do you think i am annoying?

erin01 · Sep 21, 2009

oh and by the way ...i never give the impression to my patient that i am not confident or really unsure or do i let MD's feel my nervousness! I just thought it was ok to show uncertainty to my peers=(

nursejoy1, ASN, RN · Sep 21, 2009

If you have been assigned a preceptor, that means they are to be there for any procedure that you feel unsure of. That is what preceptors are assigned to do. If they do not want to assist new or inexperienced nurses to learn, they should not accept the assignment. Always ask questions if you are unsure. These are people we are dealing with and at times, mistakes could cost a life or cause severe injury. I worked w/ an LPN that was going back for her RN and she asked a lot of questions, very insecure in her ablilities, though she did a great job. One of her instructors told her- "you ask too many questions. They should've taught you that in LPN classes." I told my friend that I probably would've been dismissed from the program for telling the instructor that it was her job to teach me and I was there to learn and that if I knew it all, I would have her job. Good Luck to you!!!:heartbeat

Student2Registered · Sep 21, 2009

It was probably a bad moment for your preceptor. Even if you are annoying it is so important to ask whatever you are unsure of. Don't worry you'll work with these people for years and one day you will be in the break room laughing with them about how "annoying" you were as a new grad...I ask a lot of questions too and sometimes I feel like I'm annoying them and I feel like a stupid little new grad but then I tell myself better to annoy them then hurt a patient...

I've had to learn ot be patient with myself. Being a new grad is so hard on the self esteem.

Mulan · Sep 21, 2009

I was once criticized by a unit manger (Lt Commander at a Navy hospital), "you're so afraid of making a mistake, you double check everything".

I thought being careful and checking was a good thing, I guess not everyone sees it that way.

I have decades of experience and still ask questions.

Don't be afraid to ask a question, if someone gets annoyed, that is their problem. They probably don't know the answer.

leslie :-D · Sep 21, 2009

It was probably a bad moment for your preceptor. Even if you are annoying it is so important to ask whatever you are unsure of. Don't worry you'll work with these people for years and one day you will be in the break room laughing with them about how "annoying" you were as a new grad...I ask a lot of questions too and sometimes I feel like I'm annoying them and I feel like a stupid little new grad but then I tell myself better to annoy them then hurt a patient...
I've had to learn ot be patient with myself. Being a new grad is so hard on the self esteem.

very good post, student.

i too, am thinking it is more about the preceptor's mindset and really has nothing to do with you at all.

she likely feels a bit overwhelmed if she is the most experienced nurse on the floor and all these new grads depend on her.

(don't be fooled by how some act so confident...you just don't know if they've been requiring help either.)

your request was very reasonable.

try not to take it personally.

9 times out of 10, it's the 'other' person with the attitude.:)

leslie

erin01 · Sep 21, 2009

thanks everyone! I am off orientation now for about 2 3 weeks...so i thought my preceptor would be more helpful but its the last person i think i am going to unless its really serious!!!!!!!

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Sep 21, 2009

sometimes you just know who you are going to based on who's there. I'm the first one who's offering to call a dr for another one if they are dealing with 8 other issues, or the first one who's willing to try to start an IV if it goes bad....

other nights, I'm the one who has to ask so and so "hey, if they are getting x, and their other issue is this....would you call or no?" That's usually my bugaboo...i've been burned by not calling in the past...so now i call on almost everything.

we laugh about it when I first started...but now I have learned...and feel confident when I catch something.

ShyViolet · Sep 22, 2009

I used to ask questions before I did pretty much anything! I got teased about some of the things I asked, but now that there have been a few newer batches of nurses coming to me with questions I feel like I'd rather know that they feel comfortable and safe to come to me if they aren't sure. Quality patient care is at stake, and I don't think you should ever feel like you aren't allowed to seek help with that.

It was good of you to ask for assistance on the straight cath if you'd never done it; I don't think catheters are hard at all now, but I still remember the days when inserting a Foley seemed like the scariest thing I could possibly have to do!

SunnyAndrsn · Sep 22, 2009

One of my favorite nursing school instructors drilled it into my head that I should always ask for help if I'm doing something that I haven't done before and am unsure of...regardless of how long you are off of orientation. I've never accessed a port a cath, but I'm off of orientation....I'd get someone in there to help me who can teach me to do it on an actual person vs. the school lump of fake flesh.

It's MY License on the line...if I need help, I'm getting it to protect myself and my patients.

It takes more than a couple of weeks to really get comfortable on the floor. Heck, it took several months before the butterflies went away before every shift.

so i have graduated about 3years ago but have never worked bedside. I feel like a new grad=( I am on my own now i guess this would be week 3! i always ask questions about anything i am unsure of. Even if i just want to run it by someone to get there opinion. say would you hold this bp med? or can you double check this order and make sure i am not missing something? I never ask the same question more than once either. But the reason i now have ..well started to feel bad , is the other day i asked my preceptor if she could help me with a strait cath as i have not done one on my own. Now i wanted to do it just to have someone there to guide me. she rolled her eyes, seemed annoyed and never answered. So i found someone else to help. Should i have been able to handle this on my own by now? i am just so nervous on my own, and i thought it was good to ask questions? should i have more confidence in myself at this point? I just figured i should ask now, and learn as much as i can! I now feel really stupid and wonder what everyone must think of this inadequate person!!!!!!!! the saddest part is the preceptor is the most experienced one on the floor and its the other new grads i find are more than willing to help me!
there is another new nurse maybe a week or two ahead of me who looks like she is running the place!!!!! I wonder what am i doing wrong, and when i told her about the strait cath ..she said i just would not have done it! Wow i dont think thats good either! She was asked to do a day shift and it made me wondered if it was because she was doing so well! God am i a total idiot? i just dont want to hurt or kill anyone and want to do things the proper way.,well i work tonight and maybe i wont be so stupid=(
Adv or suggestions?

Wicked Wahine · Sep 22, 2009

You know, some of the learning curve I'm working through right now is figuring out who to ask for what. If I want a completely by the book, "this is how we do it in 100% perfect land" type answer, then I ask so-and-so. If I need help with an IV (I'm terrible at putting in IV's, I always at least try once or twice before asking for help with one), I know to ask certain people because I've learned that they're really good at starting them. If I have a wound care question, I ask this person and if I have a cardiac med question then I ask one of these LPNs or RNs who have been doing this for a hundred years. The thing I don't do is get discouraged if I can't get an answer and/or help the first try. Well, I TRY to not get discouraged!

Anyways, start building your team of resources now so that you're not always asking your old preceptor. Besides, there are a hundred ways to do most everything, so I find it really helpful to see how other people do it rather than just one person. It helps me find the way that works best for me.

Oh, and you can't compare yourself to someone else. First off, you don't know for a fact that the other new nurse is doing any better than you are. Maybe she's not but just seems confident (or feels confident because she has no idea she's messing up? who knows). Maybe she is easing into it more easily than you are but who cares? She's her and you're you and there isn't anything in the world you can do to change that. Work with what you got and be proud of the good work you're doing now. I really try to do that and I don't always succeed at it, but when I am able to, boy it feels so much better than stressing about not measuring up.

BluegrassRN · Sep 23, 2009

Of course you should always ask for help if you feel like you need it...but on the other hand, make sure your FIRST step isn't to ask for help. You have other resources.

I personally am annoyed by new nurses whose first step is to ask for help or to ask a question.

Example:

New nurse: "Hey Blue, is this IV push compatible with LR?"

Me: "What did the drug book, the MAR (which has a section on compatibility), or the compatibility chart hanging in the Med Room?"

Now, it is not so annoying to me when the response is "Yeah, I looked and I couldn't find the answer." Although my second response is going to be "Then you need to call pharmacy."

It is VERY annoying when the response is, "Nooo, I didn't."

Another example:

New nurse: "Hey Blue, can you look at a saline lock for me?"

Me: "What's going on with it?"

New nurse: "I tried to flush it but it wouldn't flush. I tried repositioning it, aspirating for blood return, nothing. Can you try?"

What I say: "Sounds like you did everything I would have done. Just call IV therapy."

What I am thinking: "Why the h*** did you call me about this? Why didn't you just call IV therapy? What sort of magic do you think I have?"

Use your drug book, your pharmacist, your policy, procedures and protocols manual. If you ask me for help on a procedure or situation you are unsure of, and you haven't pulled the protocol and the procedure for it, I will be annoyed. You need to seek some of this information out yourself. That's what we experienced nurses do, every day. Every day I reference our drug books, p/p manuals, and our on-line nursing resources; if I don't find the answer, then I call the appropriate person--not necessarily the person who is the nicest and the most easily accessible, but the one who is the most appropriate.

Every time I get annoyed with a newer nurse, I'm also annoyed with myself. I want to be more patient, a better teacher or mentor, a better resource. But I also want them to be able to seek out information on their own. I don't want to hold their hand through EVERYTHING, you know. I have trouble finding balance with this, but I'm trying.

And, although I have been a preceptor for new nurses, I only get a light load when I'm precepting you officially. When you are off orientation, I no longer have a lighter load. Meaning I have my own work to do. So, new nurses, please keep that in mind when you are asking for help. Yes, I will try to help you if I can. No, it is not always possible, and it is definitely not always possible right that instant.

So, long story short, when asking for help:

Take a deep breath. Can you find this info on your own? If so, find it. Do you know the answer to this question? If so, why are you going to ask for validation? If not, who is the most appropriate person to ask? Is it something that needs to be answered now, or can it wait until a slower time?