New Nurse ... HELP!

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in critical care.

I'm a new nurse and I'm starting my first day next week in a Critical Care Unit.... I'm very nervous I've heard so many things about older nurses resenting the younger nurse and treating them badly. Did any of you encounter any problems when you began at your first nursing job??

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Specializes in telemetry/Step down.

I didn't, but the saying is nurses with experience eat the young alive. With that said, you are going to be fine, keep in mind that the nurses with experience were new grads once also. If you are uncomfortable or not sure about something ask somebody, the only studpid or dumb question is the one that is not asked. So keep your head, get a good night rest you have done the hard part, just believe in yourself and stay confident, say a prayer before you go then go in and do exactly what you took the job for (take care of your patient's and learn and see a lot of new things)

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Why are u starting in a critical care area? Nurses need to hone their med-surg skills before than can apply them well in a critical care area.I hope you have already received critical care courses .ICU nurses are notorious for the eat their young attitude. Keep your head up and your eyes open! Document in writing any instance where a fellow staff nurse is rude, unhelpful or just plain makes you feel uncomfortable. Best of luck.

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Specializes in critical care.
Why are u starting in a critical care area? Nurses need to hone their med-surg skills before than can apply them well in a critical care area.I hope you have already received critical care courses .ICU nurses are notorious for the eat their young attitude. Keep your head up and your eyes open! Document in writing any instance where a fellow staff nurse is rude, unhelpful or just plain makes you feel uncomfortable. Best of luck.

Its a Step Down unit... close to critical care, during NS my preceptorship was in ICU and I loved it so I thought a step down unit would be perfect... thx for the advice I'll keep that all in mind

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Specializes in DOU.

The experienced nurses on my floor have all been nice to me. I couldn't have asked for better.

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Why are u starting in a critical care area? Nurses need to hone their med-surg skills before than can apply them well in a critical care area.I hope you have already received critical care courses .ICU nurses are notorious for the eat their young attitude. Keep your head up and your eyes open! Document in writing any instance where a fellow staff nurse is rude, unhelpful or just plain makes you feel uncomfortable. Best of luck.

I just want to comment on this person's opinion because I have found this to be completely untrue and since you are all ready nervous enough about starting, this way of thinking will not help. I started as a new grad in the ICU and at my job have found that the nurses on our unit work together amazingly well. My coworkers have been nothing but helpful when it comes to supporting me. Every question I have had has been answered and my requests for help have never gone unanswered. They want me to suceed. These are the people who ask me to listen out for them when they leave the unit, or go to lunch... I may be the person taking care of their patient the next day. Why would they maintain this "eat their young" attitude when all it would do is bring down the unit. The older nurses always have little tricks of the trade that are very beneficial to learn. Just go in their with confidence, but be sure to ask for help when you need it. Utilize the resources that are offered to you and let them know that you want to and are willing to learn. You'll do just fine. Good luck!

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Hi,

I am a new graduated RN, but right now I am so frustrated with job hunting. I don't know where to start and what to do. Googling hospital's name and looking them up one by one drive me crazily. Can u pass some hunting experience to me? thx so much! :redbeathe

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Wow,I can only share my experiences,my friend told that durning her ICU student experience (while in nursing school) she was literally I mean literally was eaten and bitten by an ICU nurse that she followed that day,I dont know if chewing out has anything to do with age though cause she was close to 40 (I mean my student friend not the nurse) I personality got chewed up by one of the nurses in ER (an older nurse) who decided to inform me ( with a rude and condescending tone of voice) that back in her day nurses were trained better

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Specializes in Emergency, Internal Medicine, Sports Med.

Don't worry too much. I am a new grad also, and I landed a job in ER at a major trauma hospital. Mind you, I took ER specialty courses included in my BSN so I am not totally lost. I have ran into some AWESOME nurses- old and young- that are happy to share their knowledge and are really pleasant. Then, I've found some really, really rude nurses- old and young- who literally shut curtains on your face, or turn away when asking for help (not even "knowledge" help- but physical assistance!)

I have chosen to treat everybody with dignity and respect, regardless of how they choose to behave. They have obviously developed this from somewhere, or perhaps have seen it done and mimic it. Regardless, choose to smile, don't let anyone steal your sunshine. And of course, speak up when totally inappropriate remarks are made.

PS...... I also had the "in my day, we were taught ...." speech. Some nurses are VERY resistant to change.

All the best up in CCU :)

:nurse:

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i graduated last year feeling the way you are right now. its kind of scary thinking about all the rumors you here isnt it? well im pleased to say that i have not seen any of the "nurses eat their young" at this point. i DID have an incident at work though. there was a nurse aid who refused to help me. when i was scheduled with her i had the WORST nights. i actually didnt notice it myself. i would come home so upset my husband would just let me vent. he eventually noticed it was only on nights i was working with "her".

long story short... she said she couldnt take orders from me because i was younger than her daughter. since she spent more time on this earth and in that hospital than i did she refused to work with me. funny thing is... i dont ever recall giving her a single "order". in the beginning i honestly believe a good aide can make you or break you.

in over 1 year of nursing that is the only time i can recall that was even slightly negative. the rest of the staff were just amazing. i knew that i would not walk in there knowing it all so i never even pretended to know it. i went in with questions constantly. i always asked what was on my mind. and i didnt wait till i was to far behind either. i figured if you ask the first person you see they can help you most of the time. alot of my questions were answered after me and the person i asked looked them up...lol

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Specializes in critical care.
Hi,

I am a new graduated RN, but right now I am so frustrated with job hunting. I don't know where to start and what to do. Googling hospital's name and looking them up one by one drive me crazily. Can u pass some hunting experience to me? thx so much! :redbeathe

Before I graduated I contacted the HR dept. where I wanted to work. I was very persistent and would call every other month just letting them know I was doing well in school and when I expected to take my NCLEX. Thats the best advice I can give, dont just fill out an application and hope for the best call HR and get in touch with nurse managers, so they can atleast put a voice with an application. Do research on the hospital, know what the specialties are. Be friendly let them know u are interested but try not to sound desperate. Good Luck!:nurse:

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