Lets do this differently for a change.

Nurses General Nursing

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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 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.

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Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.

i think there is responsibility on both sides of the teacher/student relationship. rarely is there a match made in heaven.

i believe there is some truth in just about everything posted here. new nurses come from nursing school being told that they know more than most nurses practicing, and to beware of the "sloppy" old nurses who do skills in terrible unsafe ways. (i heard it.)

then the old nurses who chew the new nurses up and spit them out... are notorious in the 'nursing culture'.

like any stereotype these generalizations are unfair. if you have two people committed to making a preceptor/preceptee relationship work...it certainly has a much better chance of succeeding. i think that in general these relationships do work...more people succeed than fail.

i know there are infinite examples on both sides where i can be proven wrong. it is just the positive or neutral experiences have much less staying power in people's minds, for the most part...

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Specializes in Oncology, Ortho, Neuro.

As a new grad who is currently going through a residency program I can say YES! I am worth your time. I am like putty in your hands for you to mold, I have the foundation laid, and a solid knowledge base but as for the fine tuning of nursing I need you experienced nurses to help me with that. I have learned in the past 6 days that I have been on the floor that there is so much that we just don't learn in nursing school that can only really be taught on the floor by experienced nurses. I hope all of you experienced RN's out there who enjoy teaching will take on a new grad and show them the ropes, I think for the most part you won't regret it! I know I have a deep appreciation for my preceptors:smilecoffeecup:

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

In the old days we would classify newbies as will be's, wanna be's, will never be's and should never have been's

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Hey Tom. Sorta sounds like we're [i']not [/i]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.

99.999% of the new grads I've come across are eager to learn and work hard. The know it all lazy whiney ones who are cry babies are few and far between. Why let them ruin my opinion of new grads?

Isn't it golfing season??

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Specializes in Jack of all trades, and still learning.
In the old days we would classify newbies as will be's, wanna be's, will never be's and should never have been's

I am an "old day" EN (LPN). I am a "new day" RN. I certainly don't remember classifying our newer members in those terms. A place of work doesn't run smoothly unless we all help each other. I appreciate those who help me, and I learn alot from them particularly as they have more experience.

Things have changed big time over the years; procedures that we performed that were considered essential are out of vogue to put it mildly these days. So I know we are all learning...and if we aren't then we will be left behind. I hope all of us newbies are given a chance to prove our worth.

The average age for nurses here is 45. I understand it is similar in the States? If we think nursing is shortstaffed now, what is it going to be like in 20yrs? Surely we should be making the profession more attractive? And a good way to start is supporting us newbies...

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I am a student nurse. I have heard the horror stories of "eating their young" etc. I for one never believed it. And from my experiences in healthcare, I've never seen any nurse do so. I've had wonderful nurses bending over backwards to find new things to teach me while I was in clinical with them (they were the floor nurse in the facilites I was doing clinicals in, not my clinical instructors) I appreciated each and every new experience. And I would love that wanting and desire to teach me to continue when I graduate and am the "newbie" on the floor.

Now, to my question. I will be graduating in June of 08, a little ways off I know but, I was wondering, when the time comes and I have a nurse "showing me the ropes", what should I do or not do that will make you WANT to and ENJOY teaching me. I WANT to learning everything possible from my preceptor and I want him/her to enjoy showing me.

Maybe this is how the forum can do it differently. What do you want/expect from the newly graduated nurse. What is it you like to see/hear that makes you realize that yes indeed, this one is wanting to learn and i WANT to teach them? Just like there are a few bad apples in nursing that give you all an undeserved bad name, there are a few bad apples in graduate nurses that give all new grads a bad name. Not all of us come out thinking we know it all, I for one KNOW I won't now diddly and I need YOU to show me.

Thanks in advance.

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Having been on both sides of the equation---newbie and preceptor---I have this to say: We don't have a nurse to waste.

I don't understand why so many nurses pick at each other. Our profession does not have the luxury of allowing petty prejudices to get in the way of attracting and retaining new nurses. Who's going to be there in 10 or 20 years to take care of all us aging Baby Boomers if we keep chewing newbies up and spitting them out? Why not try mentoring and supporting our 'young', teaching them the art of nursing as well as the mechanics?

No one can become a good nurse without help. We may have had the best book-learning money can buy, but learning the craft takes years.........and it takes observation. Personally, I can't imagine NOT enjoying the privilege of bringing along a student nurse or new grad; for me, it's a source of pride to watch them develop their critical thinking skills and turn into capable care providers, and of course I love knowing I've influenced their practice in some small way.

I understand that not all nurses enjoy teaching, and that's OK. I say to them, leave the newbies to those of us who do enjoy it, and for the sake of nursing's future, DON'T make an already difficult transition harder than it has to be. Don't pick, don't chew, don't take the attitude that being hard on them makes them "tougher". Nurses don't need to be tough, they need to be smart, they need to be strong, and they need to be respected.

Climbing down off my soapbox now.

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

Welcome to the wonderfull world of nursing

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

I lucked out big time! I had a preceptor who was sweet, highly skilled, and a exellent teacher. She taught me more than I could have imagined, even gave me advice on how to handle finances (the big jump from CNA pay to LPN pay) so I wouldn't need to pick up a part time job later. She was tough when she needed to be and heaven to work with. I have her to thank for the experience I gained and the nurse I have become. I work very hard every day to learn something new and to make her proud when she hears about how well I'm doing.

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"what should I do or not do that will make you WANT to and ENJOY teaching me. I WANT to learning everything possible from my preceptor and I want him/her to enjoy showing me."

Bring me cash. Oh wait...that's not right...

By the time you finish your training with me, you must learn:

How to clean up vomit and diarrhea while protecting the sterility of the sandwich you have in your pocket in case you get time to take a bite. If you are a real pro, you have pizza or Chinese in there.

How to make a doctor cry like a baby while not upsetting the lovely little Alzheimer's patient you are holding hands with

How to I and O cath your patient, flush the toilet, wash your hands, and still not wet your britches from the gallon and a half in your own bladder, even though the sound of running water...well, you know

How to advise your CNA, take a verbal order, answer the telephone (sometimes both lines), chart, direct the maintenance man, and talk with your patient about his problem all at the same time

When you can perform these tasks successfully, you will know your training is complete and you have become a beginning nurse. Congratulations!

Oh wait...as a nurse, your training is never over ;p

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Specializes in Cardiac Care, ICU.
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 can't control what others do so I try not to waste time worrying about whether or not they will appreciate my efforts on their behalf. I can only control my own actions so I choose to put effort into new nurses because:

1) they are human beings deserving of a chance

2) if I don't, then they will surely say I was mean

3) I will end up working w/ some of them and I don't want them to have a screwed up view of nsg or a cra**y work ethic b/c a cynical burnout trained them

4) If I make their student experience a good one mabey they will come to work on my always short unit

5) They bring me cookies

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