Do you in nursing land find that old time nurses, those with many years in the career, dont want to learn new things?- like learning to care for a new kind of patient than they are used to, for instance going from LTC to a more acute setting or rotating from a geriatric unit to a unit with younger, more alert residents, which would require learning new skills?
Ive spoken to a few old timers, and they seem only to want to coast until retirement.
They dont seem to feel obligated to stretch themselves, to maintain and update there skills- wouldnt they feel better about themselves as nurses if they did take on new responsibilities?
Is this the normal course of evolution in the career of nurses?
What do they think--that I've been sitting here all these years waiting for them to come in and enlighten me?"
Oh my, I love this! I am going to use it next time I have to precept a new nurse. Seems like over the past few years, new grads feel like they know so much as us "old dogs". I don't get it. When I got out of school years ago (with LPN) I was so very humble and knew that my true knowledge didn't start until I started working.
I think one mistake many new nurses make is to pretend to have more knowledge/experience than they do. For instance, I had a newbie (less than 2 yrs RN) tell me today that Levaquin was an antidepressant. After I corrected her, she argued w/me-- I suggested she look it up, but, hey, I'm not going to argue- eventually those who think they "know-it-all" will look foolish & hopefully figure some things out-- albeit the hard way!
i agree with most of the threads in that one of the biggest mistakes a new nursing graduate can make is to not absorb the years of experience behind a seasoned nurses decision and opinion. sure, that person may not always be correct, but i have never met a seasoned nurse who did not want to learn a proper technique or a corrected method in caring for her patient.funny, really thats usually the traits of the new grad, because after all they know everything by the book!
I agree - it would seem the OP wanted to start something and then disguised it as humor. I am a very hard working 55 year old nurse. In all my years I have come across more newbies who have a "better idea" without realizing that maybe we aren't so enthusiatic because we've tried those ideas and they flopped.
Try posting this thread in the long term care forum and see what kind of answers you get there!!!
I'm 46 and am in mid-career. The last 15 years I've seen many changes. Our unit in particular seems to the pilot unit for change. I've noticed resistance among all age groups to change. So I honestly can't say experienced (I refuse to refer to them as old nurses) nurses are any more or less resistant.
When we went to computer charting, a long time ago, many of the nurses weren't computer savy and we had to teach them how to hold a mouse and navigate the computer. They grumbled but they dealt with it. And many old dogs learned new tricks same as the young folks.
I also haven't seen many new younger nurses come in acting all hot shot like they know everything. What I see more is an eagerness to help and learn. If I do come across a hot shot young nurse, I don't prejudice myself against their age group, and chalk it up to an individual trait.
Revenge will be sweet. That is if the OP can stick with nursing enough years to every become an "old dog/nurse".
To the OP... remember someday sooner than you want, some new nurse will show up knowing it all and telling you that you don't know anything and you're nothing but an old dog/nurse.
I am a BSN student about to graduate in May.... I will be one of the dreaded "new grads" coming into the workforce. Personally, I am scared to graduate because I feel like I know NOTHING! I look up to the more experienced, seasoned nurses for knowledge and guidance... anything that an experienced nurse will share with me, I appreciate more than a "thank you" can say!
I know there are a lot of "new grads" that have the horrible know-it-all attitude, but just as someone said earlier... we are not all painted with the same brush! I just wish the experienced nurses with TONS of information to pass on to us "newbies" wouldn't look at all new nurses as having that attitude - I CERTAINLY do not...
I value and repect a professional, caring, devoted nurse with many years under his or her belt... years of education that can never be taught in a classroom, and many years of personal experiences that I may be able to learn from!
Just please know that not all "new grads" think they are all-knowing upon graduation. One thing I do know- I am ready to get out of the classroom and start learning the real art of nursing at the bedside... hopefully, from some wonderful, skilled, experienced nurses.
truth is what ever field you opt to work this is usually your calling.Young or old nurses have to have a certain temperment to work say LTC or L/D.I could not work ER but I can answer the same Question by a demented resident with the same tone of voice the 20th time as I did the 1st. Can every one say the same???My new charge nurse is only out of school 9 months and Ive learned alot from her but if you ask her she will prob tell you shes learned as much from me with my 15 years experience...
Specializes in MDS coordinator, hospice, ortho/ neuro.
garcia - there is NOTHING humorous about calling any human being an "old dog" ---------- regardless of their chosen field of work. :angryfire
That's right, I prefer to use the title of 'old bat' when referring to myself. :chuckle
One of the young nurses asked me why Mrs. X ( who is 95) won't take her seriously.............I told her Mrs. X has underwear older than you, and they don't boogie down the hallways during med-pass.
This subject cuts both ways, I've worked with new grads who had no clue, and I've worked with 20 yr nurses who had no clue.
I am a BSN student about to graduate in May.... I will be one of the dreaded "new grads" coming into the workforce. Personally, I am scared to graduate because I feel like I know NOTHING! I look up to the more experienced, seasoned nurses for knowledge and guidance... anything that an experienced nurse will share with me, I appreciate more than a "thank you" can say!
I know there are a lot of "new grads" that have the horrible know-it-all attitude, but just as someone said earlier... we are not all painted with the same brush! I just wish the experienced nurses with TONS of information to pass on to us "newbies" wouldn't look at all new nurses as having that attitude - I CERTAINLY do not...
I value and repect a professional, caring, devoted nurse with many years under his or her belt... years of education that can never be taught in a classroom, and many years of personal experiences that I may be able to learn from!
Just please know that not all "new grads" think they are all-knowing upon graduation. One thing I do know- I am ready to get out of the classroom and start learning the real art of nursing at the bedside... hopefully, from some wonderful, skilled, experienced nurses.
I'm with you! I'm set to graduate in August, and I know I've only learned a tiny fraction of what I'll need to know and what many of my more experienced colleagues know effortlessly.
I'm pretty afraid of the new grad that thinks they know it all, honestly.
Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
Revenge will be sweet. That is if the OP can stick with nursing enough years to every become an "old dog/nurse".
To the OP... remember someday sooner than you want, some new nurse will show up knowing it all and telling you that you don't know anything and you're nothing but an old dog/nurse.
To the OP, are you a young new nurse? Or, an older new nurse????
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nickola
250 Posts
I think one mistake many new nurses make is to pretend to have more knowledge/experience than they do. For instance, I had a newbie (less than 2 yrs RN) tell me today that Levaquin was an antidepressant. After I corrected her, she argued w/me-- I suggested she look it up, but, hey, I'm not going to argue- eventually those who think they "know-it-all" will look foolish & hopefully figure some things out-- albeit the hard way!