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!

[Mona Mona, BSN, RN]

So, SunStreak, you think that everyone who wants to be a nurse should be an aide first? Sorry, but I'm not going to be. I will keep my nice easy desk job with my benefits as long as I can. Enough time to sweat and work hard when I am a nurse. I like my easy job for the flexibility and "mental" breaks and ease it gives me to concentrate on school. I was advised by EVERY SINGLE NURSE I talked to that if I didn't HAVE to become an aide for $$ reasons, then don't do it. Physical demands of the job in addition to school is very tiring.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

I really can't believe this thread. People are diagnosing this new nurse as bipolar on a message board?

You gotta be kidding.

Careful that you don't judge the entire thread. In fact, I'm trying to find even one post where someone diagnosed her as bipolar, can you please give the #? Thanks.

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.

I agree that sometimes people are too quick to judge. One month is too soon to tell what kind of nurse this preceptee is going to be. The 4.0 is sometimes a good indicator that someone has drive and ambition and will be a good nurse. Othertimes it means booksense and no working floor sense. But the working floor sense needs to be developed over time. But the accent faking and the turning of of the locator should be stopped. :)

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

So, SunStreak, you think that everyone who wants to be a nurse should be an aide first? Sorry, but I'm not going to be. I will keep my nice easy desk job with my benefits as long as I can. Enough time to sweat and work hard when I am a nurse. I like my easy job for the flexibility and "mental" breaks and ease it gives me to concentrate on school. I was advised by EVERY SINGLE NURSE I talked to that if I didn't HAVE to become an aide for $$ reasons, then don't do it. Physical demands of the job in addition to school is very tiring.

I think the point was that if this person had no experience prior to work four weeks is way to short of a time to judge her as being a bad and slow nurse. Would you like to be judged after four weeks by the same standards of say and LPN who just got an RN or a CNA who just got an RN? Every person is different in how they perform out of nursing school.

[Town & Country]

Certainly...

Today, 08:06 AM #17

Daytonite

Registered User

Join Date: May 2005

Location: Arcadia, California

Country: United States

Posts: 582 I think there's a personality disorder here, probably bipolar

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I'm glad this thread was moved to this forum because now I can respond to it. It sounds like this young lady may be bipolar. Perhaps the stress of the new job is exacerbating her mania. I was thinking that she may have hid her behavioral condition from the people who hired her. I do feel that the person(s) in charge of the new grad orientation program need to sit her down, point out her faults, draw up an action plan in writing, and let her know she's going to be evaluated at regular weekly intervals (if that is what it is going to take). If she is unable to improve then the hospital has the documentation it needs to terminate her. And, regarding this English accent business, someone needs to sit down with her and discuss this. I'm going to stand my ground and still hold out that there is some bipolar disorder going on. I also PMd the OP about this last evening and suggested that her former nursing instructors be re-contacted about this young lady. Either something was withheld from the people who hired her, or she is having a crisis of a personality disorder. It doesn't happen very often that a person who is performing so poorly makes it all the way through nursing school, but it does happen occassionally.

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122296&page=2&pp=10

I didn't say everyone who wants to be a nurse should work as an aide first. We were talking about this specific nurse.

However, now that you mention it, I do think it's helpful for a future RN to at least have worked as a nurse aide or an LPN.

JMO.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Thanks. When you said "I can't believe this thread......people are diagnosing......" you made it sound like this thread was all about about diagnosis someone bipolar. Actually, it's only a side note by one person. But I agree, not enough information to be diagnosising a personality disorder.

[DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN]

I have no idea what she did as a nursing student or if she ever had a job at all. I was never a tech and to put it bluntly I'm a d*** good nurse. I repeat I put this thread in the "break room" because I wanted some opinions about her using this british accent. I thought this was interesting. I really personally don't care if this chick makes it in nursing or not. We all excel at some things and suck at others. If she sucks then she shouldn't be taking care of patients. I don't care if she stays or not. Whoever said ask her where she's from while she's talking british. I think it was Tweety? Thanks that a dynamite idea and is what I will do! I'll let you know.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Whoever said ask her where she's from while she's talking british. I think it was Tweety? Thanks that a dynamite idea and is what I will do! I'll let you know.

Yep that was me. Definately let us know what she thinks. We get Brithish nurses here all the time and invariably a patient or coworker says "I love your accent, where are you from originally?".

[MarySunshine]

The accent= Extremely odd.

Working slow=Normal for a new grad

Turning off pager= Dumb, someone needs to tell her very bluntly. She may have actually seen other nurses do it, so she thought it was okay.

[DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN]

Yep that was me. Definately let us know what she thinks. We get Brithish nurses here all the time and invariably a patient or coworker says "I love your accent, where are you from originally?".

My Mom is Dutch, well I am too but, she still has her accent and is 77 years old. She gets asked all the time "where are you from?". She proudly says the USA. :rotfl:

The look on peoples face is like huh? Then she tells them originally she's from Holland.

[NYNewGrad]

I think the point was that if this person had no experience prior to work four weeks is way to short of a time to judge her as being a bad and slow nurse. Would you like to be judged after four weeks by the same standards of say and LPN who just got an RN or a CNA who just got an RN? Every person is different in how they perform out of nursing school.

Just my 2 cents here...

I dont know about the accent crank, but like others pointed out a 4.0 is NOT a good predictor of how a new grad will perform. Both a classmate and I have a 3.94+ GPA from an accelerated BSN program and yet we're terrified to begin a new job. Doing well in class and understanding disease process therories does NOT translate into mastering practical skills. That only comes with time - especially when we have absolutely NO nursing experience in any way whatsever. Or better yet, try to think of it this way: 15 months ago I didnt know the difference between an LPN or RN, much less know what a foley or pulse ox was! :uhoh21:

With the 3.9 GPA, I have no clue how to: hang IVs, do venipunctures, chart, pass meds efficiently, proper wound care, assess in a timley manner.... The list is endless. We come out feeling green and scared. Could be this behavior is her response to stress, and yes, I'm sure you all know there's tons of it, especially as a new grad.

Bottom line, please have patience with us. You, our fellow RNs will either make or break our careers. And I'd be forever grateful if you make it successful!

[Town & Country]

I dont know about the accent crank, but like others pointed out a 4.0 is NOT a good predictor of how a new grad will perform. Both a classmate and I have a 3.94+ GPA from an accelerated BSN program and yet we're terrified to begin a new job. Doing well in class and understanding disease process therories does NOT translate into mastering practical skills. That only comes with time - especially when we have absolutely NO nursing experience in any way whatsever. Or better yet, try to think of it this way: 15 months ago I didnt know the difference between an LPN or RN, much less know what a foley or pulse ox was! :uhoh21:

With the 3.9 GPA, I have no clue how to: hang IVs, do venipunctures, chart, pass meds efficiently, proper wound care, assess in a timley manner.... The list is endless. We come out feeling green and scared. Could be this behavior is her response to stress, and yes, I'm sure you all know there's tons of it, especially as a new grad.

Exactly what I was talking about.......she might have a 4.0 GPA but she still needs to know HOW and WHY to do what she needs to do.

Book learning alone just doesn't cut it....you still need experience. And if you don't have it before you graduate, you need it AFTER you graduate and one month of orientation isn't going to cut it IMHO.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Boy! Has this exploded into some kind of discussion. I was just re-reading the original post. I just realized that this nurse had parents who were doctors. Is is possible that her instuctors, knowing this, may have passed her on through the nursing program in order to gain the favor of the parents. This is just a thought! I'm not saying that it probably happened!

There was a daughter of a very respected physician in my nursing classes. The instructors were kissing up to him all the time to get special favors. They occassionally asked the student if she could ask her father if her would be willing to show or talk to our class about one thing or another. Maybe this went on with this girl also, who knows? When you've kowtowed to someone so much it would be kind of hard to fail his kid in your classes. Just a thought. . .