I had my first shift last night on a Med-Surg Oncology floor. I was shocked to find out that I was being oriented to the unit by a LVN. Now I realize that we do a lot of the same tasks as RNs but there are other things that I would be doing that they don't...
Has any RN out there been trained by a LVN? I am a new graduate, and I know I have A LOT TO LEARN but this particular LVN was engaging in unsafe behavior consistently--she seriously only used gloves twice the entire shift.
I was thinking about meeting with the nurse manager because I told the charge nurse and she didn't seem too concerned. Everyone seems very lax on this floor and I did have a great time but I know that is not what is important. Do you think it would be too ballsy for a new grad RN employee to meet with the nurse manager this soon?? The LVN was extremely nice and was trying to be helpful but she gave me incorrect information multiple occasions as well.
I have been in two different hospitals that used both RNs and LPNs, and have had LPNs orient me at both jobs. Just suck it up till you are on your own, the LPN probably doesnt like the fact that he/she has to orient you but they are doing it anyway. Look at your preceptor as a wealth of information and a person there to help to you transition from new grad into working RN.
As for not wearing gloves while doing pt care, your preceptor probably has been doing it for a while and other coworkers would have noticed by now, but she still has a job .
Also there is a difference btw what was learnt in school (i.e perfect world) and real world nursing. For eg i was taking out an IV on a patient and couldnt get the statlock tape off, i took off gloves on one hand and used that hand to remove tape and the other hand to remove the IV. i promptly washed my hands after the procedure because I always wash them after touching pts. If you did that in Nschool, you might have been dinged for not using gloves but on the floor you have to prioritize pts and use nursing judgment/critical thinking.
It is time to start using critical thinking and let this LPN transition you. Try not to pick up bad habits though.
I think a LVN can definetly train a RN if the LVN is experienced well enough to the flooe she know what she is doing. The glove issue well depend exactly what she didn't use gloves for. As a new grad you are probably extremely anal and use gloves FOR EVERYTHING. I mean I have seen new grads put on gloves to open the medications box and hand them to the patient. I just was my hands. I have seen new grads put gloves on when walking with a a like a lap chole. I just don't think there is need to glove every single time unless you are going to come in contact with bodily fluids or something. I have seen some new grads even double glove when passing clean food trays. I think if you are washing your hands constantly gloves to pass food trays is not nessessary. Anyway, if the LVN know what she is doing then it is ok. I have seen many LVN's that can run circles around some RN's and I find it a little insulting to the LVN that you are skeptical about knowledge. I find many RN's really don't know the role of the LVN becasue they were breifed very little about it in ADN school. I once was a LVN and found that all of the RN's didn't know my scope of practice. As a LVN cerified in IV's I was able to hand blood and PPN, most RN's were surpirsed at that but LVN's that are certified can in Calif. if the hospital is ok with it on policy. Be respectful to those that have been there longer and if she is really doing werid things and def. wring things bring it up to the charge nurse first not the manager.
Specializes in acute care med/surg, LTC, orthopedics.
The only problem is that failing to glove is a patient safety issue. Gloving not only protects the wearer but also the patient as it prevents the spread of infection from patient to patient via the nurse's hands. Just because it isn't breaking a sterile field doesn't mean it isn't dangerous to the patient.
Who says the nurse wasn't washing her hands between patients? Gloves and other PPE are worn when there is inherent risk of exposure to blood or bodily fluids, not just to keep your hands clean. That's what soap and water and hand sanitizers are for. I once saw a student don gloves to comb a patient's hair. Argh!
Who says the nurse wasn't washing her hands between patients? Gloves and other PPE are worn when there is inherent risk of exposure to blood or bodily fluids, not just to keep your hands clean. That's what soap and water and hand sanitizers are for. I once saw a student don gloves to comb a patient's hair. Argh!
Exactly my point. The patients are human too, if we wear gloves to give them a glass of water I would feel like I am so dirty. I try and only where gloves when I know I am going to come into contact with body fluids, when changing beds, bedpans, and things like that.
As a NEW nurse, one, don't go running to mamma, the manager with everything that is not according to the books. That is a classic mistake new nurses make, they think their manager needs to know every infraction.
Two, in your next many years of nursing, you will learn that not everyone plays by the rules. You have a license. What others do to endanger themselves (not wearing gloves).. you can hand over a pair or shut it, unless it's a broken sterile field and I'd draw the line there. If a peer want's to expose themselves to harm, I'd offer the gloves and leave it at that. We are all professionals accountable for our own practice. You will never get anyone to conform to your own personal standards, that's why their own personal standards... you do better than them.
The hardest transition a new nurse makes is to the real world of nursing. Possibly because this person has a "lower" degree than you it's easy to find fault. Rest assured, when a patient status changes, you'll want this experienced LVN to guide you as to what to do.
You as a licensed nurse knows standards of care, it's your job to learn from the expert LVN and know what you will and will not take pieces from and mold them into your practice.
Because this person is less degreed than you, does not mean you are not capable from learning from them, you simply evaluate habbits and emulate those that are good practice, the others you ignore, unless it's a safety issue.
Need not say no more, you hit the nail on the hammer, what is with this issue of LVN training an RN. First and foremost take into consideration the number of years that a person has been working. would you rather train with an rn that doesnt know anything or an lvn that know a whole lot? on the matter of gloves, to any nurse out there, all i can say is grow up, give her a pair of gloves or and wear gloves yourself, i work with some oldschool nurses who seldom wear gloves but are constantly washing their hands/using alcohol rub.
As a NEW nurse, one, don't go running to mamma, the manager with everything that is not according to the books. That is a classic mistake new nurses make, they think their manager needs to know every infraction.
Two, in your next many years of nursing, you will learn that not everyone plays by the rules. You have a license. What others do to endanger themselves (not wearing gloves).. you can hand over a pair or shut it, unless it's a broken sterile field and I'd draw the line there. If a peer want's to expose themselves to harm, I'd offer the gloves and leave it at that. We are all professionals accountable for our own practice. You will never get anyone to conform to your own personal standards, that's why their own personal standards... you do better than them.
The hardest transition a new nurse makes is to the real world of nursing. Possibly because this person has a "lower" degree than you it's easy to find fault. Rest assured, when a patient status changes, you'll want this experienced LVN to guide you as to what to do.
You as a licensed nurse knows standards of care, it's your job to learn from the expert LVN and know what you will and will not take pieces from and mold them into your practice.
Because this person is less degreed than you, does not mean you are not capable from learning from them, you simply evaluate habbits and emulate those that are good practice, the others you ignore, unless it's a safety issue.
Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
when i first started as a new rn in pacu, i learned almost as much from the staff nurses (lpns) and assistant nurses (cnas) as i did from the other rns. obviously your preceptor can't teach you procedures that are outside her scope of practice, but basic care, unit routine, learning the ropes-why ever not?
once you have been there a while, proved yourself and earned some professional respect, then you can start correcting things you perceive as wrong. until then, make like a sponge and soak up all the experience and job knowledge you can, regardless of the source.
right answer off the record, wrong answer on the record. you can learn from others, but not in orientation. if you were ever pulled into court, and they (the lawyer on the other side) saw that you were trained by an lpn and you were an rn, --you're instantly on the defensive.
you can learn from anyone and everyone. but not while paperwork and legal documents are in question.
get another preceptor stat. today. now. yesterday. go!!!!!!
Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
as a new nurse, one, don't go running to mamma, the manager with everything that is not according to the books. that is a classic mistake new nurses make, they think their manager needs to know every infraction.
two, in your next many years of nursing, you will learn that not everyone plays by the rules. you have a license. what others do to endanger themselves (not wearing gloves).. you can hand over a pair or shut it, unless it's a broken sterile field and i'd draw the line there. if a peer want's to expose themselves to harm, i'd offer the gloves and leave it at that. we are all professionals accountable for our own practice. you will never get anyone to conform to your own personal standards, that's why their own personal standards... you do better than them.
the hardest transition a new nurse makes is to the real world of nursing. possibly because this person has a "lower" degree than you it's easy to find fault. rest assured, when a patient status changes, you'll want this experienced lvn to guide you as to what to do.
you as a licensed nurse knows standards of care, it's your job to learn from the expert lvn and know what you will and will not take pieces from and mold them into your practice.
because this person is less degreed than you, does not mean you are not capable from learning from them, you simply evaluate habbits and emulate those that are good practice, the others you ignore, unless it's a safety issue.
very wrong answer, bad advice.
this is paperwork that goes in her file--it is legal and can be part of discovery in a lawsuit. .... this isn't about being nice, people.
Specializes in acute care med/surg, LTC, orthopedics.
if you were ever pulled into court, and they (the lawyer on the other side) saw that you were trained by an lpn and you were an rn, --you're instantly on the defensive.
that is the biggest load of crock i've read in a long time. nursing is lifelong learning, not about learning only during buddy shifts. so assuming there's an alleged lawsuit, the defense lawyer is gonna question *every single person* the nurse ever learned a thing or two from? garbage!
Ignore the comments about the LVN not using gloves. Can an LVN train an RN, legally, despite the fact that the LVN may have years of experience? Some of you are saying this is ok. I do not know the answer for sure, it would be nice to see it in a actual document. But, considering that the RN delegates to the LVN, it would seem that other than asking questions or guidance about basic skills that the RN and LVN share, and LVN should not be precepting an RN...this is an LVN training a new grad RN, not an LVN orienting a seasoned RN to a new unit.
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
To me, the best option for a new grad would be to have an experienced RN doing the orientation. I'm not saying the new grad couldn't learn from an LPN, but IMO, it would be better to have someone who has the same level of responsibility doing the orienting.
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TickyRN
125 Posts
I have been in two different hospitals that used both RNs and LPNs, and have had LPNs orient me at both jobs. Just suck it up till you are on your own, the LPN probably doesnt like the fact that he/she has to orient you but they are doing it anyway. Look at your preceptor as a wealth of information and a person there to help to you transition from new grad into working RN.
As for not wearing gloves while doing pt care, your preceptor probably has been doing it for a while and other coworkers would have noticed by now, but she still has a job .
Also there is a difference btw what was learnt in school (i.e perfect world) and real world nursing. For eg i was taking out an IV on a patient and couldnt get the statlock tape off, i took off gloves on one hand and used that hand to remove tape and the other hand to remove the IV. i promptly washed my hands after the procedure because I always wash them after touching pts. If you did that in Nschool, you might have been dinged for not using gloves but on the floor you have to prioritize pts and use nursing judgment/critical thinking.
It is time to start using critical thinking and let this LPN transition you. Try not to pick up bad habits though.