The *EXPERT* Beginner

Nurses Relations

Updated:   Published

  1. Do new nursing grads have an increased sense of expertise?

    • 16
      Yes
    • 14
      Kinda sorta
    • 15
      Not that I've noticed
    • 11
      No, you're becoming a newbie hater

30 members have participated

Is anybody else sick to death of new nurses acting like they are somehow experts all the sudden because they passed a state board exam?

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When I passed mine both times (LVN & RN), I felt like I knew enough to practice safely and now had a license to learn.

The further I continue in my career, the more I feel I am learning. Yet, somehow these folks just got out of school and they are the experts on charting, assessment, etc. but don't know their meds or skills??

It doesn't help the situation when new grads are told to not show weakness in front of anyone. This "arrogant" behavior could very well be a cover up of a scared new grad afraid to ask a question because of all the eye rolls and gossip. While attitude has never stopped me from asking a question to be safe, I can see why new grads do it.

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SleeepyRN said:
It doesn't help the situation when new grads are told to not show weakness in front of anyone. This "arrogant" behavior could very well be a cover up of a scared new grad afraid to ask a question because of all the eye rolls and gossip. While attitude has never stopped me from asking a question to be safe, I can see why new grads do it.

My very first unit manager was a person promoting this idea. She hated for me to ask any questions and would often say, "You have the same RN behind your name as I do." Yes but I don't have all your experience!!! (This was LTC). What I finally said to her was that last time I checked, they were paying me the beginner bucks so she would have to start treating me like a beginner. She was actually nice after that! Haha.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/ICU/Stepdown.

Sheesh. So negative. Where is the appreciation for new graduates who have a solid knowledge base and don't blunder around like idiots? Or those that have a healthy amount of confidence in what they DO know? How does having information and feeling prepared equal arrogance and danger?

I mean, I get it if they're completely oblivious to their own barriers, but not being a whimpering newbie clinging to their preceptor's side doesn't make them an arrogant know-it-all.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

I once encountered a new grad who was convinced that she knew everything. Absolutely convinced. (She had no appreciable sense of humor, either, which made it really difficult for me to deal with her.) In frustration, one day, I sighed out loud and announced that "People who think they know everything make it really difficult for those of us who actually DO know everything." She didn't get it. She agreed with me that she knew how difficult it was!

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Specializes in Emergency Department.
Ruby Vee said:
I once encountered a new grad who was convinced that she knew everything. Absolutely convinced. (She had no appreciable sense of humor, either, which made it really difficult for me to deal with her.) In frustration, one day, I sighed out loud and announced that "People who think they know everything make it really difficult for those of us who actually DO know everything." She didn't get it. She agreed with me that she knew how difficult it was!

Now that's funny...

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SleeepyRN said:
It doesn't help the situation when new grads are told to not show weakness in front of anyone. This "arrogant" behavior could very well be a cover up of a scared new grad afraid to ask a question because of all the eye rolls and gossip. While attitude has never stopped me from asking a question to be safe, I can see why new grads do it.

There's a difference between "weakness" and "not knowing everything." If I tell you to not show weakness, I basically mean, don't fall down into a puddle of tears because you get some criticism. Asking questions (reasonable ones that you've put some thought into) is perfectly fine.

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I am a new nurse with less than 2 years experience. I have a different problem " I know that I know nothing" just enough to provide safe care but not even close to expert level! God knew he couldn't be with me at all times so he created Google , I google a lot of meds, dx, etc!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Ruby Vee said:
"The more I learn, the more I find out how much I don't know" makes a great signature line, and it's very true as well. The new grad -- or experienced nurse -- who can tell me that is a good orientee!

As well as a better nurse. :yes:

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Specializes in home & public health, med-surg, hospice.

I should apologize for making generalizations. Mainly, I was just venting. I haven't posted in the forums in years and didn't realize it'd become a place whereby making observations/venting frustrations would cause one to be accused of reveling in bashing other nurses.

To avoid generalizations and to be more specific, I work with a nurse who just got her RN license 6 weeks ago and on 3 different occasions I have seen her hold her name badge up to students and tell them, "Until you get one of these, you don't know nothing! "

And I get tired of the arrogance.

So now y'all tell me, am I just not appreciating everything she's bringing to the table or is this a nurse who just got their license and somehow thinks she is an expert of some sort?

Like I said I apologize for making generalizations but some of y'all are making assumptions and being a little defensive too.

Again, that's my fault for not being specific. However, I will say in response to a previous question, yes, compared to previous generations of new nurse grads I do think there's a greater sense of bravado amongst a lot of the new grads I see coming out now.

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Specializes in Public Health, TB.

I hold management at least partially responsible for the novice/expert by expecting them to be up and running by the of their orientation period. An orientation that has been piecemeal, spread over several preceptors, interrupted by high census, poor staffing. They are off orientation, expected to take a full load of very sick patients with no one to mentor them because we are all running our tushes off.

I had a new grad ask me to start a new IV as the IV tubing was all one piece with the angiocath. She had no idea that the tubing would come off the hub of the angio. :wideyed:

I saw another new grad put a patient into a critical condition because she started 5 liters of fluid at once in 5 different IV sites that she took great pride in placing. Her comment was that "nurses eat their young".:no:

Sorry, newbies. I was there once, but had some awesome mentorship. I wish you did too.

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Specializes in Urology, ENT.
nursej22 said:
I hold management at least partially responsible for the novice/expert by expecting them to be up and running by the of their orientation period. An orientation that has been piecemeal, spread over several preceptors, interrupted by high census, poor staffing. They are off orientation, expected to take a full load of very sick patients with no one to mentor them because we are all running our tushes off.

I had a new grad ask me to start a new IV as the IV tubing was all one piece with the angiocath. She had no idea that the tubing would come off the hub of the angio. :wideyed:

I saw another new grad put a patient into a critical condition because she started 5 liters of fluid at once in 5 different IV sites that she took great pride in placing. Her comment was that "nurses eat their young".:no:

Sorry, newbies. I was there once, but had some awesome mentorship. I wish you did too.

...well if I started 5 IVs (as in placement, not starting fluids), I'd be kinda proud too -- like 5 different people, but in one person? 5 liters in at the same time? O.O; oh my...

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Kelly_the_Great said:
I should apologize for making generalizations. Mainly, I was just venting. I haven't posted in the forums in years and didn't realize it'd become a place whereby making observations/venting frustrations would cause one to be accused of reveling in bashing other nurses.

To avoid generalizations and to be more specific, I work with a nurse who just got her RN license 6 weeks ago and on 3 different occasions I have seen her hold her name badge up to students and tell them, "Until you get one of these, you don't know nothing! "

And I get tired of the arrogance.

So now y'all tell me, am I just not appreciating everything she's bringing to the table or is this a nurse who just got their license and somehow thinks she is an expert of some sort?

Like I said I apologize for making generalizations but some of y'all are making assumptions and being a little defensive too.

Again, that's my fault for not being specific. However, I will say in response to a previous question, yes, compared to previous generations of new nurse grads I do think there's a greater sense of bravado amongst a lot of the new grads I see coming out now.

Oh, my. "And 6 weeks in, you may know some things, but you do not know everything". A mentor of mine from years ago said to me "I know what I know, but I am also aware of what I don't know--and learning where to find it".

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