Lets do this differently for a change.

i don't think i can answer that objectively.

i do think some new grads come across as self-righteous.

but when i graduated, i'm sure i came across the same:

that while i didn't feel i knew it all, i did want to impress others with what i did know.

but as long as they can be redirected, then it's good.

it's the nurses who feel they know it already and don't want to hear anything more.

leslie

i don't think i can answer that objectively.

i do think some new grads come across as self-righteous.

but when i graduated, i'm sure i came across the same:

that while i didn't feel i knew it all, i did want to impress others with what i did know.

but as long as they can be redirected, then it's good.

it's the nurses who feel they know it already and don't want to hear anything more.

leslie

I knew you would be the first to respond.

I for one love to train the new nurses and actually asked to be a preceptor. MOST that come through actually want to learn and appreciate the training. The only think I hate is when our floor trains a nurse for another floor. After 6-8 weeks you kind of get attached to someone.

I try to remember that 3 years ago I was a new nurse and I was very lucky to get some good trainers.

We time and time again are seeing threads about nurses eating their young. That we are so mean and terrible to newbies.

As a recent grad that is currently in orientation I felt the need to reply...

I started my orientation with a very young RN that was very happy to share all the gossip about who I could trust and who I couldn't. She informed me that much of the older staff were mean and that they would be hard on me. I was with her only a couple of weeks before I realized that our personalities were not matched and that I was not receiving the 'best' training for me, personally.

I went to my nurse educator and discussed a switch. The switch was a bit difficult to arrange due to the limited number of preceptors available with so many new grads, however, my educator found a preceptor for me. The only catch? I would have to work almost all of my shifts with all of those "mean and terrible nurses" that would be so "hard" on me as a new nurse.

I am now on week 11 of a 12 week orientation and I could not be happier. Those awful nurses are wonderful educators. They are very set in their ways, as long as it is best practice, but it works for me. I can be anywhere on my unit and count on the fact that any one of them will seek me out if there is an interesting opportunity on the unit.

They do expect me to look information up and be prepared for my shift. It is expected that I will learn from tasks that I complete and be able to complete the task on my own the next time. I am expected to manage my time well, but I know that they are there if I need help. If I need someone to do something to catch me up, I know I can ask. Conversely, if I am finished with my tasks, I stop by and ask if anyone needs any help.

I really believe that every situation is only what the participants make of it... I chose to not make the first situation work for me because it was so against my work ethic and strong personality to sit back and gossip and never approach any problems. The second worked for me because it agreed with my work ethic and the other strong personalities meshed with mine.

I am tired and am not certain my story made much sense, but I said all of that to say it goes both ways. If you don't feel that a new grad is worth the time, don't precept and stay as far away as possible. If a new grad comes on and isn't in a situation that works well for them, they should switch (preceptor, floor, job, whatever, but switch). We all work in a stressful environment and there is no reason to add any more stress by working in situations that are not favorable.

Are all new nurses worth all the time and energy we give them, so that they in turn can say we were mean to them.

Most of them are worth the time.

The ones that aren't do sap a person to the point of aggravation and real worry!

I have to reiterate what kaitsmama said. I'm a new grad in a icu, and have just asked for a new preceptor because I have not had a strong "these are the rules" and "this is how you need to do this" type of orienting yet. A had to ask my educator to find a type-A personality for me to learn from. I would rather be berated for doing something stupid and end up a safe nurse than have a nice easy happy time and get off orientation not knowing what I am doing and being unsafe for my patients.

Are all new nurses worth all the time and energy we give them, so that they in turn can say we were mean to them.

In a word.... YES.

New grads are Nursing's future. What you teach them will stick with them for their entire career. The best practices that YOU instill in them, will mark their practice FOREVER.

As to "so that they in turn can say we were mean to them", I can only say this: People are going to do/say whatever they want to do/say.

In my life, I have learned not to be too concerned with what others think of me or say about me in most cases. In the final analysis, if I am OK with God and my wife - I am about 99% OK.

I do NOT live my life for the approval of unrelated others!

Hey, Tom. Sorta sounds like we're not doing anything different here.

Just another thread where the underlying subject may be a few baddies from which we're to generalize about a whole population of folks... nurses that eat their young and younguns that aren't worthy.

Instead, let's go golfing / partying / whatever together!

Are all new nurses worth all the time and energy we give them, so that they in turn can say we were mean to them.

Just an interesting way of looking at something different

It's sorta like raising children. Give them quality time and energy and you have raised them right. When they hit adolescence, they rebel as a way to assert their own independence and eventually become a well-rounded (well-trained) adult that you can be proud of.

Give them negative time and energy (eg. belittlement, name-calling, back-biting, snide remarks...) that only serves to boast one's ego; &, more than someone saying you were mean to them is deserved for that type of time and energy that was spent on their behalf.

This question brings to mind that old Harry Chapin song...

I truly think that we should live our lives to selflessly help others with the gifts we were given, without regard to whether or not we are appreciated for our effort. A thank you, now and then, is nice but not necessary.

We time and time again are seeing threads about nurses eating their young. That we are so mean and terrible to newbies. Some say we are mean and some of us hold that just isnt true.

Lets do it differently this time

the question of the hour is.

Are all new nurses worth all the time and energy we give them, so that they in turn can say we were mean to them.

Just an interesting way of looking at something different

I usually love new nurses and consider myself welcoming to new nurses.

That said, there are three on my current unit that are absolutely horrid. They have attitudes like you wouldn't believe. A know it all with 20 years experience is bad enough, but when they've been nursing for more like 20 minutes it is incredibly annoying. I'm sure they think we're mean because we don't take their attitude nicely.

Sorry, vent over.

I have to reiterate what kaitsmama said. I'm a new grad in a icu, and have just asked for a new preceptor because I have not had a strong "these are the rules" and "this is how you need to do this" type of orienting yet. A had to ask my educator to find a type-A personality for me to learn from. I would rather be berated for doing something stupid and end up a safe nurse than have a nice easy happy time and get off orientation not knowing what I am doing and being unsafe for my patients.

That type of orientation is fine as long as you realize that not everything has to be done a certain way (the way your preceptor does it). Those preceptors can be great and teach a lot and create a safe nurse. They can also create monsters who are so rigid in their practice that they can't accept anyone doing things differently.