Been on my own for 1yr now, was an aide for 2. I am sick of hearing about openness to learning and inexperience. I work on a cardiac step down unit that has a plentiful mix of med-surg patients. A few of the more experienced nurses have commented that I shouldn't do this or that due to my experience level. I have NEVER made any sort of mistake on my floor (but sure I will) but have not yet, and receive more positive feedback from patients than most on my floor. I do ask a lot of questions just not of those who criticize my work (imagine that).
Point is this. Experience doesnt make you good at anything necessarily. Lotta people have been driving their whole lives and are still poor at it etc. Some of us can do in 1 yr what others may need 3 to accomplish.
A good nurse is about time management, foresight, understanding complexities of patient processes/meds, bedside rapport, and others. Experience isnt a guarantee that any of those things develop.
So to all you vets out there recognize the talent not the years. I know many of you feel like you gotta earn your stripes in this work. Maybe be more concerned with the environment you create by trying to exert your stripes.
A truly good nurse has all the attributes to be a good nurse far before they are a nurse. Born not made.
The fact that you equate the first two things (which are within your control) with the last three (which are largely not) really says a whole lot about how much you don't know.
A good nurse is about time management, foresight, understanding complexities of patient processes/meds, bedside rapport, and others. Experience isnt a guarantee that any of those things develop.
Experience doesn't guarantee development, but development DOES require experience.
Let me clarify since you want to be so literal. I have never made a med error, never hurt a patient, never had a patient code, never had to call a MIT, never had to elevate to ICU. And also, I also stated that I will, but until that happens units should recognize when they have a good one on their hands.
How would I know this ? Well I suppose there would be evidence.
That is what scares me. You literally just typed in that you haven't had an unstable patient. You haven't had to critically think about it/call the doctor/call the rapid team/intubate/upgrade the patient. That indicates that you're probably getting the more stable patient's on the floor, the ones that don't require quite as much work.
Just an FYI--that isn't something to brag about. Having to call a RRT/MIT isn't a failing of the nurse, it's something that should be celebrated. That means the nurse recognized a change in patient condition, tried getting ahold of the doc, and if they couldn't got the patient the help they need.
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
Another thing jumped out at me: "...I am sick of hearing about openness to learning..." Why would you be hearing about it if you were demonstrating openness to learning? We've all worked with new grads who thought they'd learned everything they need to know and weren't receptive to any further instruction. This is the part that is truly dangerous.
It would be almost fun to be a fly on the wall for the big wake-up. Unfortunately it might mean a bad outcome for a patient so we can only pray to the Goddess of Judgement and Insight to intervene in time.
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
People with this mindset must be absolutely terrified of aging.
That is a bummer because every birthday takes us another year from our cuteness and youngness. I thought I was going to be 22 forever. Nope, 23 happened. Then it was forty. See how this works?
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
Been on my own for 1yr now, was an aide for 2. I am sick of hearing about openness to learning and inexperience. I work on a cardiac step down unit that has a plentiful mix of med-surg patients.
You have a years experience as a registered nurse.
You dont know diddly squat.
I'm six years out and I only know slightly more than diddly squat. Nursing is a lifetime of learning.
I remember as a student working with a registered nurse of 20 years experience who told me "tenebrae, never be afraid to admit what you dont know," as she went to look up how to do an iron infusion because she hadn't done one in a long time and it was unfamiliar to her and she wanted to ensure she did it correctly.
A nurse who thinks they know it all is a dangerous individual who should really hang up their stethscope
A few of the more experienced nurses have commented that I shouldn't do this or that due to my experience level.
That I dont agree with. We dont grow our skills if we dont push ourselves. Its about ensuring you have adequate back up and support and are actually competent to doing the procedures. My first year out I was able to learn wounds from a clinical nurse specialist. I went from dealing with non complex wounds to dealing with complex wounds, negative pressure therapy, compression bandaging for venous insufficiency. Also did alot of male catheterisation. All things that in my experience had either been done by nurse specialists or doctors.
I have NEVER made any sort of mistake on my floor (but sure I will) but have not yet, and receive more positive feedback from patients than most on my floor. I do ask a lot of questions just not of those who criticize my work (imagine that).
Why are people critizing your work? What is the feedback they are giving you. I had a horrible preceptor who was an utter cow to me. She taught me a great lesson though. She told me she didnt think I was what it took to be a registered nurse. Deciding to take this as an opportunity to learn I asked her what she thought I needed to look at. She said "oh just the nursing basics". When people are giving you constructive feedback it will always be specific, eg "Tenebrae, I want you to brush up on your skills for X procedure before we do this next week". When its coming from a non helpful place from someone who truly is jealous or mean or what ever it will always non specific like that cow pulled on me.
Point is this. Experience doesnt make you good at anything necessarily. Lotta people have been driving their whole lives and are still poor at it etc. Some of us can do in 1 yr what others may need 3 to accomplish.
Doesn't give you all those things that come with experience however.
A truly good nurse has all the attributes to be a good nurse far before they are a nurse. Born not made.
A truly good nurse never stops learning
And now its not a case of either or, a nurse can be born to be a nurse, however unless they dont do any work at it or get any experience they dont get better
Hoosier_RN, MSN
3,968 Posts
My thoughts exactly