Is this new grad a nut or what? Opinions please !

[DutchgirlRN]

We have a new grad on our floor. We kept hearing that she was going to be so good. She graduated with a 4.0 and her parents are both physicians. Well, she is far from good.

She turns off her pager to chart. In the meantime her patients are asking for pain meds and she is ignoring them.

Third, she is sooo very slow. She has been on orientation for a month and this week they have started letting her take her own patients. She says she knows how to do everything but you check on her and she's got the PB plugged in under the pump. I can take alot, I've been a preceptor for years and with some real challenges who have turned out to be very good nurses but I don't know about her.

The thing that really blows my mind is the fact that she has picked up a British accent from one of the preceptors. She has been told her numerous times to cut it out and speak normally. I mean is she immature or what? Any opinions? Suggestions? Thanks!

[DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN]

I seriously doubt she gave those specifics to discriminate! :uhoh3:

Correct Marie and thank you ! The preceptor has reported all of this. I find this whole accent thing very interesting and very strange. I just wanted opinions from my online friends. Nothing more, nothing less. That is why I started it out in "The Break Room", lets not get too overly excited about this !!!

[Town & Country]

The fact that she had a GPA of 4.0 means absolutely squat as to her "success" as a nurse.

If she has never worked on a floor, then I repeat one month is NOT sufficient orientation for the responsibilities of a Registered Nurse. She needs a MINIMUM of 3 months orientation, and I imagine a good six months would be much better. Just my opinion...

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

A dead giveway that she studied like a fiend, when what she really should have been doing was working as an aide.

Some did both. Who's to assume?

How many people do you know who had a GPA of 4.0 in nursing school?

I know one very personally, i am acquainted with others that did the same.

She's probably a perfectionist and thought acing the theory and technical part is the whole ball of wax.

That's quite a bit to assume of someone you don't know (what's the difference between what you said in the other post, and someone else saying this is bipolar?). Making a 4.0 doesn't make someone a perfectionist, nor a wax baller.

[kbclary4]

I find the accent thing very interesting. I know it is easy to pick a few things up here and there, but and entire British accent is odd. My hubby (from up north a bit) now says "fixin to" and "pitch a fit" which are two things he used to tease me endlessly about saying, but not with an accent. I have also started to say aunt the way it is spelled rather than 'ant' like I did before. I work with a girl who talks to herself (animatedly) constatly and bursts into laughter for no reason. She actually did this near a patient who had a somewhat sensitive problem and he got a bit miffed. She wasn't laughing at him, she just does that every few minutes. Sometimes I will see her talking and using hand guestures when no one is around buit the wall. She is really smart though.

[DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN]

You just reminded me of a patient that we had in a LTC years ago. She would stand at her mirror and talk "gee you look good today, I bet you think you are really something", " gee you look like a whore today". I can remember her name was Regina she was sweet and listening to her was hillarous!

[Town & Country]

She says she knows how to do everything but you check on her and she's got the PB plugged in under the pump.

Another clue that she's inexperienced and trying to come off as "knowledgeable."

She doesn't need any more book learning, she needs to learn basic nursing care.

It takes alot to get through nursing school. I hope the fact that she's inexperienced won't prevent your NM from seeing that she gets the proper orientation....which may consist of busting her down to working as an aide for a few weeks.

[gr8rnpjt, RN]

We have a new grad (23 y/o, single WF) on our floor. We kept hearing that she was going to be so good. She graduated with a 4.0 and her parents are both physicians. Well, she is far from good.

I think you should update us with a new thread on her every week or so. She sounds hilarious! (of course I don't have to actually work with her).

Reminds me of the neice of my former DON at the diploma school from which I graduated. Now, the DON was the toughest character you knew. She was mean and had a look that turned my blood cold and froze me in mid step.

I heard she once told a soon to be new graduate that she shoud be very careful at the pinning ceremony as she just might get it in the neck! No lie!

Anyway, the neice was a sweet young girl whom I met when I came in to have my second child. Maternity rotation was in the beginning of her third year, so she had made it that far. She was introduced to me by the nursing educator on the floor who was a former classmate of mine. It was the day after my daughters birth and I had a serious case of hemorrhoids. I am not kidding, it was like, 3 baseballs between my legs. Well this girl came in to take my vitals and check lochia. Well the look on her face was priceless!!! But what she did next was outrageous! Here is the gist of our conversation,

Her: "what are those"

Me: "my hemorrhoids"

Her, "no really, what are they?"

Me, "my hemorrhoids"

Her, "no they are not, I am gettnig my teacher"

Me, "no you will not, they are hemorhoids."

Her, "I don't believe you" ...and then she proceeded to touch them with her finger.

Her, "what are they attached to?"

Me, "my rectum"

Her, "do they hurt"

Me, "what do you think? How about a percocet?"

Her, "I just don't believe that"

She went to tell my friend, her teacher, who came in and sat on the bed and we had a good laugh. Then she requested to bring in the entire class of students on Maternity to see them. I did put my foot down, and I got the Percocet.

True story.

[Luv2BAnurse]

hehe :chuckle

[curlyfries]

Um I had hemorrhoids but never like that! Had them removed and I was literal pain in the a$$ for the next few weeks! Lord have mercy, a trip to the bathroom was like going into the torture chamber!

We have a new grad (23 y/o, single WF) on our floor. We kept hearing that she was going to be so good. She graduated with a 4.0 and her parents are both physicians. Well, she is far from good.

I think you should update us with a new thread on her every week or so. She sounds hilarious! (of course I don't have to actually work with her).

Reminds me of the neice of my former DON at the diploma school from which I graduated. Now, the DON was the toughest character you knew. She was mean and had a look that turned my blood cold and froze me in mid step.

I heard she once told a soon to be new graduate that she shoud be very careful at the pinning ceremony as she just might get it in the neck! No lie!

Anyway, the neice was a sweet young girl whom I met when I came in to have my second child. Maternity rotation was in the beginning of her third year, so she had made it that far. She was introduced to me by the nursing educator on the floor who was a former classmate of mine. It was the day after my daughters birth and I had a serious case of hemorrhoids. I am not kidding, it was like, 3 baseballs between my legs. Well this girl came in to take my vitals and check lochia. Well the look on her face was priceless!!! But what she did next was outrageous! Here is the gist of our conversation,

Her: "what are those"

Me: "my hemorrhoids"

Her, "no really, what are they?"

Me, "my hemorrhoids"

Her, "no they are not, I am gettnig my teacher"

Me, "no you will not, they are hemorhoids."

Her, "I don't believe you" ...and then she proceeded to touch them with her finger.

Her, "what are they attached to?"

Me, "my rectum"

Her, "do they hurt"

Me, "what do you think? How about a percocet?"

Her, "I just don't believe that"

She went to tell my friend, her teacher, who came in and sat on the bed and we had a good laugh. Then she requested to bring in the entire class of students on Maternity to see them. I did put my foot down, and I got the Percocet.

True story.

[epiphany]

I really can't believe this thread.

People are diagnosing this new nurse as bipolar on a message board?

You gotta be kidding!

It IS possible to graduate with a nursing degree and know next-to-nothing about nursing unless you have previously worked as a nurse aide or an LPN. The fact that she had a 4.0 GPA is a dead giveaway. She probably studied like a fiend when what she really should have done is work as an aide.

She needs to learn just basic nursing care and the routine of the floor. Brainstorm with your NM about the best way to do that.

Also, IMO a month is not terribly long orientation for a new grad - ESPECIALLY one who has never worked in a hospital before. Even if her parents are physicians, that doesn't mean she comes with any sortof inbred knowledge.

I imagine, if she has never worked in a hospital before, she will need at least 3 months of solid orientation.

Also, if you think she is strange and not going to be a good nurse, why don't YOU volunteer to precept her?

It sounds like she could benefit from your experience.

ow! what's with the big bold letters?

[BabyRN2Be]

I work with a girl who talks to herself (animatedly) constatly and bursts into laughter for no reason. She actually did this near a patient who had a somewhat sensitive problem and he got a bit miffed. She wasn't laughing at him, she just does that every few minutes. Sometimes I will see her talking and using hand guestures when no one is around buit the wall. She is really smart though.

OK, now this is sort of out of the realm of normal. Wow... from your post you say that she is smart and I certainly don't doubt you, but some of these behaviors are a tad inappropriate.

ETA: I suppose talking and gesturing to oneself isn't too bad. My husband does this all the time. It's just a habit. I'm sure he doesn't do that at work. He's also one of these "brilliant" types, too, but he'd never admit to it. I was just saying that breaking out laughing for no reason in front of a pt was a little inappropriate. She should probably be encouraged to develop new behaviors for the work situation.

About the other girl, I really doubt if she's bipolar. Since we don't know her, it would be very hard to say if she's bipolar or just has some VERY annoying habits. Hopefully things will be straightened out soon.

Someone mentioned busting her down to aide. Could they really do that if she's hired as a nurse? If she's getting paid to be a nurse, could they legally bust her down to aide with corresponding pay?

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

she's got the PB plugged in under the pump

OT, but what is this....I think I should know, but I've been in LTC for a while