Orientee Horror Stories?

dansamy · Sep 7, 2013

:-D

I sometimes can't keep some of them straight, but my diabetic nurse friend that went to NS with me always sets me straight. Again.

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morningland · Apr 20, 2014

Sadly, I've been a nurse for almost 8 years and I wouldn't even know there's anything wrong with that statement.

Finally! Some humility! I mean, why is this such a big deal. So she isn't familiar with Humalog, BFD! Just look it up and move one.

Honestly, reading this thread reinforces why I really hate most nurses. I respect that they are so proficient at what they do, but they just seem like such arrogant people. They really come off across like they never make mistakes, or have moments of poor judgment.

I'm not trying to make excuses for the people who screw up, or even try and say they are wrong for being so "on top of everything", but they just really come across as if they are perfect nurses and everyone else is stupid.

It's because of these people why we have to deal with such understaffed floors. There is no true patience to peoples different learning needs, so people feel intimidated and go by the wayside.

morningland · Apr 20, 2014

Do you no longer work in direct patient care? Or not routinely give insulin?
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I've been a nurse for two years, and I can remember what what kind of insulin Humalog is. My hospital doesn't given it. I had to LOOK IT UP and, per my suspicion, it's a rapid acting insulin. So that tells me I need to have food at the bedside before I give it and make sure his sugar indicates he really needs it.

How would it be a "horror story" because I can't remember every detail of this vast amount of medical knowledge????

EDIT: Okay, I have to change my stance, I re read the post and didn't realize that she had grabbed 80 units of a rapid acting insulin and was like "okay, I can give this now, right?". Yeah, that is a scary story. I see the fault wasn't that she didn't know what humalog was (I forgot) but that she did not validate what it was before she was preparing to give it.

dudette10, MSN, RN · Apr 20, 2014

Finally! Some humility! I mean, why is this such a big deal. So she isn't familiar with Humalog, BFD! Just look it up and move one.
Honestly, reading this thread reinforces why I really hate most nurses. I respect that they are so proficient at what they do, but they just seem like such arrogant people. They really come off across like they never make mistakes, or have moments of poor judgment.
I'm not trying to make excuses for the people who screw up, or even try and say they are wrong for being so "on top of everything", but they just really come across as if they are perfect nurses and everyone else is stupid.
It's because of these people why we have to deal with such understaffed floors. There is no true patience to peoples different learning needs, so people feel intimidated and go by the wayside.

The floor I normally work on has hired a lot of new grads. Part of the issue is that questions are NOT being asked by the newbies. I even told someone who has partial responsibility for hiring that they just need to stop hiring new grads and look for those with experience. I have followed quite a few new grads, and Ive had to gently make corrections to their practice. They usually reply, "I didn't know that." They might know the drug, what it's used for, but they haven't looked up usual dosing and administration instructions. They are not doing basic nursing care, such as heel protectors, getting patients up to chair for meals, figuring they can forgo SCDs on bedbound pts who are on heparin, mouth care on our dementia pts, providing medication education/CHF edu/diabetic assess and edu, etc. A lot of it does come from nursing schools that are unable to connect didactic learning with real world experience, but there is also a responsibility on the part of the new grad to question themselves and to realize that our job goes beyond carrying out physician orders. I don't see that happening as much as it should.

ETA: I think feeling intimidated by the job is healthy when one is new. I was 18 months in before I started to feel comfortable, but I see new grads feeling comfortable 6 months in, and that, to me, is scary. And, no, it's not because they are fast learners. I say this next part because its been told to me by numerous people: I am a fast learner, very fast. Comfort level has nothing to do with how fast you learn; it has everything to do with knowing you'll never know everything and funneling that anxiety in a healthy way to continuously questioning yourself, looking stuff up, etc.

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Apr 20, 2014

Our latest orientee spent six weeks on day shift, and then- on her first night shift- said, "I think I'm just gonna shadow you for the first week or so." Ummmm, no!

chevyv, BSN, RN · Apr 21, 2014

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They are not doing basic nursing care, such as heel protectors, getting patients up to chair for meals, figuring they can forgo SCDs on bedbound pts who are on heparin, mouth care on our dementia pts, providing medication education/CHF edu/diabetic assess and edu, etc.
Do you think whoever is training the new grads aren't doing basic cares too? I just took a new job and have been off orientation for just over 2 months now and I see how some nurses 'train' new grads. I was very fortunate to have a thorough trainer, but I've seen others chart on pts only to have the pt come to the desk at 10pm and who their nurse for the night is on the pm shift. How does that work when training a new grad?

Curious1alwys, BSN, RN · Apr 21, 2014

I liked your post. One thing to keep in mind for the experienced nurses, IMO, is also that new grads are trying to absorb soooo much information these days when orienting to a new hospital job. Protocols, procedures,skills, trying to remember everything from school, charting, etc...I am pretty smart but I do find it extremely overwhelming and also find that this overwhelmed state can make me kinda scatterbrained. My anxiety is SKY HIGH! We are under stress and don't always act the way we normally might act. I try to remember that and not to judge my fellow nurses when things are stressed (nearly always on my floor). Even the experienced ones can say and do things they would not normally do when stressed. As a new grad, I find that I am trying to absorb so much info, so fast, that only some of it actually lodges in my brain! LOL. I guess if my fellow preceptors think I am stupid well so be it. I feel like I constantly ask questions. I am trying to learn. I am trying my absolute best and am truly thankful for all they have to offer even if it seems to me like their attitude sucks. Who am I to judge, I don't live their life!! Put yourself in someone's shoes, that is what it comes down to...and give everyone a second (or third!) chance...

dudette10, MSN, RN · Apr 21, 2014

t
They are not doing basic nursing care, such as heel protectors, getting patients up to chair for meals, figuring they can forgo SCDs on bedbound pts who are on heparin, mouth care on our dementia pts, providing medication education/CHF edu/diabetic assess and edu, etc.
Do you think whoever is training the new grads aren't doing basic cares too? I just took a new job and have been off orientation for just over 2 months now and I see how some nurses 'train' new grads. I was very fortunate to have a thorough trainer, but I've seen others chart on pts only to have the pt come to the desk at 10pm and who their nurse for the night is on the pm shift. How does that work when training a new grad?
Good point. I really don't know how they are being trained after hiring, as I don't take orientees since I'm a float. I know that my preceptors never mentioned those things, but knowing to do basic nursing care doesn't really require special training. It's what you would want for you mom/dad, brother/sister, etc.