Welcoming New Nurses

DavidFR, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 15

I guess this varies from hospital to hospital.

Where I work newbies have a hospital orientation day, then are doubled for their first 8 shifts (we do 12s) - can be longer if they need it. They have a document with things to sign off a bit like the students, though somewhat slimmed down, of things they should know before they're let loose. They get a "useful info and phone numbers" document and every unit has protocol folders readily available for us all to consult. I think we're pretty good at welcoming and mentoring our newbies. Anybody being nasty or unwelcoming to newbies wouldn't be tolerated by the team in general, and we're numerous enough for them not to be left alone.

This insn't the case everywhere. I once did an agency night in another hopsital on a GI surgery ward. There was a permanent nurse, myself and a care assistant (relatively small unit). The permanent nurse was asking me questions like it was her the agency nurse and me the fixed - pretty basic things like mixing antibiotics etc. Fortunately I'm a dinasour so new environments doing agency don't faze me so much and I'm experienced enough for most general areas. Half way through the night a manager came down to see her and from their conversation I gleaned it was her first shift ever as a registered nurse. And she'd been thrown in like that with an agency nurse as her support.

So there - two extremes from France!

JBMmom, MSN, NP · Jan 15

I think even more than varying from hospital to hospital, this is going to vary from unit to unit. The mix of personalities that ends up working in any given unit can impact things in so many ways. I know that in my hospital there are two med surg wings that would be great for new nurses, but a third is awful because two of the older nurses are flat out mean. And it's not only older nurses responsible for this type of behavior. My own unit has developed a clique of nurses that hand off each other the best assignments and pick who will get the worst ones. It's just sad when people use making other people badly as a way to make themselves feel better. It's not only nursing, though, it's human nature and happens in all areas of life.

MoLo · Jan 15

Interesting that as nurses we give our patients our best, no matter the cost, but we are not always kind to the next generation of ourselves, who would benefit greatly from the mentoring and nurturing. It's good to hear that maybe this is becoming more of an outlier than the norm. I remember as a new grad sticking close to my new peers for survival.

Journey_On, BSN, RN · Jan 17

I think we have moved to a more welcoming, mentoring attitude. At least on my unit it feels that way. We have a lot of newer, younger nurses, and the general vibe is chill, so I think that has a lot to do with it.

IndecisiveRN97 · Jan 17

I also think we have progressed in some way. I graduated in 2021 and for the most part all the nurses I've encountered have been great, and welcoming. Not sure if the pandemic has to do with it, or just the newer generation becoming more wiser. Sometimes the older nurses on social media platforms do some bullying though..

DallasRN · Jan 17

MoLo said:

Interesting that as nurses we give our patients our best, no matter the cost, but we are not always kind to the next generation of ourselves, who would benefit greatly from the mentoring and nurturing.

Not to mention that each of us will one day be a patient needing care from a nurse we can only hope was mentored and nurtured.

MoLo · Jan 18

I am encouraged!! There has been so much attention to peer behavior over the years, maybe we have finally turned most of this corner.