Mentors and preceptors please advise - newly promoted nurse struggling with peers

[snoopy29]

Mentors and preceptors I would welcome your advice.

I am currently mentoring a newly promoted nurse who is struggling. The hospital temporarily promotes junior nurses to senior nurse post for a period of three months. The party line is that is gives them a protected opportunity to experience a senior post but it also gives management a chance to check out how they would do in a senior post.

Some months ago four nurses got offered temporary senior posts. Three have had there turn and they all took to it like ducks to water. My concerns are for the fourth nurse, Rob. Clinically he is probably the most sound the issue is personality. He is quiet and reflective and is currently in danger of being eaten alive. His ex peers are making his role much harder than necessary, they are questioning his decisions and doing there own thing rather that what he is asking or directing. For example he asked that a patient be put in one particular area of the department and the nurse in charge of that area came back all guns blazing saying that she felt the patient was unsafe there. Rob could give sound reasons for placing the patient in that area and he also had a more than adequate grasp of what was going on in the rest of the department and I agreed with his decision. He got into a discussion with the nurse and quietly backed down and moved the patient to an area that was already pressured. His ex peers are in general confident, skilled and assertive and certainly not backwards in coming forward, there is also a little bit of resentment as although many of them did not apply for the post secretly a few of them would like the opportunity.

Despite the fact that the shift he is running are going well and he is doing really well his confidence is at an all time low and he is just looking forward to going back to being a regular nurse.

I would welcome advice. I meet with him at the start and end of each shift, feedback on every positive and talk through other ways he can handle his ex peers. On a couple of occasions I have intervened when the junior nurses have actively challenged his decisions but feel this is really counter-productive as they immediately back down leaving Rob feeling worse than ever.

I know that if I talked with the junior nurses and either told them that this behaviour will stop, or appeal to their better nature and ask them to support me by supporting Rob then they will but again I am not sure if this is the right approach.

I would really like to turn this around and welcome advice.

If I had the luxury of time I would not be too worried as over time I know junior nurses would grow to respect his clinical skills and quiet approach but he doesn't have this and I am concerned that a very good sound nurse is going to end this experience negatively.

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

I personnally think he has to handle it himself. I see no harm in his decisions being questioned especially if his has used sound clinical judgement. He has to earn their repect and being consistant will help re-inforce that he has the knowledge and experience required for the job.

Maybe he does not have leadership potential? Just guide him as you have been doing and unless he is being treated unfairly I suggest you back off and leave him to develop.

By the way is he complaining about the other nurses?

[Sniper RN]

Sink or swim.

Some people are born leaders, some do better following.

Also with the type of personality you described him having, a leadership roll may be unhealthy to him.

[PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN]

A leadership role requires leadership ability. Some have it some don't.

[mesa1979, BSN, RN]

I disagree with the above posts. Some people are shy and reserved because they have been rejected in the past or have not had a person as yourself who is a positive influence on him.

I would ask what his goals are. Also have him list his strong points and then concentrate on those. Strengthen his strengths!

[snoopy29]

Thankyou - I am really interested to have your thoughts. My dilemma is that I believe he has the potential to be a good leader but he is going to need longer than most.

Newly qualified nurses love working with him. He is kind, patient and has all the time in the world for their questions, often staying well over his time. He is clinically sound and has worked in the department for nearly eight years. His ex peers, when he was at their level valued his work.

In the department we already have a lot of very strong leaders, who have no qualms about making decisions even if it makes them unpopular. It's funny but their opinion for new nurses tends to be sink or swim.

I just feel that with the right investment Rob would be an excellent role model for the quieter, more reserved nurses but I also completely understand that to a degree people either have or don't have the personality to lead. I feel that if we had him at a senior level it would give the more unconfident and unsure newly qualified nurses more of a fighting chance.

He hasn't complained about the other nurses behaviour and when I have asked him directly he will say that it is only fair, as he is new, that they challenge his decisions. My conflict comes because they didn't behave like this with the other promoted nurses as they knew full well they would not have got away with it.

I am just struggling a bit. I am far more used to dealing with the under rather than over confident and he has got something about him. He could have thrown the towel in after his first horrendous shift but he didnt saying that he knew it was not going to be easy. Despite all the issues with junior nurses when he is in charge the shift are well run with good patient care.

If I am honest I feel I am letting him down - it's easy to bring a nurses clinical skills or recording or recording up to speed. What I want to be able to do is give someone confidence in themselves so that they can truly decide whether they would be happy or not in a senior post in an impossibly short time.

[pussycat66]

wish you were my manager! rob sounds like me but my colleagues are pirranahs! i feel i'm eaten alive daily. is this the caring profession we're talking about? i really hope rob succeeds with your support, we need more robs and less psychotic princesses! who seem to thrive and get the top jobs.

[pussycat66]

typical! sniper you picked the right alias! wrong profession comes to mind! or maybe i am?

[lossforimagination]

If you really believe he will be good in a leadership role as he gains more confidence; then I think you should pull rank on the biotches to put them in their place (where they need to be) long enough for him to develop that confidence.

If the staff insist on being pirannahas, then you can be militaristic about it, can't you? Seems to me the bitoches are asking for it, so just do it!

[netglow, ASN, RN]

Sounds to me that he is the mature one. The others will behave like children, and just wait, it'll get worse. Maybe the ring leaders should be cautioned that you've seen a recent and serious decline in their abilities to be team players... you would like them to remedy this ASAP

[canigraduate]

I agree with 2ndwind and lossforimagination. It sounds like a bunch of bullies ganging up on him. Horizontal violence is for management to deal with. I would also tell him to develop his own coping skills for dealing with bullies in the future, because if he is as good as you say he is, he will be a target for the rest of his career.

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

Sounds to me that he is the mature one. The others will behave like children, and just wait, it'll get worse. Maybe the ring leaders should be cautioned that you've seen a recent and serious decline in their abilities to be team players... you would like them to remedy this ASAP

I agree with this. You have to nip this in the bud, like yesterday. As his mentor in this, it is your role to guide and counsel him, and also to protect him to a certain extent. He doesn't have the job, so why should he have to sink or swim at this point? How is that helpful?

Being quiet and reserved does not disqualify a person from a leadership position. If he is making sound, rational, defensible decisions that put patient safety at the forefront, then he is showing potential. If he accepts a leadership position some day, then the time will probably come where he has to take off the kid gloves and get dirty. But, he is not there yet.