no collegial culture, each individual nurse is expected to sink or swim and will be judged accordingly.
Add to this burden an insensitive COB pointing out their deficiencies, without ever a modicum of positive feedback and it is untenable for many nurses, especially new ones who might be already feeling insecure, inadequate and overwhelmed.
We have as much responsibility to our colleagues and our profession as to our patients and our facilities. Never be afraid to be advocate for each other and to try to change the culture for the better.
I continue to change the culture for the better; that's including the NETY myth....
What we need to realize is the TRUTH, no matter how "hurtful" helps the person FROM that lawsuit, that job loss, or sometimes the realization that MORE work is needed; even if that person must work somewhere else; that's NOT the end of their career, sometimes that is the beginning if it, to the benefit of OUR profession.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I can't disagree because I got over most of my "new nurse fears" in the exact way suggested by Ruby Vee: full immersion, sticking out the rough patches. TBH though, without being able to air things out and get feedback from this AN community - my transition may have been very different. Venting was very therapeutic for me as I'm positive it's key for every other new nurse on this board. Posts like this are destructive to that process and it's sad to see so many in support of it. On top of that, many of these new nurses come from different situations that we simply can't understand. Everybody handles stress and depression differently. The whole discussion brings two childhood lessons to mind:
1) Treat others as you would want them to treat you.
2) If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.
Let me make sure I fully understand this:
Venting is very therapeutic for you, and for other new nurses. It is, in fact, key. But venting is apparently ONLY for new nurses and seasoned nurses are discouraged from venting because 1) it isn't nice and 2) it is destructive to the process of new nurses venting?
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Please. ( ) You are reading more into my post than what was there. I did not say that older nurses forgot what it was like to be new, nor did I say older nurses had it easy. I am saying that being a new nurse today is different than being a new nurse years ago, so it can be hard for either party to fully relate to the other. (I had just focused on how experienced nurses see new nurses in my post because that was what the thread was more about)
For example, others pointed out that physician respect was a big issue previously which has advanced leaps and bounds today thanks in large part to the experienced nurses advocating for it.
Its well agreed upon that nurses on the whole today are dealing with a much sicker population, and with nursing schools that seem to be giving worse/more restricted clinical training (many have never started an IV, a foley, or cared for more than 2-3 patients at a time for more than 4 hours at a time, for example) it can be argued that new nurses have a steeper learning curve as they have little foundation to build all this rapidly advancing medical knowledge on, which experienced nurses do have, so they can handle it better, but as I said in my original post, stress is affecting both new and experienced nurses in significant ways (i.e. needing to start anti depression medicine).
I've spent most of the last year training a new nurse and its been interesting.
Nursing is not my first career, and while some stress in all jobs is to be expected, having a universal 'horrible' first year of nursing should incite us all to work for change. Improving working conditions, namely starting with safe staffing, would help all nurses and patients alike.
And when we graduated, we were taking care of sicker patients than the experienced nurses cared for when they were new. It's not like we were taking care of patients that were in the hospital for "rest cures."
Part of me feels like saying, "You're right. No one has had it as hard as you. NCLEX was harder for you (collective "you") than anyone else in the history of nursing.
Ten, twenty years from now, when some new nurse tells you that they have it harder because they have to take care of more complex patients than you did when you were new, remember this conversation. When they say their 10 question NCLEX is much harder than your 265 question NCLEX (that can be passed in 75 questions), remember this.
If anything this post SHOULD jar you, put things into perspective, as uncomfortable as it may be. You can take the part you need and it WILL get you to your destination. Not solely directed to you, but in general. If one doesn't, pick themselves up because life is "HARD", then it will get EVEN HARDER before it gets better-TRUST me, as well as the BTDT posters. 
[/quote'] 
guest64485
722 Posts
Please. (
) You are reading more into my post than what was there. I did not say that older nurses forgot what it was like to be new, nor did I say older nurses had it easy. I am saying that being a new nurse today is different than being a new nurse years ago, so it can be hard for either party to fully relate to the other. (I had just focused on how experienced nurses see new nurses in my post because that was what the thread was more about)
For example, others pointed out that physician respect was a big issue previously which has advanced leaps and bounds today thanks in large part to the experienced nurses advocating for it.
Its well agreed upon that nurses on the whole today are dealing with a much sicker population, and with nursing schools that seem to be giving worse/more restricted clinical training (many have never started an IV, a foley, or cared for more than 2-3 patients at a time for more than 4 hours at a time, for example) it can be argued that new nurses have a steeper learning curve as they have little foundation to build all this rapidly advancing medical knowledge on, which experienced nurses do have, so they can handle it better, but as I said in my original post, stress is affecting both new and experienced nurses in significant ways (i.e. needing to start anti depression medicine).
I've spent most of the last year training a new nurse and its been interesting.
Nursing is not my first career, and while some stress in all jobs is to be expected, having a universal 'horrible' first year of nursing should incite us all to work for change. Improving working conditions, namely starting with safe staffing, would help all nurses and patients alike.