Perception of Problems Faced by New Graduates and the Ideal New Graduate Employee

NurseBanana · Oct 22, 2009

This is just to the new nurses in general. I had students today that highly annoyed me. I had to pull them all aside and let them know that IRL, not everyone can take lunch (6 of them) at the same time and taking that 10 minutes away from clinical time to "text" and "call" on the cell phone to "set up lunch" is unprofessional and unacceptable.
Boy, what a wakeup call they're going to get.
Again, don't act immature and don't act like you're entitled.
That's all.

oh...and just FYI those students are not anyone that I would like to have taking care of or working on ME!!

LuxCalidaNP · Oct 22, 2009

A good nurse is made by the clinical hours and profiency at not just technicals, but critical thinking and assessment. It's ALL about the clinical hours. My BSN program provided us with OUTSTANDING clinicals (900-1300 hours on unit hours), and of course some don't. but let's get back on topic.

Our school uses Typhon Group as a way to keep tracks of our patient care and the stats of what we ACTUALLY did during nursing school, and provides a synopsis in graphs and a very handsome portfolio for graduation. I agree with the others that a dynamic, enthusiastic, creative grad with a genuinely humble interest in learning is the best candidate, better than a book smart know-it-all or a policy grubber.

DogWmn · Oct 22, 2009

Sheesh...I know I'm out of touch everyone keeps telling me how much nursing has changed and my refresher will be Hell, but ummm so has nursing school. Those 6 students would have been suspended for a stunt like that, and might have even had to repeat the whole quarter. When I was a student, we were last on the list for breaks and we took them at the convienence and permission of the "working crew". When we were on the floor we'd better be in the patients room, getting supplies, asking questions or charting etc....not socilizing...we were there to learn and work period. And nope I wouldn't want any of them taking care of me either!

newtress, LPN · Oct 22, 2009

Gotta agree with JoPACURN and DogWmn. I was honestly embarassed by some of my classmates in clinical. Severe immaturity.

KalipsoRed · Oct 22, 2009

I think BSN students are poorly prepaired. My school had a fair amount of clinical hours but they were half days from 0700 to 1300. We never had more than 2 patients and our final semester we got to work 144 hrs of 12hr shifts with a nurse we were assigned to at the hospital. The nurse we precepted with was NOT monitarily compensated for her time (which I argued about with my school but not too hard because I had already got held back a semester for disagreeing about something before). Thus what real motivation did the preceptor have in making sure I got what I could out of my 144 hrs? Precepting a new nurse is VERY time consuming and aggrivating in the fact that the preceptor is still the one responsible for everything happening with the team. Thus it was easy for my preceptor to 'help' me so that we could get done one time. It didn't really give me the complete idea of what I was going to be responsible for and when I finally passed boards and got through the fellowship at the hospital I work at (because my preceptor during my orientation did the same thing) I was TOTALLY overwhelmed.

I think diploma programs were the best. It allowed for a gradual orientation to the hospital and hospital operations. My only saving grace as a new nurse was the fact that I had been a nurses aid for 2 years, so at least I had basic patient care skills.

Blackheartednurse · Oct 22, 2009

My view on this topic is as follows: I rather be knowledge smart than be hands on..simple I can learn to insert the damn foley but it is my brain that will be more helpful when they patient goes blue...

Scrubby · Oct 22, 2009

As a homework assignment, I need a head nurse to discuss his/her perception of problems faced by new graduates and the ideal new graduate employee. Would a head nurse mind answering this for me?

As a clinical team leader I have noticed that new grads in my area tend to go through quite a lot of role strain as the reality of being a nurse sets in. It's one thing being a student on clinicals and being supervised all the time by an experienced nurse and then to suddenly have all this responsibility thrown at you. I find a lot of new nurses get quite teary because they are so overwhelmed and don't know what to do. Also, given we're short staffed at the moment it's getting harder to properly orientate people and teach in a supportive environment. New grads tend to be thrown in the deep and to either sink or swim.

For me the 'ideal' new graduate nurse would be someone who is willing to ask questions, show some interest in the work and to be able to communicate with me any problems they are having so that I can help them reach their objectives. I also don't like working with new grads who think they know everything when it's clear that they don't. Overconfidence is a very bad thing in my area. However saying this it's also good for a new grad to be willing to try new things provided they are supported if needed.

Sirapples · Oct 22, 2009

not a charge nurse but Ive worked at several hospitals with agency and as a staff member. What I can say is this, please dont be cocky. I have worked with a new nurses who never ask questions and say they got it, and know everything.

Then in the morning the patient gets rapid responced and shiped out because they were sitting with low 02 sats filled with fluid with no urinary output.

Same nurse next night had a patient who's resperations were in the 40's, and o2 sats were 74%. I ran in and throw a non rebreather on the patient, and had a cna grab vitals. I asked the nurse to help me with her patient and she screamed at me to take the mask of because the patient was a CO2 Retainer. (I knew this patient and his baseline is resperations 22, o2 94% on 2 liters NC). This was 3 months after orientation. I ended up calling a rapid responce on this patient because she was going to do nothing.

All I ask is that new nurses understand that they dont know everything and that its ok to ask questions and highly encuraged. I get scared when new nurses dont ask questions.

btw 3 months after this she ended up applying for a job at an er.

Katie5 · Oct 22, 2009

Let's not lay all the faults on the doorsteps of new nurses, cos in all fairness, sometimes, the seasoned nurses are equally as mean as all get out.

fiveofpeep · Oct 22, 2009

I think BSN students are poorly prepaired. My school had a fair amount of clinical hours but they were half days from 0700 to 1300. We never had more than 2 patients and our final semester we got to work 144 hrs of 12hr shifts with a nurse we were assigned to at the hospital. .

And thats why it is a generalization. At my school we do twelve hour shifts over the summers (which was medsurg and gero for me). And I have to complete 180 hours for my preceptorship.

Jules A, MSN · Oct 22, 2009

This really concerns me!! I have plans to apply to an Accelerated-BSN program in about a year- what kind of questions can I ask the program coordinator to make sure I'm not one of these students who graduates w/out the type of experience you are talking about? Thanks in advance!

As others have said no program should be labeled in general so don't be too worried. As for your program I would ask about how many clinical hours you will be getting. We did about 650 hours and while we surely had a lot to learn I felt very comfortable with basic patient care skills, injections etc. Much of it is the individual and how they act with the nurses teaching them. Sorry if this sounds harsh because in general I have had great experiences with students and new grads but give me a nit wit and I'm not letting them near one of my sick patients. I think the biggest thing is to avail yourself to the experience. Be open, friendly and willing to work while at your clinical sites.

Jules A, MSN · Oct 22, 2009

My view on this topic is as follows: I rather be knowledge smart than be hands on..simple I can learn to insert the damn foley but it is my brain that will be more helpful when they patient goes blue...

Hopefully you will be both and of course you will learn as you work but the bottom line is that your knowledge won't be worth a hoot if you can't accurately draw up an injection when that "patient goes blue". FWIW I could teach a 10 year old to insert a foley with enough practice but it is more about common sense which is critical thinking and as an adult if that is lacking there will be problems, imo.