Type B in a Type A world

Nurses General Nursing

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Bg: started new job a couple months ago. Love my job but my problem?

I have been dealing with a couple of super type A ICU nurses. You know the type. The ones who seem to be super nurses. Always think their **** doesn't stink and think their way is the only way.

This wouldn't be an issue if I wasn't being precepted by a few of them and know they throw each other under the bus. The night shift preceptor I have is amazing but the day shift ones I have seem to enjoy picking me apart. They are always riding me and breathing down my neck.

I am type b. I learn by doing and not having some watch me like a hawk and criticizing every...single...thing that I do while I am doing it.

How do I deal with these people? I am almost done with orientation. My night shift preceptor is great and I only have a couple more weeks until I am on my own. But I know that I will be having to deal with those type A nurses and giving report to them.

Hoe does a type b introvert who is more about the big picture and less about the details survive in a type A icu nursing world that is always caught up in detail?

I am afraid to be ripped to shreds out of orientation for not being "perfect."

Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
After everything you've gone through to get to NICU, you'd throw in the towel because of hovering and being on the upside of the learning curve? What did you expect it to be like? It's NICU, I wouldn't have expected anything else.

Every new nursing job is tough the first couple of years but if you don't stick with it and just get through it, you'll never reach the place of confident competence. And let me tell you, we've all been there and it's sweet to be on the other side.

If I can get on the other side, lol.

I just had a rough night on orientation (after being gone for a couple of weeks) that makes me wonder if I should just say screw it and cut my losses.

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
If I can get on the other side, lol.

I just had a rough night on orientation (after being gone for a couple of weeks) that makes me wonder if I should just say screw it and cut my losses.

IMO, no, you should not.

Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
IMO, no, you should not.

After this past shift I feel like I may not have a choice.

Whenever the idea of more orientation is brought up, I feel that is just another way of saying "you should quit. "

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I am so sorry you are having a rough time. I know what you went through to get NICU/your dream job. Hang in there; go where your heart tells you.

Specializes in NICU, Cardiac.
Honestly I am wondering if I should throw in the towel and just be done with it. It is unfortunate because I love the NICU but I honestly hate my coworkers.

I get tired of being made to feel stupid and incompetent. I do so much better when I am just left the hell alone and not have someone hover over me like a hawk.

I'm a NICU nurse too and I had a very similar experience when I came out of orientation. I think it is a heightened environment for bullying because of the seriousness of caring for someone's baby and the strong personalities. I remember going to the supply room to cry because I just felt SO alone. It was a rough transition to a place where people made sure I knew how stupid I was. I found "my people" and tried to avoid the mean girls. It's been a little over a year now and I've started earning the respect of the mean girls and they've become *almost* friendly to me. Our unit had a lot of turnover over the last few years, so when they saw I wasn't going anywhere, it started getting better. Also, the really toxic girl was fired. It's bullying and it's hazing and it sucks, but if I had to choose between dealing with that and keeping a job that I loved, I choose the job every time.

I'm a type A personality but coming from Med-Surg, I had to change the way I looked at my patient. I assessed my patients but it was quick and symptom/disease focused. You didn't have time with 7-8 patients to do much more. I had to learn to slow down, look at the whole patient, and remember above all else- Taking care of someone else's baby is one of the biggest responsibilities you may ever have. Being Type B in the NICU is fine, but remember to slow down and look at more than the big picture, which was truly my biggest struggle with the transition. Good luck!

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