New Grad Nurse Arrogance

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Recently, a friend of mine passed her NCLEX and I'm wondering how common it is that newly licensed nurses develop arrogance after passing the exam. I won't say she isn't allowed to "feel herself" a little bit or be proud of herself after such a feat but it's been almost a month now and I feel like this arrogance trickles into our conversations even outside of topics regarding nursing. If I disagree with something or she is wrong on a topic, it's "please don't lecture me on this" or "please stop" or "girl I know what I'm talking about." It's such an odd change in behavior and sometimes it feels like she is belittling me because I haven't finished school yet.

Don't get me wrong, she is a good longtime friend who has even given me helpful tips as I approach my final semester of nursing school this fall and I don't believe that she will be the type of RN who will be arrogant while on the floor that she might be a risk to patients but I think I just really miss the humbleness she had as a student. Has anyone else ever had this type of encounter with their nurse friends? Why do we have to be arrogant to uplift ourselves? Is it insecurities? Is she nervous? She's more of an extrovert and I an introvert so I'm not sure how I can open up this conversation. Should I just leave it alone? How long do you think this will last?

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Watch the arrogant nurse, new or old. They are a danger to all of us. Arrogance is not limited to new nurses; some of us oldies can be awfully arrogant (mistake!), too.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Something to consider is the possibility that she isn't the one acting different, but perhaps you are acting/viewing things differently because of your own feelings (jealousy? envy?) about her accomplishments.

Seriously? Did you read the OP? I don't see jealousy there but concern.

Seems to me you think everyone is jealous if they express concerns over lack of experience, from reading your posts. Trust me, at 21 years, I am jealous of no one. I celebrate everyone's accomplishments. I am not jealous, I am happy for them.

But arrogant people, nothing to be jealous of. They are dangerous.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

And yes leave her be. But watch behind her. She is bound for a huge mistake if she doesn't come down to earth.

But she is basking in the joy of graduation and passing NCLEX. Let her at least have that. The actual real world of nursing will deflate that ego really soon.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.
Seriously? Did you read the OP? I don't see jealousy there but concern.

Seems to me you think everyone is jealous if they express concerns over lack of experience, from reading your posts. Trust me, at 21 years, I am jealous of no one. I celebrate everyone's accomplishments. I am not jealous, I am happy for them.

But arrogant people, nothing to be jealous of. They are dangerous.

I think you misunderstood my post. I wasn't saying that I actually thought the OP was jealous. I was simply saying that sometimes we don't realize internal feelings we have going on, and that can often have an impact on our relationships if those feelings are there and we aren't recognizing them. Hence why I said it is just a possibility to consider.

I myself have been guilty of that before, and we often don't realize it until someone else points it out.

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