sharing information as a new grad nurse

[soxfan80]

I am a new grad nurse of 3 months. I'm working on a busy floor in an acute care hospital where I used to be a nursing assistant.

I ask alot of questions because I am new to this role, and my nurse manager gave me feedback today that a couple nurses mentioned that they think I"m baiting them into telling them the wrong information. This idea was started by my first preceptor (who was quickly changed to someone else), and although she now works on a different shift, I feel that she shared her opinion with others. This perception is absolutely false, and I don't want it to spread around that that is my intention. My new preceptor says that she doesn't feel that way.

How should I handle this? Should I be scared to ask questions when I really want to learn, or should I ask other staff if they have gotten the same impression of me? I have worked with these people for 3 years and thought that I had good relationships with them. And while it's only a couple nurses who have said this (and didn't give concrete examples of why they think so), when I heard it, I actually cried because it was so off.

The other feedback that I got from my nurse manager (from those other couple of nurses) was that I think I'm a "know it all". The thing is, whenever I have a question that no one is able to answer, I go home and look it up and then share it with those who didn't know. I thought that this was helpful (my first profession before nursing was as a teacher), but I'm feeling like experienced nurses don't want to learn anything from a new grad. Should I not share information? At times, such information could help to save a patient from harm, and so I have shared what I know in those circumstances. But now I feel like I should keep my mouth shut.

Any advice?

[emilynicole87]

I am also a New Nurse, licensed April 2009. It's great that you ask questions but, sometimes in the hustle and bustle of our busy days on the floor; New nurses have the potential to burden the experienced ones. We don't mean to but it can easily happen.

My suggestion would be to find another new grad to look to. I have done this and it works out well for the both of us. When there's something I'm unsure of I always look it up on my own first, then look to my new grad/partner in crime, then we may look to the guidance of someone more experienced. The key is to always humble yourself.....sometimes the excitement of being a new nurse can be misinterpreted as being a "know it all." There's nothing cooler than the excitement of those "new nurse" experiences when you're finally applying all those skills and pieces of knowledge you worked so hard to learn. When you do find an answer to a question, I would never deliberately present the answer to an experienced nurse who didn't know, unless of course they asked you. You'll always have that answer if it comes up again and will be able to make the right decision because of it.

Also, Try to not let yourself get caught up in the work place drama. It doesn't matter what you do, people are always going to find something to talk about or Make something up to talk about!

Good luck!