We have a new nurse in our dept, hired as a new grad to ER in this less than stellar job market. The other day I got to hear his whining about his lousy schedule.
He's a likeable guy, but is only a year out of school and landed a pretty sweet position, got a great opportunity, and seems very unappreciative. He is really mad at my manager who is actually quite a reasonable person in my opinion.
Do some new nurses totally not get it, regarding the hours and scheduling demands of nursing?
Is he a younger guy, like early 20's? I find that this generation feels they are totally entitled and don't quite get it. I also find them to be total know it alls. I had one (a float pool new grad who was training on our unit) who wanted to write me up because I forgot to start my antibiotic after doing an entire line change, hanging TPN, lipids, fluids, etc...
I wanted to throat punch her, but me and her preceptor just laughed at her and told her she needed to learn to get along with others or her career at our facility would be VERY short lived.
Honestly, she was THE RUDEST new grad I've ever met! Interrupting CONSTANTLY during report, complaining because the patient had a set back and even implied that was my fault because they were "just fine last night!"
The he girl just didn't get it...sad thing is there seems to be more of this coming through the doors than those who have a reasonable attitude and common sense. Scary.
I'm not agreeing with her, but if you did forget to give abx isn't that somewhat write up worthy? I personally wouldn't, just let the nurse know they forgot it, but a write up, especially if it was a timed one like vanco, isn't completely out of left field. Unless I'm missing something here?
I don't recall anyone telling me in nursing school that night shift was the usual entry for nursing, nor that most all of the holidays would be part of my agenda. I guess they just assume we know, and it is not until the realities of the nursing world hit that new grads realize they have to work holidays and weekends.
Really? I thought everyone knew that the hospital is staffed 24/7 including Christmas.
Wow, that is very unappreciative of any new grad/new employee to complain about having to work nights. I'm a new grad and I would be happy to just have a job!
That being said, I think I actually prefer nights. I'm really not a morning person and I just can't think early in the morning. I would work any shift, but I think I would be happier starting at 7pm. Hopefully this works to my advantage once I do get a job?
Specializes in Emergency Department; Neonatal ICU.
I actually made a calculated decision to not apply at a hospital where I otherwise would have loved to work when I graduated (jobs were a bit more available then) because the units rotated. I knew that would not be healthy for me. I'm jealous of the people that can do it with ease but I was not willing. I chose to apply at a facility where I would work straight nights (day shift jobs were rarely posted). I like to think I made a better decision than working somewhere and complaining all the time And I turned out to be very fortunate in that a day shift opened up by the time I was off orientation.
Maybe I missed it but id say that it depends before completely blaming a new grad
IE if he took a day position, and his job wants him to work EVERY friday saturday sunday and didnt convery that in advanced I could see why he wouldnt be thrilled.
That said im a relatively new nurse (almost a year) and I really hate people who have a constant pitty party going.
Im even at the point where ill take responsibility for stuff that really isnt my fault at all whatsoever, just so I dont come off defensive or like a "typical young person" who whines and doesnt take responsibility.
I am a nursing instructor and a former night shift nurse. I am always surprised at my students who want to work M-F in a doctor's office after nursing school! Shocked. I think that I make it clear that many nurses will start on nights, and that nurses work weekends and holidays. Right now our new grads consider themselves very lucky if they can land ANY hospital job. Most are working in long-term care.
I worked eight years of nights by choice. Seven on day shift. I loved night shift! The hospital I worked in would not hire new grads directly to days. They had to do at least 6 months to a year on nights. But we definitely had people on nights for 20+ years. And holidays were on a rotation no matter how long you had been working in the hospital. It was the same with weekends, we all had to do x number of weekends regardless of seniority. (With the exception of those on weekend option, obviously.)
Emergent: I'm sure that there's a LOT of new grads that would love to be in that guy's position...
I am kind of a badass....
I don't get it either though. I was hired into a set schedule. Best idea ever. Not only do I not have to put requests in, there is almost zero mystery to what I work.
Honestly, she was THE RUDEST new grad I've ever met! Interrupting CONSTANTLY during report, complaining because the patient had a set back and even implied that was my fault because they were "just fine last night!"
My reply would have been, "You didn't see it coming, noob. Don't worry, I fixed it." Just kidding!
It's quite possible, however, that her proclamation that the patient was "just fine last night" was a knee-jerk reaction to instantly feeling that she missed something, not that she was questioning you.
A few of the new grads that work nights get really upset with themselves if one of the day shifters has to send someone to ICU within the first four hours of a shift.
I confess that I have complained a bit at my current job - the weekend and holiday differentials are both $1.50. Really? A whole $1.50? It's always been at least $2.00 anywhere else I worked for weekends, and time and a half for holidays. I have a problem with the pathetic compensation at this hospital. I gladly signed up for every single holiday at the last job I worked because time and a half is awesome and I signed up for weekends regularly, but I definitely won't do anything more than the absolute minimum for weekends/holidays here. It's difficult to swallow taking a huge pay cut for weekends and holidays. Maybe if hospitals want staff to enthusiastically work weekends and holidays, they should increase their compensation for those shifts. Like that's ever going to happen...
Also - I have yet to work anywhere that wasn't better staffed on nights than days. Nights are more money, there's no management, family goes home... I think people that work day shift are nuts. It's very hard to hire people to work days at my current facility. The manager keeps asking some night shifters to switch over but they all refuse.
This new guy doesn't seem to understand office politics.
Nothing good will ever come of complaining like that. He will learn to keep it quiet at work and save his complaining for Allnurses or his reputation will suffer.
I agree, we should definitely burn out the new nurses rather than be fair and put them in the holiday rotation. After all, we all have to 'pay our dues', right?
I'm sorry, I agree to an extent he should be happy to be getting experience, and for the most part, he is going to end up with some of the crappy schedules. HOWEVER, he too is a professional nurse, and has the right to get frustrated and tired and burnt out and "gasp" complain.
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
When 8 hr shifts were the norm, I chose to work straight 3-11's AND every holiday and all week-ends. Always assured of having a job, no matter where I went! But then, I had no family where I lived, and never held weekends as sacrosanct.
Now that 12 hr shifts seem de rigueur, I do days; I have done 7p-7a's but it takes me two days to recover from one shift on nights.
I'd still rather work every weekend and all holidays, not just for the money, which does help even though it's not much ($1-$1.50/hr).
And on a twelve hr shift you do get shift differential from 3p-7p.......
I don't know what I'd do if I had kids, though. Seems harder on those folks. But I agree, someone who wants week-ends and holidays off all the time needs to go into office nursing or something.
And I turned out to be very fortunate in that a day shift opened up by the time I was off orientation.
SionainnRN
914 Posts
I'm not agreeing with her, but if you did forget to give abx isn't that somewhat write up worthy? I personally wouldn't, just let the nurse know they forgot it, but a write up, especially if it was a timed one like vanco, isn't completely out of left field. Unless I'm missing something here?