In my nursing career which has spanned 20 yrs in August very few things have made my blood boil.
One of the exceptions to this rule is the KNOW IT ALL NURSE, I am sure you have all met this individual the one who knows everything, the one who never ever makes a mistake, the one who looks down their nose at other nurses when they are struggling, the one who lets everybody know she/he is superior.
I have met this nurse often in my career they have been newly graduated nurses, they have been new nurses to my floor but have experience from another place of work, they are very experienced nurses but what they are not are TEAM PLAYERS, they are individuals who let others struggle because it makes them look good.
Initially as a new RN I was overwelmed by them and almost revered them to a place next to God, then I realised nobody knows everything in spite of what they say, then I was the extreemly experienced nurse who just laughed in side at their nonsence. But I am a team player and when they fall I help them up gently and guide them in the right direction, supporting them, caring for their large bruised ego calmly and with supporting advice ensuring I dont appear patronising, begging my inner ego not to laugh at their misfortune or their fall from grace.
Because be assured new nurses nobody knows everything, everybody will need help at some stage and the know it alls do fall from grace.
I honestly think that there is always one in every facility/hospital ect. I am actually working with one who thinks her BMs don't stink, and is constantly critiquing every nurse that she works with. She treats the CNAs even worse, talking down to them, ordering them around like slaves. it's just sickening. she is also constantly making stupid mistakes, even forging the Narc count (she signed another nurses' name to the book.) I personally am just ignoring her and waiting for her to hang herself in her lies and screw ups. my
I don't think the issue can be narrowed down to only one reason for this behavior. I have seen several. In some units, the culture does not foster the asking of questions. I have seen new grads and people who have been floated to the unit made fun of for of for asking a question and treated like an idiot for not knowing how to do some tasks. I have seen other nurses talk behind their backs about how nursing schools don't teach them anything practical, or how the person is an idiot.
It takes most of us many exposures to new information before we can be termed competent, let alone experts. We have to ask ourselves if we are contributing to that culture. If you are participating in or listening to this type of treatment, you are contributing to an unsafe environment.
I had an orientee who was exhibiting this type of "know-it-all" behavior, and I directly spoke to him about how he was coming across, and how dangerous it can be to the patient. I told him I did not feel he was safe unless he was asking questions. I required him to talk through everything he did, and the rationale behind it, asking me *at least* one question for each thing he did. He probably resented it, but his attitude started to change, and he learned it was "safe" to ask questions without fear of ridicule.
I've seen so many grads act in this manner out of insecurity, yet a good mentor and some direct communication can often improve the situation. I also try to eliminate that culture of "we know it all" by modeling constant learning for my students. When I don't know the answer, I admit it, and we go find the answer together. If we don't show students our own vulnerabilities, we are encouraging them to cover up their own inadequacies.
Also, the culture of many places I've worked and of healthcare in general is very much a "blame culture"- we are litigious, always looking for someone to blame, for the person who bears the fault. Yet in most sentinel events, it is not one bad decision that leads up to the problem, but several. Ex- heparin vials with vastly different concentrations being stored close together in the automated dispensing system, not double checking high risk drugs, etc.
Unfortunately, there is also the type that just does not care. In my opinion, they are more rare and infinitely more dangerous.
I'm not saying that annoying people who really and truly think they know it all aren't out there, just that in my experience the huge majority of them are scared and use it as a defense mechanism to cover up how little they really know.
Don't you remember what it was like in high school how you thought you were the only one who felt like a nerd, and that the popular kids had some kind of magic power, only to discover later that there was no magic? Or in nursing school when you thought you must be the only idiot who didn't know everything, because all your classmates seemed so secure, while secretly, you were scared? Or that first day on the floor on your own when you first realized that you can no longer say "I'll go get your nurse" because you ARE the nurse? If not, I guess I must be the only one :)
We all have times when we are terrified and use defense mechanisms to cope. Later, as we become accustomed to the new situation, it's easy to forget how scary and intimidating it once was.
I don't think the issue can be narrowed down to only one reason for this behavior. I have seen several. In some units, the culture does not foster the asking of questions. I have seen new grads and people who have been floated to the unit made fun of for of for asking a question and treated like an idiot for not knowing how to do some tasks. I have seen other nurses talk behind their backs about how nursing schools don't teach them anything practical, or how the person is an idiot.
It takes most of us many exposures to new information before we can be termed competent, let alone experts. We have to ask ourselves if we are contributing to that culture. If you are participating in or listening to this type of treatment, you are contributing to an unsafe environment.
I had an orientee who was exhibiting this type of "know-it-all" behavior, and I directly spoke to him about how he was coming across, and how dangerous it can be to the patient. I told him I did not feel he was safe unless he was asking questions. I required him to talk through everything he did, and the rationale behind it, asking me *at least* one question for each thing he did. He probably resented it, but his attitude started to change, and he learned it was "safe" to ask questions without fear of ridicule.
I've seen so many grads act in this manner out of insecurity, yet a good mentor and some direct communication can often improve the situation. I also try to eliminate that culture of "we know it all" by modeling constant learning for my students. When I don't know the answer, I admit it, and we go find the answer together. If we don't show students our own vulnerabilities, we are encouraging them to cover up their own inadequacies.
Also, the culture of many places I've worked and of healthcare in general is very much a "blame culture"- we are litigious, always looking for someone to blame, for the person who bears the fault. Yet in most sentinel events, it is not one bad decision that leads up to the problem, but several. Ex- heparin vials with vastly different concentrations being stored close together in the automated dispensing system, not double checking high risk drugs, etc.
Unfortunately, there is also the type that just does not care. In my opinion, they are more rare and infinitely more dangerous.
I'm not saying that annoying people who really and truly think they know it all aren't out there, just that in my experience the huge majority of them are scared and use it as a defense mechanism to cover up how little they really know.
Don't you remember what it was like in high school how you thought you were the only one who felt like a nerd, and that the popular kids had some kind of magic power, only to discover later that there was no magic? Or in nursing school when you thought you must be the only idiot who didn't know everything, because all your classmates seemed so secure, while secretly, you were scared? Or that first day on the floor on your own when you first realized that you can no longer say "I'll go get your nurse" because you ARE the nurse? If not, I guess I must be the only one :)
We all have times when we are terrified and use defense mechanisms to cope. Later, as we become accustomed to the new situation, it's easy to forget how scary and intimidating it once was.
I don't think the issue can be narrowed down to only one reason for this behavior. I have seen several. In some units, the culture does not foster the asking of questions. I have seen new grads and people who have been floated to the unit made fun of for of for asking a question and treated like an idiot for not knowing how to do some tasks. I have seen other nurses talk behind their backs about how nursing schools don't teach them anything practical, or how the person is an idiot.
It takes most of us many exposures to new information before we can be termed competent, let alone experts. We have to ask ourselves if we are contributing to that culture. If you are participating in or listening to this type of treatment, you are contributing to an unsafe environment.
I had an orientee who was exhibiting this type of "know-it-all" behavior, and I directly spoke to him about how he was coming across, and how dangerous it can be to the patient. I told him I did not feel he was safe unless he was asking questions. I required him to talk through everything he did, and the rationale behind it, asking me *at least* one question for each thing he did. He probably resented it, but his attitude started to change, and he learned it was "safe" to ask questions without fear of ridicule.
I've seen so many grads act in this manner out of insecurity, yet a good mentor and some direct communication can often improve the situation. I also try to eliminate that culture of "we know it all" by modeling constant learning for my students. When I don't know the answer, I admit it, and we go find the answer together. If we don't show students our own vulnerabilities, we are encouraging them to cover up their own inadequacies.
Also, the culture of many places I've worked and of healthcare in general is very much a "blame culture"- we are litigious, always looking for someone to blame, for the person who bears the fault. Yet in most sentinel events, it is not one bad decision that leads up to the problem, but several. Ex- heparin vials with vastly different concentrations being stored close together in the automated dispensing system, not double checking high risk drugs, etc.
Unfortunately, there is also the type that just does not care. In my opinion, they are more rare and infinitely more dangerous.
I'm not saying that annoying people who really and truly think they know it all aren't out there, just that in my experience the huge majority of them are scared and use it as a defense mechanism to cover up how little they really know.
Don't you remember what it was like in high school how you thought you were the only one who felt like a nerd, and that the popular kids had some kind of magic power, only to discover later that there was no magic? Or in nursing school when you thought you must be the only idiot who didn't know everything, because all your classmates seemed so secure, while secretly, you were scared? Or that first day on the floor on your own when you first realized that you can no longer say "I'll go get your nurse" because you ARE the nurse? If not, I guess I must be the only one :)
We all have times when we are terrified and use defense mechanisms to cope. Later, as we become accustomed to the new situation, it's easy to forget how scary and intimidating it once was.
Yeah. Why do nurses eat they own? This is a very demanding job. We all need help from time to time. It doesn't make sense to slap your fellow nurses that you are very desperately going to need one day.
i know nothing!!! okay i know a little bit. i know to raise the head of the bed when you're feeding the patient ( i thought everyone knew that one.) has anyone ever seen someone mess up put one of those foley leg strap things on?? i had one with some strange loopy thing one time and i was confused by it. lol. now they have gotten rid of those kind-thank you central supply.
jmvho but those ones that stick to the legs should be banned, they come off too easily, and why would anyone stick that to an elderly person's skin that is thin and fragile?? okay now i sound like a know it all.
MinnieMomRN
223 Posts
Those who think they know everything seldom do.