Seasoned Nurses VS Newbie Nurses

Nurses General Nursing

Published

As I've stated in multiple other posts, I am a new grad in the ER. As a new grad, I do not possess the EXPERIENCE that a seasoned nurse has; however, I have noticed that many seasoned nurses are not up to date with new standards that were taught to us in school.

How can one bridge the gap between old knowledge vs newer knowledge?

Here is a perfect example. We were doing ACLS and all the new grads were very knowledgeable regarding the new ACLS protocol; however, a more seasoned nurse was there as well and was following a different protocol that was practiced years ago and not up to date.

With preceptorship coming soon, how do I as a new grad decide what to follow as far as their experience and advice, versus what was taught to me in school?

I am not talking about ACLS protocol here; OBVIOUSLY I am going to follow what the AHA recommends, but I am talking other things here for instance:

-skills

-assessments

-charting

etc.

I have noticed seasoned nurses also don't chart the same as newer nurses, especially because when they had originally started, there was no such thing as an online charting system.

I respect all seasoned nurses and love learning from them and their knowledge is absolutely invaluable, but I have noticed a lot of discrepancies between what we learn and what they do.

Any advice?

Pretty sure I never said I told anyone their practice was wrong or outdated, I'm not so sure where you came up with that. I never once mentioned actually saying ANYTHING to any nurses, I asked for advice on how to bridge the gap between what was learned in school and what I see done in practice. Apparently you didn't see that when reading the post?

I'm pretty sure you started a thread entitled "seasoned nurses vs newbie nurses" in which you certainly strongly implied that older nurses use outdated practice and are not very good with electronic charting. You may never have said it to your coworkers, but you did share your thoughts here. As I said earlier, you chose your words *very* poorly.

Do you really think you got an avalanche of sarcastic responses because we're all just a bunch of meanies?

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I'm pretty sure you started a thread entitled "seasoned nurses vs newbie nurses" in which you certainly strongly implied that older nurses use outdated practice and are not very good with electronic charting. You may never have said it to your coworkers, but you did share your thoughts here. As I said earlier, you chose your words *very* poorly.

Do you really think you got an avalanche of sarcastic responses because we're all just a bunch of meanies?

It was a catchy title that I knew would bring in responses, I didn't literally mean it to be a boxing match. Relax, Mayweather.

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It was a catchy title that I knew would bring in responses, I didn't literally mean it to be a boxing match. Relax, Mayweather.

Then stop throwing punches, McGregor.

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It was a catchy title that I knew would bring in responses,

There's a term for that.

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It was a catchy title that I knew would bring in responses, I didn't literally mean it to be a boxing match. Relax, Mayweather.

You don't need catchy to get a response around here. ;)

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Specializes in Psychiatric and emergency nursing.
Then stop throwing punches, McGregor.

McGregor and Mayweather... love it!

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Well, thank goodness you're there to show all the experienced nurses what they're doing wrong.

... That was so rude. and the fact that 36 people liked your rude comment shows how this field is. OP was being earnest in their search for advice. They even mentioned respect for older nurses. Geez!!! Surely you all felt the same way when you started about some system. Why is it that a new way of doing things is inherently an attack on your practice? Do you remember nursing school?? The professors are drilling these things into our heads; best practice this, QSEN that. It's absolutely maddening. Sometimes I think they are trying to scare us into what modern nursing looks like- how not to get sued. Ok, I'm being dramatic...but some days that's what it feels like, so as new nurses or nursing students we go on the floor and all we see are things our professors practically smacked our hands for when we did them. How dare we prime the IVPB tubing into the trash and not backprime, etc?! I mean, really!! Now there's my rant. :)

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Well, thank goodness you're there to show all the experienced nurses what they're doing wrong.

... That was so rude. and the fact that 36 people liked your rude comment shows how this field is. OP was being earnest in their search for advice. They even mentioned respect for older nurses. Geez!!! Surely you all felt the same way when you started about some system. Why is it that a new way of doing things is inherently an attack on your practice? Do you remember nursing school?? The professors are drilling these things into our heads; best practice this, QSEN that. It's absolutely maddening. Sometimes I think they are trying to scare us into what modern nursing looks like- how not to get sued. Ok, I'm being dramatic...but some days that's what it feels like, so as new nurses or nursing students we go on the floor and all we see are things our professors practically smacked our hands for when we did them. How dare we prime the IVPB tubing into the trash and not backprime, etc?! I mean, really!! Now there's my rant.

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On a more realistic note, I expect to be prepared about 5% for the real world of nursing when I graduate so there's that. Boots on the ground is always a huge eye opener.

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When you criticize another employee's way of doing things, how is that employee poised to make your work life intolerable? You know there is a saying that you can be right and you can be dead right, all the way to becoming unemployed.

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Not much has changed in the last 11 years that I know of with regards to assessments, skills, or charting except that instead of paper charting it's all electronic and extremely time consuming. I've lost count of how many times ACLS and BLS have changed. Very first BLS class I took, we were taught that if you came across an unconscious person you would "look, listen, and feel" for 15 seconds, if they weren't breathing you would open their mouth and look for an obstruction, if you saw an obstruction you woud remove it, if you didn't see an obstruction you would do a blind finger sweep and give 2 rescue breaths. If you saw the chest rise with the 2 rescue breaths, you would look listen and feel for another 15 seconds, and if you still didn't feel a pulse you began CPR. I kid you not.

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I take that back. One new thing I have seen is these, I don't know what to call them other than an "antibiotic ball". It's actually pretty cool because it's pressurized and doesn't require a pump. You just hook it up to the IV or central line and unclamp it, and it infuses at whatever rate is ordered by the doc. You know when it's done because the ball flattens out.

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