from nights to days??

flowerpower · May 27, 2006

I'm going to be working night shift on a med-surg floor as an extern this summer so the responses you will be getting would be interesting to catch up on. Currently, I have been working day shifts and it's pretty easy to just politely get another nurse or preceptor's attention and ask them a question. You should never feel stupid asking a question b/c a nurse should understand where you are coming from since they were once brand new, too!

ZASHAGALKA, RN · May 27, 2006

First off, you need a new preceptor/mentor. It's a shame that such relationships are normally assigned by 'seniority' and not along the lines of 'a good fit'.

2nd, you need an environment that encourages asking questions - and not just questions to a preceptor. My problem w/ new nurses: nurse that DON'T know they DON'T know. I love new nurses that ASK about what they don't know. That shows growth. How else you gonna learn?

Day or nights shouldn't matter, per se. They are each their own stresses. With the right preceptor, you should do fine. Yes, days CAN be busier, but you learn more, also.

~faith,

Timothy.

Tweety, BSN, RN · May 27, 2006

It's o.k. to be stressed, that's a normal grad experience. You're going to feel that on any shift.

I agree with everything Timothy said above. :)

RN2B07 · May 27, 2006

Thanks for your responses...I will be flying solo next week (2 more shifts) I almost feel that I have been on my own. My preceptor now is a new grad (6months) and I am sometimes getting the worng info about my questions. I have a gut feeling to her answer and will double check with the charge RN and my gut will usually be right. You guys are so helpful here!! Thanks to all the great nurses on this site. Extremely helpful!!

allnurses Guide · May 28, 2006

6 months out is too soon to be precepting OTHER new grads, in my humble opinion.

Heck, I've been a nurse for THREE years and I still don't like to precept. :rotfl: 'Course that's just me. I think someone should have been a nurse AT LEAST a year before they are allowed to precept. I'm not saying that someone who has only been a nurse 6 months is too immature to precept (as the OP's preceptor sounds like!), but it's just... geez. It takes about a year for the majority of nurses to really get their wobbly baby legs working. Someone who has only been a nurse for six months is still learning how to swim instead of sink.

Metaphors, anyone? :roll

meownsmile, BSN, RN · May 28, 2006

New grads can handle days just as well as nights. My problem is with who is supposed to b precepting you. Why is there internet available on a med/surg unit. It isnt necissary, any info you need can be just as easily accessed by book or facility policy. This is exactly WHY they dont allow internet access on the unit computers in my facility. Get a new preceptor and although i dont know that i would exactly tell your NM "the net" is why, you can tell her you felt like she wasnt really accessable to you, or seemed very busy looking up information,when you felt you needed her to answer questions. Leave it at that. What this preceptor fails to know is that whoever is running the Information Services department of your facility can track who is on doing what and when, so its not secret if the NM wants to go check the logs.

telehead · Jun 1, 2006

New grads can handle days just as well as nights. My problem is with who is supposed to b precepting you. Why is there internet available on a med/surg unit. It isnt necissary, any info you need can be just as easily accessed by book or facility policy. This is exactly WHY they dont allow internet access on the unit computers in my facility. Get a new preceptor and although i dont know that i would exactly tell your NM "the net" is why, you can tell her you felt like she wasnt really accessable to you, or seemed very busy looking up information,when you felt you needed her to answer questions. Leave it at that. What this preceptor fails to know is that whoever is running the Information Services department of your facility can track who is on doing what and when, so its not secret if the NM wants to go check the logs.

I disagree with this line of thinking in general and specifically the part of your msg that I placed in bold... If nursing is expected to be a professional occupation, nurses need to be treated as professional and stop acting like we need babysitters. It's a culture that needs to be changed. The internet is an invaluable tool for finding information. With it, I can quickly look up interactive and dynamic information on the fly rather than stopping what I'm doing, going back to the conference room and searching through books to find an answer.

There will always be people in all professions who abuse the availability of the internet while at work. The nurses who "spend all night on the internet" will merely find some other diversion to waste their time- magazines, sleeping or whatnot. Those people need to be weeded out for their lack of attention to their job, not for their use of the internet. Don't punish me by taking away a valuable resource because some lazy nurse who doesn't want to do his/her job can't be trusted.

oohnurse · Jun 20, 2006

I will never want to work on day on Med-surg floor.. It's busier and lower pay (although not much). I was on night since I came off my orientation. Will never want to work on day... unless it's ICU or sth else.