for how long is new grad new grad???

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jul 11, 2008

i think it depends upon both the new grad and the job. but as a rule of thumb, probably a couple of years. two years in icu or er, you're just beginning to learn what you need to know and don't have much of an idea how much you don't know. two years in a gi clinic or somewhere else where you see the same type of patient over and over may be different.

my first job was on a general medical floor, and after two years i thought i was a seasoned nurse. little did i know how little i knew!

my husband says that there are nurses who've been working for 15 years who stopped learning after 1 or 2 years, so they essentially have only 1 or 2 years of experience. and then there are those who actively seek out learning experiences and perhaps acquire more experience more quickly.

but why do you ask?

2008el · Jul 11, 2008

thanks so much i like what you said about those in nursing for 15 years( funny). i do really like to be the best that i can be... if you have tips to tell me about learning more things i'll be glad; thanks.

i think it depends upon both the new grad and the job. but as a rule of thumb, probably a couple of years. two years in icu or er, you're just beginning to learn what you need to know and don't have much of an idea how much you don't know. two years in a gi clinic or somewhere else where you see the same type of patient over and over may be different.

my first job was on a general medical floor, and after two years i thought i was a seasoned nurse. little did i know how little i knew!

my husband says that there are nurses who've been working for 15 years who stopped learning after 1 or 2 years, so they essentially have only 1 or 2 years of experience. and then there are those who actively seek out learning experiences and perhaps acquire more experience more quickly.

GrumpyRN63, ADN, RN · Jul 11, 2008

I think it depends where you work and how long you stay in any dept. I feel it generally takes one year in the same dept to no longer feel like a newbie ( new grad or otherwise ), still with LOTS to learn, but generally doing ok, I truly didn't feel "seasoned" until very recently, so ....that's a long time!!. When I say seasoned, I mean within my dept/ field/scope of expertise.( But still learning!!! ) Just very self assured/confident/competent.

If I were to transfer into a new dept, the cycle would begin again...

catnip · Jul 11, 2008

i understand how you feel asking this question, mine to myself is usually along the line of when will i stop feeling like an idiot. Ive been at my current job for a year, and though everyone tells me i am doing well, that i ask the right kind of questions, and am not afraid to let them know when i need help, i still come home most nights feeling like ive been hit by a stampeed. I doubt i will ever feel like i know everything i need to, i just cant wait for the night that i come home and dont feel like i had no clue what was going on and was treading water the best i could. :confused:

RNperdiem, RN · Jul 11, 2008

You are no longer a new grad when the next group of new grads come to orient.

You will have memorized most important phone numbers.

You might even be charge nurse.

Your co-workers will expect you to pull your own weight and even help them out once in a while.

The emotional turmoil of the early times in nursing has calmed down.

You have a realistic picture of yourself and your career and can start to see into the long term and make career plans.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Jul 11, 2008

Once you have "RN" after your name, you're no longer a "new grad" but instead, a "new nurse". :) Having "GN" after your name keeps you that way longer.

Then, you're the "new nurse" until you are competent in most situations, have enough experience to draw on to know what you're doing the vast majority of the time. When you're the one the newer ones come to for help, or if your coworkers come to you for help or with questions, then you've advanced :) For most that means about a year, or two. Or more, depending on your unit and your abilities.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Jul 11, 2008

you will always be "new" at something. Equipment and drugs and procedures change - so you will always be learning. But I agree with RNsRWe, once licensed you are a new nurse. Drop the new when it wears off.

snowfreeze, BSN, RN · Jul 11, 2008

When you stop having nightmares about work stuff that is simple like meds given, forgetting patients etc. Your mind will tell you when you are there.

Oh geeze, I had a dream about med passes two nights ago.

I have 16 years experience and am now a travel nurse. My facility just asked for a new sign in requirement for contract and agency nurses.

My mind trying to make sense of this I guess.

Forget the first statement.

When you wake up and look forward to work. Yup thats it...humm, when I get bored I move on to another area so that isnt quite it either. Oh well, a couple indicators offered. Welcome to nursing, hope I work with you sometime!!!!

SoundofMusic · Jul 11, 2008

I was listening in on a conversation between our unit manager and our "second year" nurses, and the UM was telling them that they were NOW the senior staff nurses. My own group is now off orienation and we are the "rookies" and we even now have yet another group in orientation following us.

The nurse the UM was speaking to seemed as if she was in shock to learn this! She was stammering something along the lines of. . .."but I've only been here a year!." It was too funny. :chuckle

miko014 · Jul 11, 2008

Once you have "RN" after your name, you're no longer a "new grad" but instead, a "new nurse". :) Having "GN" after your name keeps you that way longer.
Then, you're the "new nurse" until you are competent in most situations, have enough experience to draw on to know what you're doing the vast majority of the time. When you're the one the newer ones come to for help, or if your coworkers come to you for help or with questions, then you've advanced :) For most that means about a year, or two. Or more, depending on your unit and your abilities.

There is no such thing as a GN where I am. Not all states have that. Here, you have to have your RN/LPN license in order to work as a nurse in any capacity. RNperdiem is right - once the next batch of new grads comes out, you're not a new grad anymore.

But a lot of you are talking about different things. The question was when do you stop being a new GRAD, not a new nurse. You can be in the same job for 5 years and still feel relatively "new". I think a year from when you graduated, when those new kids come out, then you're done being a new grad. :twocents:

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Jul 11, 2008

In my organization, anyone with less than 12 months of clinical experience is considered a new grad. This helps us customize orientation and other developmental activities.

For instance, all new grads work alongside a clinical coach for 10-12 weeks after coming to work. We also have quite a few types of internships and other programs especially geared for new grads.

New grads - WE LOVE 'EM!!:redbeathe