I think I'm done answering student nurse help me threads here.
I've gotten rude answers, or they never even bother coming back to the thread to acknowledge the answers they received.
Some will ask life choice questions like "Where should I move?" or "Where should I apply?". Do they think someone is going to offer them a job here, is that why they start these threads? You have the whole internet to research towns, cities, regions, but instead you post a thread asking a bunch of strangers where you should move?
Some help me threads seem to be 'Help me do my homework' threads.
And again this thread is about students/nurses posting on this forum. As in: not a real live situation happening in front of you right this second. You're always going to be learning something new. Not just as a new grad but through your whole career. So you're always going to have to know where to look/who to ask for answers.[/quote']
And I can completely understand and appreciate that as a fact. If I had an issue with life-long learning, why on earth would I get into the medical field? Seriously. But, as you point out, it isn't just about the WHERE to look for answers, but the WHO to look to that's also important. I don't know why any senior member of the staff would take issue with a younger, less experienced nurse asking for a solution when it would mean a significant improvement in a patient outcome. It does not make me lazy. It means I am utilizing my resources. Whether I learn it from a procedure or from a more seasoned nurse showing me, I have the answer I need, I learn what I needed to learn, and the patient benefits.
And I can completely understand and appreciate that as a fact. If I had an issue with life-long learning, why on earth would I get into the medical field? Seriously. But, as you point out, it isn't just about the WHERE to look for answers, but the WHO to look to that's also important. I don't know why any senior member of the staff would take issue with a younger, less experienced nurse asking for a solution when it would mean a significant improvement in a patient outcome. It does not make me lazy. It means I am utilizing my resources. Whether I learn it from a procedure or from a more seasoned nurse showing me, I have the answer I need, I learn what I needed to learn, and the patient benefits.
It isn't a stereotype if there is evidence to support it. I have been told so, so many times to "buck up" by older, more experienced nurses because "that's what we were told to do" and I'd be a "better nurse if I figured it out on my own." None of which should ever be said to a new graduate, nor someone just shy of a month off orientation. Just because that's how it WAS doesn't mean it should be how it IS.
REALLY?? What are you doing that you've been told to buck up "so, so many times???" I have never once been told to do this, but if I ask something, I usually have the research to back it up, or if I don't, say I'll come back with that info. You HAVE to have a thick skin to be a nurse. I've seen patients intimidate new nurses, and I've had to step in as a STUDENT. This isn't how it WAS, this is how it IS. YOU need to able to think through a situation. No one expects a new grad to be perfect and to have all of the answers and to never ask for help, but if you're asking for it so much and in situations that the other nurses are having to tell you to "buck up", it might be time for some introspection.
If a thread like THIS gets your feathers ruffled (seriously??), you're being way too thin-skinned. And frankly, poaching a thread that was otherwise fun.
At my workplace we have a student shadowing one of our staff nurses. In my opinion, you couldn't ask to have a better nurse to shadow as this gal is one of the brightest and most easy going people I know. This student though.... It's like taking some of the worst student nurse posts, combining them all together and turning them into a living breathing person! She's a nightmare! I heard her ask her preceptor the same question four times in one 8 hour shift! Literally the exact same question. I don't know if they just weren't listening or didn't care for the answer they got but holy cow. So painful to watch.
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
And I can completely understand and appreciate that as a fact. If I had an issue with life-long learning, why on earth would I get into the medical field? Seriously. But, as you point out, it isn't just about the WHERE to look for answers, but the WHO to look to that's also important. I don't know why any senior member of the staff would take issue with a younger, less experienced nurse asking for a solution when it would mean a significant improvement in a patient outcome. It does not make me lazy. It means I am utilizing my resources. Whether I learn it from a procedure or from a more seasoned nurse showing me, I have the answer I need, I learn what I needed to learn, and the patient benefits.
But if you rely solely on asking others, the day will come when 1) you may be the most senior person on your shift due to call offs/other issues, and the lesser experienced nurses come to you wanting guidance; 2) JC comes for one of their nice visits and comes up to you and says, "Show me where your policy is for dealing with "x." In addition, sometimes you may get an answer from someone that doesn't follow P&P. If you take that advice and the pt. goes south, saying, "Nancy Nurse said..." Admin. is going to want to know why you didn't follow P&P.
You have to learn to think for yourself...the sooner the better. Sure, you also need to know who your best resources are, but someday, you'll know what it feels like to have one person after the other tugging your hemline saying, "How do you do this/that?"
If you intend to finish your RN-MSN/FNP program, you're going to have to be able to think things through on. your. own.
I have no problem helping a new nurse with a patient situation. But if it's not an exigent circumstance, I want to know what that nurse did to answer his/her own question.
nynursey_
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