we often see threads with the title "fired for no reason," or "new grad harassed and fired" or something to that effect. and i always feel at least a little sympathy for the individual involved, if only because i can clearly see by reading between the lines of their self-justifying post that there was a reason for their termination, even if they just don't get it. (there are always a few posts every year from a new grad who is convinced that the reason she's not getting along with her co-workers is that she's just so beautiful they're all jealous, that crowds of mean people are following her around, that she's so wonderful she's going to rock the er or icu or nicu or or and no one sees her wonderfulness clearly, or that some mean, tired, old nurse who ought to retire and get out of the way is targeting her for no good reason.)
i worked with a new grad who was recently terminated for, as she puts it, totally bogus reasons. evidently seeing mine as a sympathetic ear, she went on and on and on about how unfair it was that management expected her to get her act together and actually understand what was going on with her patients. "i've got the time management thing down pat," she said. "i don't know what else they want. they're just picking on me for no good reason." i liked sal, i really did. she was interesting and entertaining and really, really nice. she was also smart, hard-working (when she was at work) and well-educated. but she didn't study outside of work, and really didn't understand what was going on with her patients. i participated in several meetings with her in which it was pointed out that it's not enough to do the tasks, you have to understand why you're doing them. it's not enough to draw the labs. you have to understand what the results mean and then address them. for instance, if the inr is 9, it might explain the nosebleed, the cherry red urine and the fact that the hemoglobin is now 6. giving the coumadin at 6pm as scheduled is not a good thing, even if you gave it right on time and were able to explain to the patient that "it's a blood thinner." i could go on and on.
i got a call from sal today, complaining that she knows she's blackballed for no good reason because she just can't get another job. she wanted me to give her a reference. did she just not get it?
all you new grads out there who are convinced that you're being picked on for no reason, that your more experienced colleagues are just out to get you, and that you're being unfairly targeting, harassed, or picked on, hear this: it may be something you're doing (or not doing) and all those "mean people" are trying to explain it to you so you catch on, learn your job and succeed. we all tried over and over with sal, and she still doesn't get it. are you guilty of the same thing? if your preceptor says you lack critical thinking skills, do you take it to heart, think about it and learn from it? or are you convinced that the entire issue is that she's jealous of your extreme good looks? if your charge nurse charges you with a deficit in your time management skills do you spend time figuring out where you could speed things up a bit? or do you dismiss her as a tired old dog who can't learn a new trick and ought to retire anyway? are you taking to heart and benefitting from any negative feedback you're getting, however poorly given it is? or are you obsessing about how "mean" that nurse was to you and totally overlooking the message?
i wish sal would have "gotten it." she would have been delightful to work with if she had. but right now she's focused on badmouthing her preceptors and the charge nurse, and she still doesn't understand what she did wrong. don't make the same mistakes.
I feel so wishy-washy because I am a seasoned old nurse:bugeyes:, but I remember my first year like yesterday. I was a brand new nurse hired with seven other new grads to the same telemetry floor- (First mistake) I was the only nurse working straight nights full time.-(Second mistake) The only seasoned nurses on night shift were two weekenders; one was an active alcoholic, the other was her codependent doing all her work. I had no preceptor and no resource person (until much later). I soon took my mother into my home after she suffered a major stroke. So I spent my daytime hours looking after her along with my family. I was consistently second guessed when I reported off in the morning. (one time for good reason) That was then. I'm not angry, as I value my experience in life.
In more recent times I turned off a few new nurses with unasked-for advice. But I still like teaching. And I will also advocate for a new nurse if I see mal-treatment by a doctor, ect. Looks never enter into it as me and most of my peers have pretty daughters that we don't want to be picked on. My advice to the new nurses is to hang in there long enough for the experience, but when you see the writing on the wall...go to a less intensive area and start afresh. Learn from your experiences, both good and bad.
I feel so wishy-washy because I am a seasoned old nurse:bugeyes:, but I remember my first year like yesterday. I was a brand new nurse hired with seven other new grads to the same telemetry floor- (First mistake) I was the only nurse working straight nights full time.-(Second mistake) The only seasoned nurses on night shift were two weekenders; one was an active alcoholic, the other was her codependent doing all her work. I had no preceptor and no resource person (until much later)."
OMG I remember having only a year of ortho experience under my belt and they stuck me in a charge nurse position on nights on a telemetry unit!!! With a bunch of new grads and one mean old nurse who was being demoted from charge nurse because everyone complained about her. What a learning experience that was. In a nursing shortage sometimes they could care less how prepared you are for a position- they just need a body to fill that slot on the schedule. If people knew what really goes on in hospitals the would be so afraid to be patients.
As a new nurse it is very tough getting through school and clinicals. I hate to say this but the majority of nurses/preceptors are not welcoming to new nurses. I do not know too many students that have not had a bad experience with a nurse/preceptor that as a new nurse is fairly traumatizing. Most of us want to do the best we can but it certainly colors your view of nurses and the nursing profession. I was a good student and I am a good nurse however I came out of school with definite holes in my skill/ knowledge base. Reality is-- what we are taught is not how it is and it is very difficult to transition from the school room to a hospital floor. Clinicals is nothing but a small taste of nursing. I have had great preceptors who have made it all worth it and I have had those who make me wish I had chosen another career. I survived but it was hell!!
Before I quit my former job and went to school to become a nurse we had a saying when training new people.
When they have been there a few weeks to get the routine down, but aren't fully ready to fly alone....
"They know enough to be dangerous."
I encountered this personally when I recently transferred to a GU clinic. Very little of my nursing home experience applied. I'd never put in a catheter (now I have mad skills). But I am getting compliments on my willingness to learn and ability to accept correction.
But in all areas, not just nursing...when someone is oblivious to their own role in their problems...they will blame others.
I saw a joke motivational poster that said something like: If all your relationships are dysfunctional....you are probably the problem.
I'm new at this and I have a question...is this near the longest running thread?
Just did a fast look at the first three pages of new posts and there were threads with >400, >500, and >1200 posts. I would say this is NOT near the longest running thread
I guess I will add my 2cents to the mix. When a person is fired, it can be for many reasons. using the whole excuse I was fired because of " good looks" I think is BS. what I don't understand is when a grad makes a mistake/or handles a situation and doesn't get any feedback on how to correct/prevent it for next time. In my experience when a situation happened after all was said and done when i asked for feedback, I either got no response, or the response "it will come with time." Getting the latter response really ticks me off, because I got terminated. Obviously things didn't come in the time the employer wanted. I've just chucked up my experience and am keeping it moving trying to find another job where I get feedback. I rather get positive/negative feedback, critism, what ever you want to call it, than risk my patients lives.
how is a new grad suppose to handle not getting feedback when clearly they are asking to receive it? better yet, how is the grad suppose to progress to function independently with no feedback. pretty much if you are not going to provide feedback to a new grad then that is a huge problem right there, but also the new grad not taking responsiblity in trying to learn the craft is a problem too. I'm sure we all know working as a nurse is nothing like being in nursing school. That is just the way it is.
I would have to agree that sometimes people just don't get it, and it is clear from the thread example posted, the person wasn't getting it and didn't want to try and get it. I mean really with a an INR that high and the drug coumadin in the same sentence, BELLS AND WHISTLES should have been going off in the persons head.
NURSING IS NOT GLAMOROUS!!!!!!!! IT IS HARD WORK!!!!!
i don't know if it's because you're relatively new to the boards or you are just misreading ruby's post, but either way, i find it a bit disrespectful...
esp given the fact that ruby has 30-40 yrs experience, and is a very respected nurse and poster.
she is telling a story.
i didn't see anything that indicated she lacked preceptor skills/finesse and feel you are missing the point of her story.
and, giving coumadin w/an inr of 9, honestly - what the hell WAS this nurse thinking???
you think she should be coddled, treated w/kid gloves?
this is icu, where pts are critically ill.
there's a lot less slack on a unit such as this.
and again, i find it presumptuous and offensive to imply that ruby could have handled it differently.
while no one is beyond reproach, you simply do not know who you're talking to.
ruby is a long time professional, as well as honest, w/integrity and accountability.
and you are way off base on your post,.
leslie
Gee....I thought personal attacks were against policy....hhhmmmm.........
In this new nurse's opinion.... the attitude of "they're out to get me" is a sign of immaturity and inability to accept responsibilty and nurse managers need to know when to cut the apron strings....
and being on the receiving end of no feedback, a hateful and spiteful preceptor (not to mention not teaching me a thing while playing computer games while I took her 7 patients for all 6 weeks of my preceptorship), and a nurse manager that wants to criticize miniscule things while blowing off requests for help....I can say that it has been my experience that precepting someone is definitely an art form, and should not be done just by who is available. Alas, if managers were wise enough to help guide new ones..... I have six months under my belt, and have not had any complaints, but yet, doctors and nurses are shocked when I don't know the exact surgery preps, protocols, etc, for everything that happens.... isn't six months a little soon to expect someone to know the hospital and nursing routines inside and out?
bestbabynurse
60 Posts
I feel so wishy-washy because I am a seasoned old nurse:bugeyes:, but I remember my first year like yesterday. I was a brand new nurse hired with seven other new grads to the same telemetry floor- (First mistake) I was the only nurse working straight nights full time.-(Second mistake) The only seasoned nurses on night shift were two weekenders; one was an active alcoholic, the other was her codependent doing all her work. I had no preceptor and no resource person (until much later). I soon took my mother into my home after she suffered a major stroke. So I spent my daytime hours looking after her along with my family. I was consistently second guessed when I reported off in the morning. (one time for good reason) That was then. I'm not angry, as I value my experience in life.
In more recent times I turned off a few new nurses with unasked-for advice. But I still like teaching. And I will also advocate for a new nurse if I see mal-treatment by a doctor, ect. Looks never enter into it as me and most of my peers have pretty daughters that we don't want to be picked on. My advice to the new nurses is to hang in there long enough for the experience, but when you see the writing on the wall...go to a less intensive area and start afresh. Learn from your experiences, both good and bad.