Social Skills Should Be a Bigger Focus in Nursing School

Hannahbanana, BSN, MSN · May 20, 2021

Trying to PM you but no such link anywhere. Maybe AN doesn't like Firefox or something.

We had one nurse per room (two beds or one bed) and a float between two or maybe three rooms for breaks and supplies and extra muscle. It was the best. They couldn't short-staff us because of that.

E2B had four single (or maybe 6? I forget now) private rooms, two four-bed wards (2 nurses in those) and the rest 2-bed rooms. Also no central monitors, same staffing pattern. Awesome.

oh heck, email me. [email protected]

CABGpatch_RN, BSN · May 20, 2021

I have to get ready to go for now, but I will send an email. Can't wait to chat!

Hannahbanana, BSN, MSN · May 20, 2021

?

TriciaJ, RN · May 21, 2021

11 hours ago, CABGpatch_RN said:

When did Nursing become a focus on how new nurses feel? Seriously?

When I was a new grad, I learned from one of the very first...ever, flight nurses in the US. I learned from nurses who were present in the CVICU during the very first....ever heart transplant in the US. I learned from that transplant doctor and SO many ah-mazing nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, and every single ancillary staff member. I learned from nurses who took the profession of nursing with the utmost respect....commanding that respect. It wasn't about them, it wasn't about me, it was about the patients, the team and working toward a common goal. Their teaching was ongoing for years and years. I always knew who I could go to.

Sure, some of those teachers of mine were old(er) and a little crusty and impatient at times, but that was because there wasn't time to coddle new nurses. The patient required, frequently, immediate attention. If I was cowering in a corner somewhere because I felt uncared for, then I would have missed the massively important learning opportunities that were happening before my eyes. They made me do it! I wasn't allowed to cower. Did I take that personally? Heck No!

I was made to feel it wasn't about me. And I will be forever grateful for that lesson. There were new nurses who would avoid these types of nurses because they were afraid or whatever of them. But I was drawn to them. I understood what they were trying to accomplish....delivering outstanding patient-focused care. There was never a single thing made out to be or taken personally. Again. No time for that nonsense. They made me gain the confidence I needed to be an excellent, patient-focused RN, that was their expectation of me. Confidence was required and that came with the thousands of a-ha moments I had.

I have been a preceptor too many times to count. I mentored SO many in CVICU. I projected much of what I learned early on. I helped new nurses realize their capabilities by teaching and requiring demonstration of what they learned. I prompted and lead to them think for themselves. I lived for the light bulb lighting up in their eyes when they truly began to understand the whys and how's and consequences of what they were doing.

Why isn't stuff like my experience taught in nursing school about who a new nurse will be learning from? It was in my education. Expectations were set from the get-go about who would be my teachers in the bedside setting. I learned early on that preceptors and others were taking their time to teach ME. They didn't have to do it.

I think new nurses need to get over themselves and soak up every bit of everything related to patient care, workflows, resources. It's not about you. It's about the profession of nursing and how to gain confidence and command respect in that regard. Only YOU can make that happen. Why is any attention whatsoever given to work drama? Your focus, 100%, is patient centered.

Teaching social skills? Um no. Teaching what realistic expectations of new nurses will be by their preceptors? Yes. Remember preceptors are not only ensuring the management of their patients is safe and focused on excellent evidence-based nursing care, they have the added responsibility of their preceptee doing the same.

All I can think of saying is, be an adult professional. This nonsense of hurt feelings does nothing good for professional nursing.

I can't "like" this enough. This post should be required nursing school reading.

FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN · May 21, 2021

On 5/18/2021 at 5:15 PM, Kenneth S. Veillon said:

So many new grads are unprepared for the social aspect of the field. They almost unilaterally complain of personality conflicts with peers and management and frequently leave the whole field because they aren't able to deal with personalities.

In my opinion, this needs to be addressed in regards to the preperation of new grads.

Its not happening because of a lack of social skills on the part of the new grad.

Try again.

FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN · May 21, 2021

15 hours ago, JKL33 said:

Not even sure if your premise is true.

I do think that people don't like to be treated like crap as a matter of routine. I think there is a huge discrepancy between the way that staff nurses are supposed to conduct themselves vs. the conduct they are supposed to accept from others (superiors and employers, specifically).

It would be one thing if this really were about not being able to "deal with personalities;" personally I think what is being rejected, if anything, is the meddling, nitpicking, blaming, scapegoating and vilifying that goes on towards staff nurses, who do not control the resources needed to provide excellent patient care. It affects everything.

I'm glad that some are willing to reject this kind of treatment. And it doesn't bother me if their rejection involves leaving nursing.

Amen to this.

Many (not all) workplaces are extremely degrading to our profession.

Hannahbanana, BSN, MSN · May 21, 2021

The pendulum is beginning to swing back from the "everybody gets a participation trophy" and "everybody's self-esteemy feels are paramount" but there's still a lot of it out there.

Emergent, RN · May 21, 2021

I interpreted the OPs opening post as meaning the nursing students need guidance into the social dynamics of the nursing workplace.

I think what we see often is new nurses either overly confident and know-it-allish, or overly sensitive to any remarks or criticisms.

I don't see anything harmful, and I see a lot that could be useful in teaching nursing students how to conduct themselves better. It doesn't mean that you are coddling them, but guiding them to fit in socially, and have better rapport and communication with co-workers. Those skills lead to better outcomes for patients oh, and a more successful career for a new nurse.

Jedrnurse, BSN, RN · May 21, 2021

3 minutes ago, Emergent said:

I interpreted the OPs opening post as meaning the nursing students need guidance into the social dynamics of the nursing workplace.

I think what we see often is new nurses either overly confident and know-it-allish, or overly sensitive to any remarks or criticisms.

I don't see anything harmful, and I see a lot that could be useful in teaching nursing students how to conduct themselves better. It doesn't mean that you are coddling them, but guiding them to fit in socially, and have better rapport and communication with co-workers. Those skills lead to better outcomes for patients oh, and a more successful career for a new nurse.

I'm still stuck on how you teach this to young adults. Are you aware of any credible curricula?

allnurses Guide · May 21, 2021

21 hours ago, Hannahbanana said:

Oddly, suicide stats are down over the last 14 months.

Rates of suicidal ideation among at risk adolescents increased from around 15.8% in 2019 to around 24.6% in 2020. The sample studied was a comparatively small one but the biggest stressors to leading to SI among teens and tweens during the pandemic were loss of societal safety nets in terms of accesses food, shelter and safety, Inability to go out/leave the house, missing out on important events (graduation activities specifically). More frequent arguments with parents etc......

Are you perhaps talking about suicidality among adults?

Thompson, E. C., Thomas, S. A., Burke, T. A., Nesi, J., MacPherson, H. A., Bettis, A. H., Kudinova, A. Y., Affleck, K., Hunt, J., & Wolff, J. C. (2021). Suicidal thoughts and behaviors in psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents pre- and post- COVID-19: A historical chart review and examination of contextual correlates. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 4, 100100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2021.100100

Hannahbanana, BSN, MSN · May 21, 2021

8 minutes ago, hppygr8ful said:

Are you perhaps talking about suicidality among adults?

Since we were discussing nurses, most of whom are adults.... yes.

Jedrnurse, BSN, RN · May 21, 2021

1 hour ago, Hannahbanana said:

Since we were discussing nurses, most of whom are adults.... yes.

Ouch.

ouch (interj.)

exclamation expressing pain, 1837, from Pennsylvania German outch, cry of pain, from German autsch. The Japanese word is itai. Latin used au, hau.

Although I am glad you included the qualifier "most"; I've certainly met a few nurses over the years that provoked doubts...