new nurse woes

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I am a new graduate RN and got off orientation two weeks ago. I really enjoy my work, continuously learning and the hospital environment. For the most part, my co-workers are very supportive of me, as a newbie, except a couple. I ended up crying twice this week after issues with co-workers. It bothers me that I am not really struggling with the nursing aspect of the job, as I have no problem asking ANY question that I might have, but with the NURSES with whom I'm working. As I said, most are awesome but the few that aren't are really bringing me down as I try to find my way in this field. I guess this is just a vent but any advice is appreciated.

A HUC is a unit clerk. I think that the first few months of being a nurse are something that the verteran nurses somehow forget, or block out of their memory. I just hope that my fellow nurses were remembering what a stressful, overwhelming time it was when I had my few freak out moments as a brand new nurse :o. There is a new nurse on my unit who gets overwhelmed and her personality totally changes, she gets short and nasty with people when she's buried. This isn't a good way to endear your new coworkers to you, or make them want to give you a hand. Just try and keep your cool and if you need to cry, go ahead, that is better than barking at people and ticking them off. You will be fine once you hit your stride :).

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the original post said nothing about her co-workers being nasty. it said she had "issues" with them, and that she wound up in tears. could it simply be that the original poster needs to learn to cope with the inevitable disagreements at work without resorting to tears?

in the original post, i used to word issues in an effort to avoid specific identifiable details. what's funny is that, especially with this particular coworker, i've done fairly well with the "inevitable disagreements" as i've learned that, with her, they're just that--inevitable. however, the situation that ended in tears was far from inevitable. since then, the nurse has had issues with two other nurses and all of this has been reported to the unit director. on top of that, luckily, about 5 other nurses witnessed this event. i've spoken to all of them and they've voiced their concern when it comes to how the other nurse acts toward her co-workers. i appreciate your input but i do not think the event was, in any way, inevitable.

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A HUC is a unit clerk. I think that the first few months of being a nurse are something that the verteran nurses somehow forget, or block out of their memory. I just hope that my fellow nurses were remembering what a stressful, overwhelming time it was when I had my few freak out moments as a brand new nurse :o. There is a new nurse on my unit who gets overwhelmed and her personality totally changes, she gets short and nasty with people when she's buried. This isn't a good way to endear your new coworkers to you, or make them want to give you a hand. Just try and keep your cool and if you need to cry, go ahead, that is better than barking at people and ticking them off. You will be fine once you hit your stride :).

I appreciate your reply. I think my post would have been received differently had I given the details of what happened that night. or the night before. or the week before that.... all with the same nurse. For the most part, I feel like I'm handling myself well. I know where I stand, where I'm lacking and, most of all, I don't have too much pride to ask a million questions. I feel so lucky to have several people on my unit that I trust to answer my questions. And I've told them how valuable they are to me. Thanks for your encouragement.

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I have always had a general rule... if you make me cry three times in the first 3 months...I'm outta there.

I'm a new grad LVN so haven't worked yet.

I don't however, think I would take kindly to a unit secretary or anyone else talking to me disrespectfully.

I have a tendency to take things personally. Working on it... :)

but I also have gotten better...I can say in my head .. this is THEIR issue...not mine. I don't have to accept it or own it.

It really does work.

I would suggest you need to say something to this person. Be preemptive. Let her know you expect to have your d/c working by such and such time. Let her know hounding you won't get it done faster.

If she's comfrontational then you need to address it immediately.

"Excuse me! Are you going to be taking all my patients today? I will let you know when I am ready for the d/c"

If she persists.... "you need to calm down. I will do this when I can". and walk away.

YOu can't let her talk to you this way. Your setting precedent that it's okay and it's NOT.

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