Lets do this differently for a change.

[teeituptom]

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

[CyndieRN2007]

I want to add my 2 cents. In my opinion, it doesnt matter how great a nurse is, or how much experience he/she has, if they doent want to teach, or are not good at conveying their knowlegde to new grads, they wont make good preceptors.

On they other hand, new grads can seem cocky, mostly because they are eager to "show what they know". Im sure I come off cocky too.

I also realize that some people's blood doesnt mix!!! If your personality doesnt click with preceptor/new grad.....the teacher/student relationship might not work, no matter how eager both parties are.

OK, Im off my soap box.

~Cynthia

[Jo Dirt]

I start my new first time hospital job next week and if the preceptor gets hateful with me I'm likely to end up yanking her hair out.

I'm not going to take any crap and I'm not going to let fear of repurcussions scare me, either.

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

I thought this was going to be a "how have more experienced nurses helped you" thread.

Someone spent time on me and I am glad they did. I would hope that when I feel I have enough experience to pass it along, that I will be a capable and caring preceptor. As Marla said, there are not enough of us to go around as it is. When I am 90yo in the nursing home, I will need someone caring enough to come turn me q2h.

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

I start my new first time hospital job next week and if the preceptor gets hateful with me I'm likely to end up yanking her hair out.

I'm not going to take any crap and I'm not going to let fear of repurcussions scare me, either.

Isnt that just so sweet to hear. It warms my heart.

Peace Love Out

[leslie :-D]

i thoroughly enjoy teaching new nurses.

yes, some are a bit cocky with their newfound knowledge.

but i love listening to what they've learned.

and then i'll usually throw out hypothetical situations, encouraging them to apply their knowledge base to what i've asked.

often, they'll look at me cross-eyed. :chuckle

it's a humbling experience.

and then they're more receptive to what i'm teaching.

but if they don't agree w/what i'm saying, i want questions.

we both need to be challenged.

there have been times that i've learned something new from them.

and when i do, i give them a great, big bear hug, thanking them.

not only does it benefit me, but it validates them, giving an often much-needed boost in confidence.

leslie

[Tangerine Lipgloss]

Motorcycle Mama is going to wind up locked up in the dirty utility room.

[DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN]

Motorcycle Mama is going to wind up locked up in the dirty utility room.

Respectfully....MM needs therapy and help with anger management.

I loved precepting especially new grads and was told I was a very good preceptor. I would turn to teaching nursing full-time but cannot afford the huge pay cut.

In all the years that I precepted I never had an orientee go off on me. They were always respectful. Yes, we had differences of opinions but they we're handled respectfully. Differences of opinion we're not a problem.

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

I start my new first time hospital job next week and if the preceptor gets hateful with me I'm likely to end up yanking her hair out.

I'm not going to take any crap and I'm not going to let fear of repurcussions scare me, either.

What if your preceptor is a him and his head is shaved.

Just out of curiosity, what kind of motorcycle do you like

[DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN]

What if your preceptor is a him and his head is shaved.

Good Question Tom.

[kcalohagirl]

Dang allnurses ate my response that I had been working for 10 minutes on.

Which means it was too long, so I guess I'm glad it did. LOL

Let me sum up.

I'm not a new grad anymore, but I was a year ago. I had the benefit of one absolutely amazing preceptor. I had 2 days with one that I didn't click so well with when my primary was on vacation.

I'm sure that my primary will tell you that I was concientious, quick to ask questions, quick to look for learning opportunities, etc.

I am equally sure that the other preceptor will tell you that I was an absolute Pain in the you know what.

The difference in opinion comes because preceptor 2 precepted me on week 11 of my 12 week orientation, and was less than a half step behind me when I was doing assessments, charting, etc. With my primary preceptor, I had been basically on my own with a full load of patients for 6 or 7 weeks at that time, but knowing I could ask questions if i needed to.

I'll admit that at the time, I could have probably handled the situation more gracefully. Hindsight is always 20/20, isn't it?

One of the best compliments I got from my primary preceptor was that I was eager to learn, and that I didn't mind getting my hands dirty. During my orientation, if there was a pt on the floor that needed a stat IV, a stat blood draw, foley, anything, my preceptor made sure that the other nurses came to me and had me do it. After doing every stinking IV on night shift for 3 months, I got better at it.

In contrast, there was another orientee at the same time, who whenever anyone would say, "Hey, I need such and such in room 20", would say, "Oh, I've already done that once and been checked off." And go back to surfing the internet.

She's not on the floor anymore.

Our floor doesn't have a lot of crotchety old nurses. I am the third oldest permanent fulltime nurse at the grand old age of 33.

I do however think that younger nurses can be more vicious than some of the old crotchety ones. . .

When I was orienting as an aide, I did one 12 hour shift w/ an old "battle-axe" I'll call D. Before the shift, everyone told me how she shoved all her work off onto the aides, she didn't lift a finger to help, etc.

It was one of the best shifts I have ever had. She pulled me into every room for every dressing change, etc. She explained procedures and pathologies in depth. She and I had an awesome working relationship the whole year I was on the floor. And she never sat on her butt if I needed help.

So in my view, it's not necessarily the oldest nurses that are the toughest to work with.

Suck every drop of experience you can out of every situation you are presented with.

And I don't think it is wrong to expect an orientee to do the same.

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

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...

A big part of this whole equation is the fact that new grads are older now-I think I heard something like the average age of a new grad is about 32. While that isn't old by any stretch, one typically has more confidence, maturity and backbone than someone in their early 20's. I by no means think I know everything, but am I going to put up with someone treating me like crap because I'm new? No. Correcting me, teaching me, and giving me constructive criticism are all welcome things. Making snide comments, gossiping and other catty behavior is not and will not be tolerated by me and many of my fellow newbies. Sorry, but if you were thinking that I would be a nice snack because you had a fight with your spouse, your kids are driving you crazy, or your gout is acting up, that's not happening.

[CRNI-ICU20]

Interesting choice of words,"are all the new nurses WORTH all the time and energy we give them..."

Were any of us??

I think this question is an insult to nursing on all sides....

It implies that there is an elitist top echelon that knows everything, and an underling group that knows nothing!

It is devisive and really shows no merit.

No matter where you go, nursing, banking, sales, firefighting, policework, you will find some element of "the new kid on the block"....

Our profession is no different, and we are not unique to the subtle "hazing" type treatment that new nurses go through....

If you reduce people to their "worth" as to whether or not they will be helped, or succeed in a given profession, then you must examine why you would feel that someone has to be WORTHY of your all-mighty knowledge....