How Do You Feel About New Grads In The E.r.?

NativeSundance, LPN · Sep 19, 2006

I never mind training someone new...IF...they have the "stuff" to make it in the crazy chaotic unpredictable world of the ER. It is usually obvious fairly early on who will and who will not survive in the lions den.

RN1263 · Sep 19, 2006

nativesundance,

the stuff?.....like- not being timid, willing to jump into a code, handling pressure well???? and how early can you tell usually if they won't survive?

nurse_clown · Sep 19, 2006

[color=dimgray]i don't work in the e.r. but we had this new grad as a consolidating student. i work on the oncology/palliative care unit. she had a very good attitude. she was willing to learn and organize herself. then she landed a job in the e.r. what a busy place that is!! every now and then, i go to the e.r. to pick something up or perform a procedure. sometimes i see her there. she always has a caring smile on her face and doesn't look stressed. she gives great transfer reports and still has a great attitude. that's just my experience. i know what kind of place the e.r. is. to work there, u have to adapt to various situations. u have to make quick decisions so time isn't wasted. i doubt i could handle what is required for that unit for very long. i think she's been there for about two years now. i'm thinking about it now. i guess on my unit my big decisions have been "all five of you need a bed pan now??" " or "you want to know who's in charge?? ummm.... that's me" now imagine having me in e.r.? i've been a nurse for 10 years. don't get me wrong, i'm a pretty good nurse too when it comes to oncology and palliative care issues. i think new grads have a lot of energy and new ideas. and they are also learning too. "you can't be experienced without putting in the time" that's what one of the more experienced nurses said to me.

TazziRN, RN · Sep 19, 2006

"The stuff" means the desire to learn and the ability to retain most of what you learn. Not having it means making more work for the staff than there started out to be because of handholding, etc.

I love precepting new grads. It's a long process. We have three new employees that started this summer: a new grad who did a summer internship with us last year and two new nurses who graduated last year and have been working in other ER's. Between the three, I'd rather have the new grad. She's got "the stuff".

As for how long it takes to know, it can be fairly immediate or it can take a while. There are some nurses who do learn and can function in the ER but are too weak to function completely on their own; those usually take a long time. But it takes a good year to become completely comfortable in nursing as a new rad, no matter which specialty you choose.

RN1263 · Sep 19, 2006

i guess on my unit my big decisions have been "all five of you need a bed pan now??" " or "you want to know who's in charge?? ummm.... that's me" now imagine having me in e.r.?

OMG, tooo funny.... i see how you got your name...hahaha!!!! :jester:

RN1263 · Sep 19, 2006

"The stuff" means the desire to learn and the ability to retain most of what you learn. Not having it means making more work for the staff than there started out to be because of handholding, etc.

do you have anything specific in mind that new grads have the hardest time learning or retaining?....or do you mean just everything in general?

Larry77, RN · Sep 19, 2006

There is a huge learning curve no matter what kind of nursing or schooling you have had when starting in the ED so I agree with the previous posts that it really depends on attitude and personality more than experience.

And yes the staff is very quick to say that a new hire will "make it" or not, however I have seen a few excel after being labeled as "never going to make it".

Pedi-ER-RN, RN · Sep 19, 2006

I'm about to start precepting a new grad. I've never had a new grad before. Everyone seems to think that this one doesn't have what it takes, but I want to give him/her the benefit of the doubt and try to give them the best orientation experience possible. Any tips or suggestions?

nuangel1, BSN, RN · Sep 19, 2006

i agree with larry and tazzi we have a new grad now that was a cna in our er for 2 yrs .she started orientation after she grad and pased her boards.about 6 wks now she is doing very well.she said it helped to know the staff .layout dept ,boss etc .but she knows she has a lot to learn and it really takes at least a yr to feel comfortable.but if you come to work wanting to learn and being respectful to staff and pts you'll start off on the right foot .no one expects you to know everything .our new grad has had 2 preceptprs and has gradually seen lots of procedures and sick pts.she is willing to study look things up and be shown how to do something. i think she'll do fine but it takes time .she will have good and bad days like everyone.

TazziRN, RN · Sep 19, 2006

The examples I have in mind: we have a new employee that has been a nurse for about a year; he does well in urgent care-type cases but has trouble with critical thinking in serious pts. On the other hand, our new grad is not licensed yet. She functions as a super-CNA (allowed to do foleys, etc.). When something is happening her preceptor will ask her things ("What would you do now?) and she is SHARP.

just4nurses · Sep 20, 2006

I can say this much, I'm a Nurse Tech in the E.R., before I went to the E.R. I was on a post surgical unit. BIG DIFFERENCE, it's a WHOLE different world in the E.R. than in any other unit I've floated to in my hospital. The way things work and flow are totally different.

I'm going to school for R.N. also, and I want to be in the E.R. when I graduate, but I will probably have to put my time in on a Med-Surg floor and hone my nursing skills before they unleash me on the unsuspecting public LOL, I would actually prefer that because if I hadn't worked on the PSCU before I went to the E.R. I would have been totally lost and way under experienced.

[evil]Chris[/evil]

:lol_hitti