I am a recent new grad RN from May,2018. I have always been very passionate about nursing and the positive impact we are able to make in someone's life. But lately i've been feeling im not enjoying nursing so much and honestly it's more so the people i work with and not the actual job/labor itself...why is this? I've learned that Nursing units are very cliquish and you have to look the part to try to fit in? Again, why is this? Statistics show that a high percentage of new grad nurses leave their first job because of bullying and unfair treatment from experienced nurses! It's like the experienced nurses gotta " break you in" and make sure you have thick skin to fit into their unit culture...with all the BS we endure from patients, family/friends and some arrogant physicians...why do nurses put more pressure on each other and love to see the weakness/failure on the unit in newer nurses who are trying to do their best! Bullying from nurse to nurse is a real thing...i have experienced it myself. Experienced Nurses/Preceptors already know the " typical mistakes" new grads are gonna make ..but instead of them setting you up for success and teaching you the right way to do a skill, they'd rather you make the mistake so they can embarrass you while correcting you in front of other nurses/physicians etc and at that point is it really a teaching moment, or a moment for you to feel full of yourself because you just made a new grad look/feel stupid? I have spent countless days reading threads on here trying to find which unit or area of nursing doesn't experience these behaviors but i still haven't found any. Everyone seems to complain about every area of Nursing. i am not in the position to leave nursing now or anytime soon...so what should i do? Oh , and going to the nurse manager and explaining your feelings and asking for a different preceptor doesn't work either...you only make yourself look like " the issue" ...i know, crazy right? Meanwhile, the hospital is spending thousands of dollars training new grads who dont stay, and they're too stupid to do a unit based root-cause-analysis to figure out why the new grads are leaving...they just simply replace you, forget you and do it all over again to the next victim!
MMJ has a lot of experience to share, so do not be dismissive.
I can feel the anxiety, stress, and new nurse angst in your tone (and the long-winded rant). We all have felt like this at one point or another. Some workplaces feel like this from time to time. Some places are always like this.
If it is bearable, do your best to keep a smile on your face, accept criticism with an annoyingly good attitude, and attempt to be introspective about the process of growth that is the first year as an RN.
The transition from student to practicing professional is usually tough -- in any field. Nursing is no exception, but it often seems intensified because of the close quarters that nurses work in and the stress of fearing mistakes.
I notice that you seem to believe that you know everyone's intentions -- and that everyone has evil intentions against you. I doubt that is truly the case: it just feels that way sometimes. For example, when you make a mistake ... not only do you blame your preceptor for not preventing the mistake, you believe she purposely leads you making mistakes because she gets perverse pleasure out of criticizing you about them. I doubt that is truly the case. What is most likely is that your preceptor hasn't been able to prevent some of your mistakes -- can't wave her magic wand and make you perfect -- and that you feel bad about making them. You want her to "fix it" before it happens and get angry at her because she can't.
There are some bullies in nursing (and every other field) ... but the people who plan and scheme to hurt you for no good reason are few and far between. Most people are just trying to do their jobs the best they can. The sooner you realize that and give people (including yourself) a little slack, the sooner you will be happier.
I notice that you seem to believe that you know everyone's intentions -- and that everyone has evil intentions against you. I doubt that is truly the case: it just feels that way sometimes. For example, when you make a mistake ... not only do you blame your preceptor for not preventing the mistake, you believe she purposely leads you making mistakes because she gets perverse pleasure out of criticizing you about them. I doubt that is truly the case. What is most likely is that your preceptor hasn't been able to prevent some of your mistakes -- can't wave her magic wand and make you perfect -- and that you feel bad about making them. You want her to "fix it" before it happens and get angry at her because she can't.
This!
Being a new nurse is like being a small child learning to walk. Your preceptor can not always stop you from falling, but it is how you pick yourself up and learn from it that they are watching for. As a prector, I know my new nurses are going to get frustrated and that is ok, it's how they handle that frustration that I have to watch for because that helps me see how I can best help them through it.
In my unit, emergency psych, I also need to know that the new people have my back when I'm out there with a pt that could escalate to a violent situation. I have my newbies come out with me whenever I am dealing with these situations, so that they learn they need to be out there when things happen. Even if they just stand there as a physical presents, they need to be out there with me. The ones that run and hide in the bathroom when these things go down are ones that I know I can not trust to help me when I need it.
These new nurse that are scared out of their minds, and it happens from time to time, I kindly suggest that they might be happier on another unit. It is not safe for them or me. This is not bullying, this is for safety. If I have a pt attacking me, and they are nowhere to be found, well, I'm not going be really happy with them once all is said and done. I know this is for my unit and maybe your preceptor is seeing how you handle what is happening on your unit. She might be trying to make you better without you even realizing that's what she is doing.
Not all preceptors are great teachers, but you can learn from everyone, no matter if it is good, bad or ugly.
Statistics show that a high percentage of new grad nurses leave their first job because of bullying and unfair treatment from experienced nurses!
Where do you find your statistics? I work in a very large unit with many new grads and have yet to see any bullying by experienced nurses. Hospital system-wide, there is a low "first-year" turnover rate.
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I have spent countless days reading threads on here trying to find which unit or area of nursing doesn't experience these behaviors but i still haven't found any.
I have stated numerous times on multiple threads that I had a good new grad experience with experienced nurses helping me out without judgement and continue to see experienced nurses helping new nurses. Our doctors (resident/fellows/attendings) treat the nurses with the utmost respect and our opinions are valued.
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Meanwhile, the hospital is spending thousands of dollars training new grads who dont stay, and they're too stupid to do a unit based root-cause-analysis to figure out why the new grads are leaving...they just simply replace you, forget you and do it all over again to the next victim!
My hospital-system uses Nurse Mentors in which you are assigned a mentor (from your unit) that is there to help you through your first year as a nurse and be an advocate for you. They track first-year turnover rate to determine the reasons and what they can do to lower the rate. They are very cognizant of the cost of training a new nurse.
thenurseguy88
118 Posts
@Carrie_RN Thank you so much for your comment.Will keep in mind.