How are the other RN's treating you?

[Tug]

Hi First year graduates,

I'm a Fourth semester ADN nursing instructor who loves her students and wants to make things better for them. I know the first year out is very hard. I also know that sometimes the experienced nurses make it harder for you. I'm doing my master's project on developing a class that can help RN's learn to use more mentoring behaviors towards students and new graduates. I need your stories about things the nurses did that really helped and things that made your life as a new nurse harder. Any stories from while you were in school would be helpful too.

I know that I had a student come out of a room last semester crying because the nurse screamed at her about hanging some albumin, saying "I can't believe a fourth semester student doesn't know how to do this. I just need to be away from you!" This was in front of patients, visitors, etc. I could've choked her. That student was excellent and did not deserve that type of treatment. She is now in her first year and is doing very well.

What does a mentor act like in your eyes? What characteristics do they have? Are they patient..., etc?

Help me make a difference.

Tug

[snortzmom]

I graduated in May and went into the ER. I love my job and wake up every morning excited to go to work. I had a couple of teachers/preceptors in school who made me feel horrible, just like your student and the albumin. In one respect I am grateful for those experiences because it helped me build a thick skin, which you need in your first year :) You learn in school that you will have to work with some difficult personalities if you are going to succeed.

I think your idea of creating a forum for preceptors could be helpful, but I found that many of my preceptors did not volunteer to teach students. They were ASSIGNED students that they didn't want. Teaching a newbie when you are already strapped for time is tough, especially when the preceptor isn't paid more or even recognized for their effort. For the nurse that resents having to precept, they are only going to be more resentful if they are assigned another inservice or class mandated by their department. I think that if experienced nurses benefit from precepting, they will be more likely to treat students with the respect they deserve. I just don't see a class being able to do that.. Kirsten

[sugarwahine10]

Hello,

I'm glad you asked. I'm a telemetry nurse with almost a month on the floor so far. The nurses I have been with for training so far have been very nice and helpful! Some are better at giving a detailed explanation than others, but they have all been great. What makes them good mentors is patience, being open to any questions I have--not making me feel stupid for asking it, being understanding, and just being helpful. Some of the nurses on the floor, ones you can tell have been doing it for decades, look over the new nurses and act like we aren't even there. There are other nurses who have been doing it for decades that are very nice and make a point to talk to the new nurses. It just depends on what type of person the nurse is of course and I don't take offense to the ones that don't acknowledge I'm there, unless of course I'm trying to talk to them.

When I was in school still, I know that alot of the nurses on the floors already treated us like we were nothing and had the brain of a pea. I remember how many of my classmates would leave clinical crying. I never did clinical on the floor I'm working on now, but I specifically didn't apply to the floors that I had bad experiences on as a student. There is a bright side to being subjected to bitter, mean nurses and that is that it made me vow to never be like that to the students or act like I'm better than anyone, at work or otherwise. I go out of my way to smile and acknowledge people I'm around or passing in the hallway. A good mentor or manager's attitude towards you can set your whole tone for that day. I wish all nurses would remember that they were once new too, I will make a point to always remember.

[Tug]

Hello,

I wish all nurses would remember that they were once new too, I will make a point to always remember.

I hope you remember. As unusual as it sounds, some of my former students have turned into some of these nurses even though they said that they wouldn't. It's easy to forget once you graduate and unfortunately, some research says that many nurses precept the same way they were precepted. This sucks when they were treated badly. Best of luck to you and be gentle to yourself this first year.

Vicki