What makes you nervous about or irritated with a new grad or orientee?

Nurses General Nursing

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I've noticed alot of threads lately from new nurses who seemed quite stressed out, which I can totally understand, I've been there for sure. So I thought I'd start a thread from the other POV. This shouldn't be an opportunity to be sarcastic or uncharitable, but maybe it can help a new grad to see the other side of the story.

I get nervous by a new nurse who doesn't ask questions. I also will have misgivings about a new nurse who asks a question and then argues with my answer. Also, a new nurse who knows it all makes me nervous.

I get irritated by a cocky new nurse. A little bit of deference and humilty is a good thing. But someone who grovels makes me unsettled. I also get annoyed if a new nurse is too bossy with the pts.

Specializes in Neuro ICU, Neuro/Trauma stepdown.

My only hope is for a kind preceptor that won't roll her eyes and sigh every time I have a question, need help or need guidance.

And even if she/he does, don't let that stop you from asking questions. It is your right to ask questions. And don't forget you can always ask the other nurses around you, just be careful to size them up first....since you probably won't know what is going on with the other nurses and their assignments, if it they look like they're ready to pop, find someone else to take your questions to.

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There's always two sides to every story. I used to believe this also, because I used to be an aide. But now I'm not so sure anymore because this can also be a trap. I was delegating a lot of work to the aides because I had a ton of RN work that had to be done. One of them accused me of being a primma donna and not helping. I felt really bad because I used to be an aide, so I started helping more.

Well ... you go into the room and you think it's only going to be one diaper but, as it turns out, they've got non-stop diarrhea and it's an all day thing. The patient also needs water, a new gown, a linen change ... and the aide is nowhere to be found because you're helping. Before you know it, you're behind on your RN work and your preceptor is really ticked off.

Now ... you've got to go find the aide and get them to do their job. They still think you're being a primma donna when, in fact, you've got a lot of catching up to do because you helped them in the first place. So, I learned the hard way that I've got to get my RN work done first, no matter what the aides think.

:typing

I am really glad that I read this follow-up post. I am a new RN and will be interviewing at a hospital next week. Reading the post you replied to left me thinking, "Well of course I would change the pts. underpants if they were soiled." I feel that would be the right thing to do. You brought up a very interesting point, regarding the aide taking advantage of your help. This would not have crossed my mind. I am sure this is not the case with all aides, but it is something to consider. My RN work must be done before I can help out with other duties.

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One thing that irritates me about anyone anywhere is when someone isn't teachable. We should be willing to learn from someone else. And even if you do know something, listen anyway.

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Specializes in cardiac med-surg.

yawning all day first day onthe floor as preceptee

LOOK ALIVE KITTEN !

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Specializes in ER/ ICU.

Newbies who think they know everything bug me. I have been an RN for almost 12 years and I don't know everything. How can a brand new nurse assume they know more? It also bugs me when you ask them if they have done a task and they lie and tell you they have , only for you to find out they did not do it. Then they act all stupid like they did not understand you.

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Specializes in Day Surgery/Infusion/ED.
Newbies who think they know everything bug me. I have been an RN for almost 12 years and I don't know everything. How can a brand new nurse assume they know more? It also bugs me when you ask them if they have done a task and they lie and tell you they have , only for you to find out they did not do it. Then they act all stupid like they did not understand you.

Because their education is more recent than yours, and because it's so much harder in nursing school now than it was back in your day.

That's what I've been told, but what do I know? I've been doing this for 22y, so my education is even more antiquated.

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Specializes in CMSRN.

I am not trying to sound stupid when I say this.

I do not want to be a know it all nurse. I know very little. But at what point would you say that a new grad is arguing with you and not just posing questions and comparisons to what was originally taught in school or by another nurse. I can come across as argumentative (not rude or abrupt by any means). I just want to understand fully all that I am doing. I don't want to just do what I am being told without understanding it in full. (I will if I have to) Granted it would be in my best interest to write it down and look it up if there is a lot of work to do. (which from what I read is the case)

I hope to not be unreasonable in my quest for full comprehension but please give me some insight as to what would be the limit before I am labeled a "know it all".

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Specializes in L&D.
As a new nurse I find nothing offensive in this thread. I think it is helpful.

Do new nurses who contemplate drive you all crazy?

I worry that I take everything too seriously. I need to think things through before I do them, which worries me as a nurse, because I won't always have the time. Working in the NICU, I realize that a mistake can have a negative impact on a patient's entire lifetime so this makes me check just one more time. I hope that experience will give me more confidence and I won't check so much.

OMG! You're avatar is so cute! Is that your dog? It's adorable!

Jen

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Specializes in ortho/neuro/general surgery.

Several nights ago I orientated an argumentative new nurse. She even yelled at me in front of a patient for setting the 'volume to be infused' for 100 cc lower than what was in the bag. I explained my reasoning- I hate dealing with dry IV lines- but she kept yelling at me so I just looked at her and walked away. The whole night went like that.

When I was a brand-new grad, just a few months on the floor on my own, the seasoned nurses on my floor made *me* orientate more than one new nurse- cuz they didn't want to! Hello!?!? Does that make any sense? That's worse than the blind leading the blind. A couple times I ended up orienting someone I had graduated with.

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Specializes in LTC.

Sorry, I couldn't resist responding.... I've been at my current job for almost a year and it's in an LTC.

I work with a GPN and I HATE her and don't respect her.... The CNA's, the RN and every unit she has ever floated too hates her.

She sits in residents rooms and talks to them, she will not clean anyone up, can't chart to save her life, walked away from a resident that fell!!!!

Then one night while I'm doing the med pass, and our 3 CNA's are bringing people back from social hour and putting others to bed she comes running up to me and starts screaming that the CNA's are lazy and she can't possibly be expected to do all this work and she's overwhelmed.. And that she didn't become a nurse to wipe butt... That really ticked me off and I told her to start looking into a different job.

Some new nurses are great don't get me wrong...

But if you're anything like the one I work with find a different job, nursing is not a glory job and you do have to get "hands on" with your pts!!!!!

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
I am not trying to sound stupid when I say this.

I do not want to be a know it all nurse. I know very little. But at what point would you say that a new grad is arguing with you and not just posing questions and comparisons to what was originally taught in school or by another nurse. I can come across as argumentative (not rude or abrupt by any means). I just want to understand fully all that I am doing. I don't want to just do what I am being told without understanding it in full. (I will if I have to) Granted it would be in my best interest to write it down and look it up if there is a lot of work to do. (which from what I read is the case)

I hope to not be unreasonable in my quest for full comprehension but please give me some insight as to what would be the limit before I am labeled a "know it all".

I'm should probably start a thread on this, but I'm too tired, so I'll just highlight a few. Maybe others can add to the list.

Traits of the Know-it-all Newbie

1. Says "I know" an awful lot when I remind her of certain things like parameters for giving basic medications (like check the Vanco trough before you give that Vanco, for instance), yet I see that she had pulled the Vanco and was nowhere near a computer to check the trough that I called to be drawn.

2. Believes she's a terrific nurse because she's done everything before the end of her shift, when in actuality, if she had checked her charting before she left, there was a whole page of Stat orders she missed on one chart and no nurse's notes entered on two of her patients.

3. (This is the scariest.) She goes by the book with some things, but hasn't the experience to know when NOT to. Therefore, I've found people with BP's of 80/20 because, just before the patient went to sleep with pain meds, sleepers, and other various and sundry meds on board, Know-it-all Newbie didn't bother to check the BP manually a second time on the other arm, about 10 minutes after Patient had rested from his walk to the bathroom and back.

4. When I'm trying to teach the Newbie Know-it-all something, she rolls her eyes at me and appears bored, as if she already knows exactly what I'm going to say. However, I'm teaching you something because I've already found that you're weak in that particular area, and I've decided to fix your knowledge deficit before I write you up for doing some blatantly stupid thing and potentially hurting a patient. So are you really sure you already know what I'm going to say? Then stop the eye-rolling please and give me some respect. Thanks.

OK I'm done for now. Let me emphasize: MOST NEW GRADS ARE NOT LIKE I JUST DESCRIBED. If they were, I'd have quit preceptoring a LONG time ago.

So relax, be willing and ready to learn, and please understand, even under the best of circumstances, this is a tough job to learn. Make it easy on yourself; don't be a Know-it-all.

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Specializes in PICU, surgical post-op.
...and then put a lock on it, it now changes your #18g to a #20g, and if you add a J-loop ...

Call me woefully ignorant if you will, but what's a j-loop? And which bit of the whole setup is the lock? I'm trying to picture an IV without the bits of tubing we use, and I can't figure it out. Maybe we just call things by different names in my neck of the woods?

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