Too early to throw in the towel?

lindalee · Jul 4, 2002

You are not being oriented, you are being thrown to the wolves. Find a new job where they will teach you. The treatment you describe is not appropiate and you do not want to lose your brand new liscense. I am very sorry your first nursing job is with people who apparently are unwilling to mentor you. Believe me there are good critical nurses out there who will take the time to teach you. You have only basic knowledge out of school and need to find a facility with staff who will mentor you. I would go straight to the manager and tell her exactly what you just posted here. If her staff wants to forever be short staffed and never have new grads, she will need to work with that problem. If you leave I would also write this and send it to the nursing director and the risk manager of the hospital. JMHO Orientation should not be a joke--it is serious business.

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 4, 2002

I agree...get OUT NOW! It will cost you and your patients DEARLY to continue in this manner. But don't give up! There is a place for you and one you will enjoy---- This obviously is NOT it!

This is not orientation, this is a dangerous situation for you and your patients. Move on, and I wish Good luck. I am so sorry for this first bitter taste of nursing you are having to take. You deserve MUCH better than this. Hang in there and keep trying.

adrienurse, LPN · Jul 4, 2002

Your employers were not looking for someone to teach, they were looking for a warm body (you). I've been in that situation and honey you are going to get eaten!

ERNurse752, RN · Jul 4, 2002

I agree with lindalee...that's a bunch of crap.

Is there another hospital near you? Do you really want to do med-surg, or ICU? Don't base your opinion of whether or not you can handle ICU on this experience alone...it isn't a good experience at all, and a new grad *can* do well in an ICU provided the nurses actually treat you like a human being and take the time to *teach* you! Good luck...

wrkoutgirl · Jul 4, 2002

:nono: darling i am so sorry for what you are going through. i can relate so well. i posted a thread about 6 months ago (you can find it if you click on my name ) i went to hell in not one but 2 hospitals also because of terrible orientation for a new grad RN and i felt so scared that i was going to end up hurting my patients and lose my licence. i left one hospitals after another one(my own decision, they did not fire me) then i went to the third place and i love it. i still see things that are not professional, legal or safe but unfortunally i learned that this is everywhere and i just have to do my best. i am still treated as the new kid in the block and do not get included when they order dinner (most of the times) and don't get invited to bridal showers, girls night out and so on. i do get tremendous professional support from the unit manager, nurse educator and assistent manager. i finished "orientation" a month ago. there is a nurse in my unit who is very knowlledgeable, professional, and classy who was not my preseptor and from whom i would have learned so much more . i try to ask her when i am not sure and i have a few others whos knowledge and judgment i trust and i try to go to them.

i think that you shoud urgently get out of that unit and that hospital all together. if they don't have a descent orientation program for new RNs, they have not ethics to care enough for their patients and their safety. and this is not why we killed our selves in school for. we care about our pts and want to provide the best of us. as new nurses we need a lot of help and support. good luck darling ! it is not you, it is them. :kiss monica

Rustyhammer · Jul 4, 2002

There are PLENTY of good places out there that will appreciate you and will orient you the way you should be. Nursing is a funny profession. We say we need help and are overworked and overwhelmed and when we get a new grad in there we sabotage their success. But...It isn't always that way. Leave that job and when interviewing for your next one explain the problems you had at this job. Tell them that you want a good orientation and that you'd like to have someone to buddy up to that you can ask questions and the like.

Sometimes it is advantagious to train a new grad.

Huggietoes, hang in there (the nursing field that is) for it is rewarding in many ways. I can tell from your post you want to do well and in a good place you will!!

Keep us posted please.

-Russell

PS: Personally I think a good nursing home is a great place to hone your assessment , time managment and leadership skills.

Love-A-Nurse · Jul 5, 2002

originally posted by huggietoes
i am a gn and began working on an icu unit 3 weeks ago and am ready to tear my hair out and then quit! orientation is a joke, it consists of them throwing 2-3 patients at me and not giving me any direction at all. when i ask a question my preceptor just says "you're doing fine, you can figure it out" mind you i have absolutely no medical experience except what i have received while in nursing school. i feel lost, frustrated and dread going to work each day. the nurses are at times somewhat rude, they intentionally leave me out of floor activities (idiotic minute things like ceus that are coming up, ordering dinner, etc.), they speak appaullingly bad about one another behind each other's backs, they will assign me to do something and when i explain that i have never done/seen/learned anything like it before they tell me nows the time, do not give any instruction and then proceed to be hostile if i do not do it correctly. i could see if i was not trying, or if it was incredibly busy and they just did not have time to show/teach/demonstrate, but that is not the case. and i overheard one of the nurses bragging how they had run off 3 other nurses who "did not fit in" they told me that when orientation (as if i am receiving one) is over if i can not keep up they will just "ride me out" i would love to transfer to a med/surg floor, but i am afraid that it will make me look as though i give up too easily, or that i can not work and play well with others. it is to the point that i am ready to quit altogether and apply at another facility. i feel so mislead, the nurse manager promised i would receive a thorough orientation. what should i do?

i am sorry you are experiencing this type of behavior and i do wish the very best for you.

a question for any one, do you feel people such as the ones mentioned above were treated in this unkind manner when they first started and is using this for a "lame" excuse to do others the same way. how sad for others to hurt another to make themselves look good, or so they think./color]

thisnurse · Jul 5, 2002

i wouldnt leave. im too stubborn. i wouldnt comprimise my patients either. i would keep pushing the issue until i got oriented. in other words... i would MAKE them orient me.

yeah its harder and it probably isnt worth the hassle but when it happened to me i found it a great lesson on how to handle difficult ppl.

if you can survive THAT...you can survive anything...but i cant say this enuff....MAKE THEM ORIENT YOU ...MAKE THEM...

and med surg is not going to be any better sorry to say.

rusty is so right about sabotaging our new nurses.

good luck

olnursie · Jul 5, 2002

Where is your Unit Manager in all this? You poor kid- document

your abuse in triplicate, send a copy to the Unit Manager, Director

of Nursing and President of the hospital. Make sure you have found a better job first then hi tail it out of there and don't look back- it is worth writing to the State Board about also! Just be sure to document well. Good luck, you sound like you really care about your profession and your patients- be safe though!

RNinICU · Jul 5, 2002

This is not a proper orientatin. When I have orientees, I spend the first day just showing them around the unit, and letting them get familiar with the place. The first week they follow me, and gradually take on more responsibility until the sixth week when I am following them. After the six weeks, my orientee still works my schedule for another three months, and I serve as a resource person for that time period. NO ONE is ever treated like this in my unit. You can go to your unit manager and express your concerns if you want to stay there, or you can find another place to work that will give you the orientation and education you need. Personally, I would choose the latter. Good Luck!

Cherry Soda · Jul 6, 2002

Huggytoes

{{hugs}}for you.

You are not being oriented properly. Get out of there. Go to a med/surg unit and get a full orientation. After a year or so go back to ICU.

Best of luck

Cherry