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

Specialties Emergency

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I would like to know from all of you how you "feel" about new grads in the E.R.? do they annoy you? do you like/dislike training them?

there have been many posts asking "can i do it?", but that's NOT what i'm asking.......how will the nurses "FEEL" about having to train a new grad?.....

just4nurses,

you mentioned "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,"

We have several new grads in our ER, I am one, and I was sick of people telling me I had to pull time on a Med-Surg floor to develop time management skills, assessment skills and procedure skills......BULL%($)^&

In my 6 weeks out in the ER with my clinical partner I have already done NGtube, assisted with 2 Chest tubes, conscious sedations, foley insertion, in and out caths, IMs on children, and feel I have learned more and developed more skills in the ER ....where else do you have to juggle 2 chest pains, a trauma and the surprise behind door number 3?

dijmart,

I know some nurses hate orienting anyone, new grad or seasoned pro. I have had a wonderful experiece due to my clinical partner and the group I have been working with. I hope they have felt the same about me. Most of them say "everyone is new at one point in time"

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I was sick of people telling me I had to pull time on a Med-Surg floor to develop time management skills, assessment skills and procedure skills......BULL%($)^&

In my 6 weeks out in the ER with my clinical partner I have already done NGtube, assisted with 2 Chest tubes, conscious sedations, foley insertion, in and out caths, IMs on children, and feel I have learned more and developed more skills in the ER ....where else do you have to juggle 2 chest pains, a trauma and the surprise behind door number 3?

Sorry, I don't agree. I was a new grad in the ER and I love my job, but if I could do it all over again, I would start in medsurg. Yes, you learn different things in the ER and you do learn assessment skill needed for the ER, but you will have no idea what chronic problems look like when there is no exacerbation. I learned that the hard way when I got a pt by w/c and jumped all over his respiratory difficulties, only to be horribly embarrassed to find out that what I saw was the pt's norm for his COPD. He was there for a foot injury.

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Specializes in ER, critical care.
I learned that the hard way when I got a pt by w/c and jumped all over his respiratory difficulties, only to be horribly embarrassed to find out that what I saw was the pt's norm for his COPD. He was there for a foot injury.

Funny!!

But on the other side of the coin sometimes you have to apply a little judgment to the situation. I wasn't a new grad or even new to the ER but just for for instance........

29y/o male came in with c/o foot injury after playing basketball the day before. Was hauled down to non-urgent room and I was notified I had a new patient. I bounced on down the to look at his foot and found a pale, diaphoretic 29 y/o male with some mild difficulty breathing. So I said, "You hurt your foot huh?" He said, "Yes."

I asked, "Are you always this sweaty?" He said, "no." I said, "Anything else hurting today?" He said, "My chest hurts a little."

To make a long story short, he was having an MI. But just to be sure I didn't get uppidy, the unit was sure to write me up for not getting an xray of his ankle before sending him to the cath lab. Afterall, he had a broken ankle.

Back on topic, I only ever had problems with one new grad.... she didn't even need orientation... she already knew everything. She made it about 6 weeks.

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Specializes in ER, telemetry.

I do not mind new grads in the ER as long as they have some common sense and are not overly confident. There is so much new grads do not know, but they do not know what it is they have to learn. If they know their limitations and ask a lot of questions, I think they can be a hugh asset in our understaffed ER. However, I have seen a lot of new grads finish orientation and then up and quit after 1-2 weeks on their own due to the huge amt of stress and expectations from the management. I am just thankful that I did not come straight out of school and go directly into the ER. I love the ER and am thankful for all the skills I gained on tele for 5 yrs before transferring. It made me a better ER nurse.

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thanks to everyone who posted!

i'm volunteering in the e.r. now, but human resource at the hospital is going to see if they can get me in as a student tech (prn), so i can do more....

like someone said already i'm hoping that knowing the staff, layout, ect. will benefit me as a new grad rn. honestly though as a volunteer they don't seem to want to much to do w/ me (some don't even look at me?). so, i make myself busy, smile, ya-da, ya-da. definately think they don't want to let me into their click or something, but i'm not going to let it deter me, because i was an e.r. tech before at another hospital and got along wonderfully w/ everyone soooooo i don't think it's me????.....who knows?...i mean heck i'm workin' there for free and they can't say "hi".....:(

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At 57, I am very old in this younger persons profession but I truly do see the advantage in new grads doing some time on a general med-surg unit. The new grad will learn organization and prioritizing skills best on a med-surg unit. But above that, I see so many ER nurses being totally intolerant of floor nurses and treating them like they are stupid. I think everyone needs to spend some time in the trenches on a general floor to appreciate how hard that really is. There is no way that I could do floor nursing now!

Other than that, I have found that there are a few who are too timid or lazy to get in there big time with codes, etc and/or don't have the fast thinking skills needed for ER. However, more commonly, I see new grads who won't do the BS pts (lice, ear aches, dental pain) or general chores that are required like making beds, cleaning rooms which sometimes RNs just need to do. While we all prefer to concentrate on the big trauma, MIs and other critical pts, we all face having to deal with the majority of pts who are at best boring.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Peds, ICU.

So, I am a new grad that started in June at my hospital. I admit I was overwhelmed at first...but I would be at any job! I mean, hello...coming from Nursing School to work as a RN can be overwhelming, however I have LEARNED SO MUCH in our Truama center and I would not have wanted to work anywhere else. My heart belongs to the ED. I also work PRN on a Med Surg floor and I find myself wishing I was going faster, constantly moving like in the ER. I understand everyone has their own opinions but I honestly think that it would be horrible if someone called me "annoying" because I may need to ask a question! I love the people I work with and I am glad we work together as a team to help out, so I don't believe they find us new grads annoying...!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Pediatrics, Geriatrics.
We have several new grads in our ER, I am one, and I was sick of people telling me I had to pull time on a Med-Surg floor to develop time management skills, assessment skills and procedure skills......BULL%($)^&

In my 6 weeks out in the ER with my clinical partner I have already done NGtube, assisted with 2 Chest tubes, conscious sedations, foley insertion, in and out caths, IMs on children, and feel I have learned more and developed more skills in the ER ....where else do you have to juggle 2 chest pains, a trauma and the surprise behind door number 3?

I am sick and tired of hearing the same thing! I don't wish to work in ER, but I want to work in ICU. I have been a nurse intern in a MSICU for a year now and I can't imagine working anywhere else. So many people told me that I would need the "year of Med-Surg" first that I got an intern job at another hospital on a Med-Surg floor. I hate it there. I can understand where time management and prioritizing come in, don't get me wrong...but its a different kind of time management. Luckily, the hospital where I work at in ICU LOVES getting new grads! They are very choosey in who they hire too, even for intern positions. I had a peer interview when I was hired, with the manager, assistant manager, charge nurse and two staff nurses! Very intimidating!

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

Truthfully new grads are so much of an investment

then as soon as you get them halfway decent they are off looking for a new job

they have no loyalty for what you do for them

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Truthfully new grads are so much of an investment

then as soon as you get them halfway decent they are off looking for a new job

they have no loyalty for what you do for them

I don't see why they'd leave if it's a good working environment and they had a good orientation?....

if they didn't have one or both of these, then why shouldn't they leave?

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Truthfully new grads are so much of an investment

then as soon as you get them halfway decent they are off looking for a new job

they have no loyalty for what you do for them

My hospital hired me as a new grad in the ICU, sent me through a long critical care class and orientation, and I have been on my own for 4 months. I had to ask for a leave of absence to take care of my dying father, and while in the NM's office, she decided to unload on me a list of my shortcomings (ex: another nurse decided that my patients looked "rumpled", my report was "all over the place", etc, etc.). I asked for specifics, which she could not give. I asked if she wanted me to return, and she said that it was up to me. I felt horrible anyway (dying father!) and didn't need this as well.

So, when you get grief like that (mind you, no complaints re pt satisfaction, safety, etc) you often decide to go look for a new job.

Maybe hospitals and NMs need to think about maximizing the investment. I came in expecting to be loyal and staying for a long time, but instead, I am brushing up my resume.

Oldiebutgoodie

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