How long before I'm not considered a "Newbie"?

[gentlegiver, ASN, LPN, RN]

Last night I was at work, my partner was a delightful Nurse with a fantastic attitude to the job and others. She asked what year I had graduated in. I told her I graduated in 2005, she then said I was still a new nurse. I wasn't offended, she's so sweet you can't take offence in anything she says. I just started thinking, How long before the New Nurse smell wears off??

[miko014]

The general concensus where I work is that you're no longer a "new grad" once the next class comes out - meaning that after about a year, you're not the new kid anymore. But as far as being a new nurse, I don't really have an answer. I suppose it's all relative, isn't it? If someone has 5 year experience next to your 3, you probably wouldn't be "new" to them. But if they have 25 years to your 3, they probably would see you as "new". Also, it would depend on your competency. If you still fumble around and ask tons and tons of questions and need a lot of help, etc, then you would seem new. If you are really together, don't need a lot of assistance, etc, then people probably would see you as a "seasoned nurse".

*DISCLAIMER TO ANYONE WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING* even the most experienced nurses still have questions, and you should always ask, even if you are just bouncing your idea off someone else "her pressure is 185/90, but she has lopressor, quinapril, and norvasc due now. I'm thinking hold the prn stuff, recheck her later, and see what she's running then, does that seem right to you?".

[bollweevil]

At least a year.

Older nurses tend to think of younger nurses as less experienced. And we remember how we really didn't have it together for a while and tend to be charitable toward younger, less experienced nurses. We should, anyway.

Nothing wrong with being new.

[RNperdiem, RN]

There will be no exact date when new status disappears.

When you become a senior nurse, you will spend much of your time precepting, being in charge, being a resource, starting the hard IV sticks and helping newbies in distress in addition to taking care of your patients.

[JBudd, MSN]

when they ask you to precept or orient the next group of newbies:lol2:

i remember being in awe of the charge nurse who'd been there three years , looking back from 27 years at it ... well, yeah you're still a newbie. it sort of creeps up on you.

i'd been a nurse for at least 15 or 16 years when i moved to the er, and you better believe i was the newbie for the first year!

[brunomar75]

dont worry gentlegiver, u r a "seasoned nurse" for me

[rnboysmom]

You are...til your not. You will know when your'e seasoned--you will be the one running TO the code instead of running AWAY from it

[suanna]

6 mos to a year in the same job and/or until at least 1 person with less experience hires in after you. You will be amazed how confident you will get when 1-2 poeple are looking to you for guidance.

[blueheaven]

LOL I'm not sure about that...when I went to work for another facility they treated me like a new grad (grrrr) and clueless. I consider myself an old geezer nurse so it kinda irritated me! Took about a year for them to figure out I knew what I was doing.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

I have seen new grads start taking the charge position as soon as orientation was over. I think I tend to agree, that within a year of being at that particular position, you can seem to be an old timer, but if you start at a new department, such as from the med-surg to NICU, then, such a drastic change would place one back in a newbie status, even if they are a seasoned, 30 year nurse. Heck, I started working in a clinic as soon as I graduated, and if I went to med-surg, they would probably wonder if I came from Mars (got license in 2006).