Nurses eat their young?

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Any stories of being a new nurse and being treated badly by more experienced nurses?

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Any stories of being a new nurse and being treated badly by more experienced nurses?

oh boy, look out, this is onna be a loooooong thread. Can't wait!

"I like to eat mine with fava beans."

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had a older nurse give me 5 patients to her 2, when she saw the look on my face she was willing to take 1 more ( how sweet) that next day i got called into the managers office to find out that i hadnt done an ax??? took me a minute to figure out it was on the 1 pt that she took to make her assignment 3. she did nothing for that pt all night and tried to blame it on me. i had kept my papers from the night before to prove it. wouldnt you know it was swept under the rug, but they were ready to hang me.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

On my second day of orientation as a new grad, the nurse (who showed up 20 minutes late for report btw) said I would be taking care of all five patients and said "you can do it don't worry" and then proceeded to ditch me for most of the shift. I was on the verge of tears the whole time. Thank god nothing bad happened.

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Specializes in Medical Surgical Orthopedic.

I had a rough time with some of the newer (but more experienced than me) nurses when I was a new graduate. But the senior nurses I work with have never been less than amazingly helpful!

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Specializes in Multi-disciplines.

I will never forget this one charge nurse and how she treated me when I was a fresh nurse on a cardiovascular step-down unit. I have TONS of stories but I can narrow it down to this one.

One night, I was assigned 8 patient's, and the first admit. By this time, I was fed up. Every night I received the first admit; I was always given the contact pt's, as well as the confused patients. But I never said anything because I didn't know any better.

She handed me the report sheet that came from ER, and proceeded to act like it was nothing. I walked over to the assignment sheet and called her out. "Why am I going to end up with 9 patients, whereas everybody else has 6-7? I don't think it's fair that I get the next admit." She said, "Everybody else's patient is considered high acuity." I was LIVID. Oh really? And everybody is around the nursing station talking about some TV show and the latest movies? Oh really.

When it came time to clock out, I was furiously charting away and still doing med pass. I looked up and saw the charge nurse skip over to the time clock and clocked out. She made eye contact with me, smiled, and walked off. I clocked out close to 9.

I moved to a small town because I couldn't find a job back at home. At this particular facility, they will put "BSN" or "ABN" on your badge. And all nurses at this hospital were ADN's. I came in with a BSN, but I NEVER ever talked about it. I knew better, in fact I tried to cover it up if I could. I remember at times I would ask her questions, and she would respond, "You have a BSN. Go figure it out yourself".

Toxic environment indeed :L

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Specializes in PACU, OR.
oh boy, look out, this is onna be a loooooong thread. Can't wait!

"I like to eat mine with fava beans."

Shall I bring the Chianti? Or would you prefer a vintage Merlot?

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Specializes in SICU, MICU, BURN ICU, Trauma, CTICU, CCU.

I was fresh off of orientation in the CTICU and I walk into a 2 patient assignment, 1 a busy post-op lung transplant and the 2nd patient they are *actively* cracking the chest at the bedside to start the code...

I was petrified. I went to the charge nurse and begged to have the assignment split, or to put someone near me who would help me. The reply was "No. Tonight, we are going to see if you can fly."

.... It was terrible. Just absolutely awful. NONE of the nurses would help me manage, I was drowning and my patients were literally going to die. The only thing that saved me was the CT surgeon who watched the interaction with the charge nurse happen... she stayed at the bedside with me and never went home that night. She wasn't on call, she just felt I need the help. She actually said "If your nurses aren't going to help you, I sure as hell will!" - she checked blood with me, gave me the orders all night, everything - we continued to code the 1 patient throughout the night as well.

It was hellish and I almost quit. They did things like that a few times... I remember when I helped an MD float a swan for the first time the experienced nurses pulled up chairs outside of my bedside just to soak in the beauty of my stress. Sigh.

I stayed there for 2 years, learned a lot and eventually won their respect. Now, when I go back home to visit, I swing by the unit and the nurses that once roasted me sing praises. It was one hell of a hazing though and really endangered patient lives.

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I was fresh off of orientation in the CTICU and I walk into a 2 patient assignment, 1 a busy post-op lung transplant and the 2nd patient they are *actively* cracking the chest at the bedside to start the code...

I was petrified. I went to the charge nurse and begged to have the assignment split, or to put someone near me who would help me. The reply was "No. Tonight, we are going to see if you can fly."

.... It was terrible. Just absolutely awful. NONE of the nurses would help me manage, I was drowning and my patients were literally going to die. The only thing that saved me was the CT surgeon who watched the interaction with the charge nurse happen... she stayed at the bedside with me and never went home that night. She wasn't on call, she just felt I need the help. She actually said "If your nurses aren't going to help you, I sure as hell will!" - she checked blood with me, gave me the orders all night, everything - we continued to code the 1 patient throughout the night as well.

It was hellish and I almost quit. They did things like that a few times... I remember when I helped an MD float a swan for the first time the experienced nurses pulled up chairs outside of my bedside just to soak in the beauty of my stress. Sigh.

I stayed there for 2 years, learned a lot and eventually won their respect. Now, when I go back home to visit, I swing by the unit and the nurses that once roasted me sing praises. It was one hell of a hazing though and really endangered patient lives.

Thats aweful. :eek:, good thing the CT surgeon helped you, that was sweet.

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As a nursing student, we heard this all the time. We never believed this to be true until we got out there in the real world of nursing. Almost every one of the folks I have graduated with, with FEW exceptions has had a hell of a time starting out with nursing. I was basically fed to the wolves. After my "preceptor" left for personal reasons, I got bounced around to every nurse on my unit,who "precepted" me....on a very busy Critical care unit. Most expected me, as a new grad to know all about A-lines, Ventricular Drains, and everything under the sun. I was basically isolated doing everything for myself, while they stood around chatting, and having coffee. I often had to yell or ask for help when I needed it.

It is sad to say, but it gave me a bad taste for nursing, and for that facility. I am still there, but in another unit...with more supportive nurses, thank God, but with poor Admin in the facility as a whole. Sometimes I wonder why I even got into this field. It's like swimming with sharks! Never in my life have I seen more gossip, backstabbing, and BS from grown women, and men...( who actually in general are more helpful in the nursing field...generally) You don't see this as much in any other line of work.

I don't expect to have my hand held, but I do expect to have someone there to help, and give guidance. Someone I can ask a question without being told..."um...You don't know that? , What DID they teach you in nursing school anyway?!!!" Yes, I was told this.

I DO understand that a "seasoned" nurse has much to do, and are busy, and probably overworked. But, do you remember being new? How scared and nervous you were thinking my God, I just want to get though the day without making a mistake that will harm my patient, or kill them?! Oh, and here is Dr So&So on the phone ready to rip someone's ( MY) head off because we paged him about his patient, or worse not his patient, but who was

"consulted" and is ****** because he is on call.

Sometimes I think I just want to go be the greeter at Wal Mart. But then I work with my patients...and decide to go back for more abuse.

Please someone tell e it gets better than THIS.

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Specializes in ED/ICU/TELEMETRY/LTC.

As a manager, I can tell you that we always know that this sort of thing goes on. Someone is always willing (and eager) to rat someone else out. I, personally, do not tolerate it.

I would note assignments, ask why something like this happened, who helped this new nurse with so many patients with such high acuity?

No one is born a nurse, and from these stories, some have forgotten the definition.

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As a manager, I can tell you that we always know that this sort of thing goes on. Someone is always willing (and eager) to rat someone else out. I, personally, do not tolerate it.

You are a manager, and you know this sort of thing goes on, and then describe someone bringing it to your attention as "ratting" someone out, no wonder new nurses are afraid to bring this stuff up to managers.

It is one thing to know it is going on and question it, quite another to do something about it so that it doesn't happen again to put patient's lives at risk...that would be what I would not tolerate, and make sure I took steps to change it.

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