How to deal with this conflict?

Davey Do · Mar 9, 2018

By being a good nurse.

Not necessarily for another, but for our patients and ourselves.

TriciaJ, RN · Mar 9, 2018

By not getting bent out of shape over how the experienced nurse acts. If you're the newbie, it's not your place to judge anyone else's behaviour. Put your head down and learn as much as you can. New grads would save themselves a lot of grief and aggravation if they quit getting so hung up on how they're treated.

Someone treats you like you don't know anything? Maybe you don't. Or maybe it's just someone's annoying behaviour. If that's the worst thing you ever have to deal with, you'll have a fabulous career. I've worked in different nursing specialties and had to deal with a learning curve in every single one. As I got older, I had to put up with younger nurses acting like I just fell off the turnip truck. Annoying, but goes with the territory. Most of those nurses eventually became my close friends.

When I was a new grad, some of the worst battle axes turned out to be the first ones to come to my defense if anyone else caused me a problem. You never know how things are going to play out. For right now, just hold up your end of the deal and don't worry about anyone else.

Crush · Mar 9, 2018

Just focus on patient care and let it slide for now. It may just be personality. I would be a bit annoyed too if it were me but for now, focus on patient care and learning what you can.

RNperdiem, RN · Mar 9, 2018

Balance realizing that maybe the experienced nurse has a point about not knowing things, with your awareness that this is a touchy issue for you.

Eventually your work will speak for itself.

drkshadez · Mar 9, 2018

Ok maybe I took it too personal. But the experienced nurse asked me to make sure I told the patient side effects of a medication I have given 100 times at my previous facility. Also I have a reputation of not only telling the patient side effects, but also putting on the white board the side effects of high alert medications the patient is receiving in terms they understand (example: insulin: shaky and sweaty- call nurse)/ that's just an off the cuff example.

No arrogance here. Always willing to learn and grow (not a traditional newer nurse with an arrogant I know it all attitude).

As I reflected on it, I think a lot of it has to do with personalities. There are some nurses who will say to me , "have you given this before" and if I say yes the follow up question will be "can you tell me some side effects" and if I cannot I will say I will look it up - but if I know them I will say them. But other nurses approach it as if newer nurses are beneath them.

I hope that makes sense. Unfortunatelyy I don't care much about personality conflicts. I just provide the best care I can for patients under my care.

OldDude · Mar 9, 2018

I had no medical background when I entered nursing school...subsequently when I graduated from nursing school, as a functional nurse, I was as dumb as a sack of doorknobs; and I realized it. I've no idea of your background and don't infer this to be you, unless it is, but a lot of new grads "think" they know more about real nursing than they really do and "show it." This gets old to the ones who have driven the car a long time but find themselves being told how to drive by those who have just received their learner permit.

All excellent advise above. Hang in there and eventually you'll find yourself in a role reversal.

Wuzzie · Mar 9, 2018

But the experienced nurse asked me to make sure I told the patient side effects of a medication I have given 100 times at my previous facility.

Did she work with you at your other facility so she knows that you have given that particular medication 100 times? Has she repeatedly reminded you of the same thing? If the answer is "no" then you must understand it is the responsibility of the experienced nurses to make sure that newbies, like you, are doing what they are supposed to be doing. The experienced nurses must assume that you do not know until you've proven to each and every one of them that you do. They are looking out for the patients but they are also looking out for you. They are your "training wheels", so to speak, to keep you from falling down. Eventually the training wheels will come off.

drkshadez · Mar 9, 2018

Thank you. But I am not s traditional new grad. Real nursing to me is not technical skills or med passes or even being anal about organization. It's sitting at the bedside and talking to a patient about a new cancer diagnosis who just wants to give up on life - talking for an hour and in the morning patient decides to try therapy. It's comforting someone who has all these chronic diseases with a new diagnosis of heart failure and making sure you advocate for the plan of care they are to receive. It's listening to their story to understand the patient as a whole- not what their illness is and treating their illness safely or without question. It's defending yourcpatients rights no matter what the cost.?most patients I've encountered in just a limited -year time frame: LISTEN- really LISTEN to them - be mindful of their needs , goals, and preferences.

I admit I could be wrong, but this is what my limited experience has taught me so far.

JKL33 · Mar 9, 2018

Ok maybe I took it too personal. But the experienced nurse asked me to make sure I told the patient side effects of a medication I have given 100 times at my previous facility.

As I reflected on it, I think a lot of it has to do with personalities. There are some nurses who will say to me , "have you given this before" and if I say yes the follow up question will be "can you tell me some side effects" and if I cannot I will say I will look it up - but if I know them I will say them. But other nurses approach it as if newer nurses are beneath them.

And a different newer nurse might have been upset about the exact opposite:

"I work with one nurse who is cool and just gives me quick reminders to make sure we're on the same page, but then there's this other witch who thinks she has to pimp me about side effects...."

See?

Let it go. It absolutely has to do with experiences and personalities. We are persons. Each person who feels responsible for helping a newer nurse is going to handle it a little differently.

OldDude · Mar 9, 2018

Thank you. But I am not s traditional new grad. Real nursing to me is not technical skills or med passes or even being anal about organization. It's sitting at the bedside and talking to a patient about a new cancer diagnosis who just wants to give up on life - talking for an hour and in the morning patient decides to try therapy. It's comforting someone who has all these chronic diseases with a new diagnosis of heart failure and making sure you advocate for the plan of care they are to receive. It's listening to their story to understand the patient as a whole- not what their illness is and treating their illness safely or without question. It's defending yourcpatients rights no matter what the cost.?most patients I've encountered in just a limited -year time frame: LISTEN- really LISTEN to them - be mindful of their needs , goals, and preferences.
I admit I could be wrong, but this is what my limited experience has taught me so far.

All excellent characteristics. Good for you to seek other opinions and integrate that into moving forward with your career.

JKL33 · Mar 9, 2018

Thank you. But I am not s traditional new grad. Real nursing to me is not technical skills or med passes or even being anal about organization. It's sitting at the bedside and talking to a patient about a new cancer diagnosis who just wants to give up on life - talking for an hour and in the morning patient decides to try therapy. It's comforting someone who has all these chronic diseases with a new diagnosis of heart failure and making sure you advocate for the plan of care they are to receive. It's listening to their story to understand the patient as a whole- not what their illness is and treating their illness safely or without question. It's defending yourcpatients rights no matter what the cost.?most patients I've encountered in just a limited -year time frame: LISTEN- really LISTEN to them - be mindful of their needs , goals, and preferences.
I admit I could be wrong, but this is what my limited experience has taught me so far.

Yes, you are wrong. :) :) It is all of these things, including being able to perform skills and carry out medication administrations properly. I'm not saying you aren't doing those things AT ALL, just that those, too, are reasonable "areas of nursing" with which people responsible for helping you will concern themselves.