How to deal with this conflict?

Nurses General Nursing

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How does a newer nurse deal with another nurse who acts like the newer nurse doesn't know anything?

Ok. Sorry I didn't mean to say the other stuff isn't important. They are. But when I was in school I remember one of the nurses I followed for community nursing at a public school who said to me and another nurse that she was sitting at her sister in laws side in the ICU and not one nurse said a word to her while they came in the room- and there were three different people. Her question was, "don't new nurses know how to interact anymore?" I cannot even imagine walking into a room, not smiling or not saying hello and introduce myself... at the very least.

I didn't mean to be flippant about skills. They are necessary. But without the human touch aspect, what is the difference between us and just being a machine ?

To add to this: if I have a choice to sit and talk to a patient for an hour about their anxiety over a new diagnosis, or make sure someone's protonix po is given exactly at 11:30 at night, and it is 11 pm- I'm going to choose the former

Thank you. But I am not s traditional new grad. Real nursing to me is not technical skills or med passes or even being anal about organization. It's sitting at the bedside and talking to a patient about a new cancer diagnosis who just wants to give up on life - talking for an hour and in the morning patient decides to try therapy. It's comforting someone who has all these chronic diseases with a new diagnosis of heart failure and making sure you advocate for the plan of care they are to receive. It's listening to their story to understand the patient as a whole- not what their illness is and treating their illness safely or without question. It's defending yourcpatients rights no matter what the cost.?most patients I've encountered in just a limited -year time frame: LISTEN- really LISTEN to them - be mindful of their needs , goals, and preferences.

I admit I could be wrong, but this is what my limited experience has taught me so far.

Of course those things are important. But...

Your patients' lives and health will at times depend on your technical skills and diligence. Being good at the job means being good at the whole job.

Soliloquies about the relative unimportance of the things your coworkers don't yet trust you to do competently are very unlikely to impress them. Demonstrate proficiency and they will see you as a peer in no time. In the meanwhile, listen up and assume each of your coworkers might know something you don't. Thank them for teaching you. I've been in nursing for over a decade and I still learn new things from other nurses all the time. You can certainly do the same.

Thank you. But I am not s traditional new grad. Real nursing to me is not technical skills or med passes or even being anal about organization. It's sitting at the bedside and talking to a patient about a new cancer diagnosis who just wants to give up on life - talking for an hour and in the morning patient decides to try therapy. It's comforting someone who has all these chronic diseases with a new diagnosis of heart failure and making sure you advocate for the plan of care they are to receive. It's listening to their story to understand the patient as a whole- not what their illness is and treating their illness safely or without question. It's defending yourcpatients rights no matter what the cost.?most patients I've encountered in just a limited -year time frame: LISTEN- really LISTEN to them - be mindful of their needs , goals, and preferences.

I admit I could be wrong, but this is what my limited experience has taught me so far.

What you are describing is the ART of nursing. It is just as important but does not supersede the SCIENCE of nursing (those pesky tasky things that one must do to keep the patient alive). You cannot have one without the other and provide good nursing care. But there has to be a balance which can be difficult at first.

By the way, everyone has given good advice and valuable input so far, and I am grateful.

Also I am being proactive. Some are not interested in teaching others, some are. There are some things I am not yet really good at, and some things I am really good at. So the things I am not good at I ask those willing to teach me if they can show me and let me do it under their supervision so I can learn a more efficient way to do those things. I tend to gravitate towards those willing to help me learn to get better at those skills I am weakest in.

To add to this: if I have a choice to sit and talk to a patient for an hour about their anxiety over a new diagnosis, or make sure someone's protonix po is given exactly at 11:30 at night, and it is 11 pm- I'm going to choose the former

And you will be spending time in your manager's office explaining why you sacrificed the care for one patient in preference for another in a non-emergent situation. Although to be fair if the patient's med is ordered for 1130 giving it at 12 is within the window so you wouldn't be wrong but you have to remember each patient has the right to receive the same level of care as the others. Trust me all of us would love to have time to sit with our patients and provide them that personal level of care you describe but modern nursing does not allow for it in the way you think it should. You will learn how to connect with your patients and perform your nursing tasks at the same time. Believe me it's just as satisfying. My current job is pretty much task oriented and all about through-put but my patients do not feel like I am a robot and they know that I care for each and every one of them. I know this because they tell me how cared for they feel. Believe me, it really is possible.

By the way, everyone has given good advice and valuable input so far, and I am grateful.

Thanks you for listening to our suggestions. We like helping new nurses!

Specializes in Case manager, float pool, and more.
Ok maybe I took it too personal. But the experienced nurse asked me to make sure I told the patient side effects of a medication I have given 100 times at my previous facility. Also I have a reputation of not only telling the patient side effects, but also putting on the white board the side effects of high alert medications the patient is receiving in terms they understand (example: insulin: shaky and sweaty- call nurse)/ that's just an off the cuff example.

No arrogance here. Always willing to learn and grow (not a traditional newer nurse with an arrogant I know it all attitude).

As I reflected on it, I think a lot of it has to do with personalities. There are some nurses who will say to me , "have you given this before" and if I say yes the follow up question will be "can you tell me some side effects" and if I cannot I will say I will look it up - but if I know them I will say them. But other nurses approach it as if newer nurses are beneath them.

I hope that makes sense. Unfortunatelyy I don't care much about personality conflicts. I just provide the best care I can for patients under my care.

Oh for sure, I would have been annoyed as heck. You don't across as being arrogant at all. It sounds like a personality though. I don't care for personality conflicts either so best I can say is keep doing what you are doing. Focus on the patient and learning more each day. Heck, I have been a nurse for a minute and still learn new things. One of my favorite parts of nursing is you get to keep learning, and we all learn from each other regardless of how long one has been a nurse.

If the more experienced nurse does not know you and your background, skill level, etc. then he/she will ask questions to help guide you. Remeber that not all learning happened while in nursing school. That was just the foundation. Now is when the real learning begins. Love your proactive attitude. You will do well.

Best wishes and congrats on starting an amazing and wonderful career.

Ok maybe I took it too personal. But the experienced nurse asked me to make sure I told the patient side effects of a medication I have given 100 times at my previous facility. Also I have a reputation of not only telling the patient side effects, but also putting on the white board the side effects of high alert medications the patient is receiving in terms they understand (example: insulin: shaky and sweaty- call nurse)/ that's just an off the cuff example.

No arrogance here. Always willing to learn and grow (not a traditional newer nurse with an arrogant I know it all attitude).

As I reflected on it, I think a lot of it has to do with personalities. There are some nurses who will say to me , "have you given this before" and if I say yes the follow up question will be "can you tell me some side effects" and if I cannot I will say I will look it up - but if I know them I will say them. But other nurses approach it as if newer nurses are beneath them.

I hope that makes sense. Unfortunatelyy I don't care much about personality conflicts. I just provide the best care I can for patients under my care.

I understand your frustration. I did travel nursing and agency nursing. I was the "newbie" many times, even with 20+ years of experience. I kept my head down, my mouth shut... and proved that I knew what I was doing.

Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

You said yourself that your experience is limited. Your preceptors were not with you at your last job, so they have no idea yet of what you've done a hundred times or what you haven't done. You have not been with them and their last twenty orientees, so you have no idea what crap they've put up with that you might now be paying a price for. As far as choosing to provide emotional support vs giving a Protonix spot on time: I just hope that all your nursing dilemmas are that simple.

What you are describing in your new job is the typical crap that comes with being the new person. Unless you stay in the same job throughout your nursing career, you will experience this again. I've had new coworkers I wanted to push off a cliff to get them out of my face. Years later after we've both left that job they're the ones I'm still in touch with. This is temporary. Once you've proven yourself in your current position, they'll all back off.

Thank you. But I am not s traditional new grad. Real nursing to me is not technical skills or med passes or even being anal about organization. It's sitting at the bedside and talking to a patient about a new cancer diagnosis who just wants to give up on life - talking for an hour and in the morning patient decides to try therapy. It's comforting someone who has all these chronic diseases with a new diagnosis of heart failure and making sure you advocate for the plan of care they are to receive. It's listening to their story to understand the patient as a whole- not what their illness is and treating their illness safely or without question. It's defending yourcpatients rights no matter what the cost.?most patients I've encountered in just a limited -year time frame: LISTEN- really LISTEN to them - be mindful of their needs , goals, and preferences.

I admit I could be wrong, but this is what my limited experience has taught me so far.

Ok, but "real nursing" has to include technical skills and med pass. Part of med pass as you know is med education. So unless your preceptor was saying it condescendingly, she was was simply doing her job. In time you will prove your knowledge. For now, it would be dangerous for them to assume what you do and do not know.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Thank you. But I am not s traditional new grad. Real nursing to me is not technical skills or med passes or even being anal about organization. It's sitting at the bedside and talking to a patient about a new cancer diagnosis who just wants to give up on life - talking for an hour and in the morning patient decides to try therapy. It's comforting someone who has all these chronic diseases with a new diagnosis of heart failure and making sure you advocate for the plan of care they are to receive. It's listening to their story to understand the patient as a whole- not what their illness is and treating their illness safely or without question. It's defending yourcpatients rights no matter what the cost.?most patients I've encountered in just a limited -year time frame: LISTEN- really LISTEN to them - be mindful of their needs , goals, and preferences.

I admit I could be wrong, but this is what my limited experience has taught me so far.

Where have you worked that you have that kind of time to sit and talk to a patient for an hour?

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