What is up with the level of entitlement?

Nurses General Nursing

Updated:   Published

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I’m a seasoned nurse with a lot of years of experience. I work hard to take care of my patients and their basic needs, and then some. But what is up with these newer grads, like in their younger 20’s? The ones who started 2019-2020, bc something is way different. 

We’re all wondering what it is. 

They expect the charge nurses and other nurses to do their tasks/work for them and I’ve seen some actually whine, roll their eyes, etc. when they don’t get their way or they’re a little bit busy. 

It’s really starting to aggravate those of us over the age of 30, especially because if they don’t get their way they go to the manager and say “so and so didn’t help me enough” or “so and so wasn’t available and I couldn’t find them for an hour.”

I think it’s time I leave the hospital, to be honest. They are also incredibly hard to train. They don’t listen, get offended if you try to explain to them why something didn’t go well, or go complain to the manager. 

Our management is tired of it too. Is it the same personalities? Are they really that easily offended? Someone ELI5. Thanx. 

Don’t believe this is an issue? Just wait for the responses! LOL! 

Specializes in school nurse.
10 hours ago, sevensonnets said:

TriciaJ, we have 5 DPS, CCN's (we call them coffee cup nurses). 

Do they at least pair the coffee cups with clipboards and lab coats to look extra, EXTRA clinical...?

7 Votes
Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.
12 hours ago, sevensonnets said:

TriciaJ, we have 5 DPS, CCN's (we call them coffee cup nurses).  Everybody has a little office with a name and title on the door but you never actually see them in their office. They're conveniently located near the elevator for easy access to the cafeteria. Only paper I've ever seen them shuffle is a napkin they bring back with their next cup of coffee or lunch. These are the nurses who plan the silly contests none of the floor nurses have time to enter so the CCN's win all the prizes.

Coffee cup nurses, I love it!  Honestly that was one of my biggest complaints about the LTC I worked in for many years.  There would be on a fully staffed day shift 4 nurses, afternoons had 3 and of course the night shift is cut to 2. 

Meanwhile the day shift which already had the most nursing staff also had a DON, ADON, 3 unit managers and 2 MDS coordinators as back up if the brown stuff hit the fan.  Not that they were much help unless there was a true emergency situation. 

So the average weekday had a ratio of 7 coffee cup nurses spending several hours a day in "meetings" where it seems the primary function was gossip and deciding where to order takeout  to 4 nurses actually providing patient care.  On an average day not a one of those coffee cup nurses was ever any actual help to the floor nurses.  If there was a call out or another reason the shift was short a nurse the solution was to mandate a nurse from the already shorter staffed night shift and then scramble to get somebody else to cover the shift.  Heaven forbid one of the seven licensed management nurses have to miss a "meeting" to actually work the floor.  

When those coffee cup nurses left the building for the day or the weekend the nursing staff was on their own to figure out whatever came their way. It took an actual emergency to get anyone's attention after hours.  An unexpected staffing shortage or even just a known hole in the schedule that never got filled  was in no way considered an emergency so short staffing on a weekend was the norm, not the exception.  

7 Votes
Specializes in retired LTC.

"CCN" ranks right up there with "status dramaticus"!

8 Votes

CCNs and status dramaticus took me out. ?

6 Votes
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
7 hours ago, Jedrnurse said:

Do they at least pair the coffee cups with clipboards and lab coats to look extra, EXTRA clinical...?

and....pearls and pumps? I call them the "pumps and pearls girls". Sorry, guys, no similar name I have for you. I like "coffee cup nurses" however as it is non-gender specific.

10 Votes
Specializes in Emergency/med surg.
On 12/25/2020 at 12:41 AM, TheMoonisMyLantern said:

I've observed this behavior in newer nurses of various ages not just those that are young. Many new nurses at my facility have been appalled at the fact that they too must work with COVID patients, or bariatric patients, or any sort of unpleasantness at all! Float to another unit, "I wasn't hired to float, it's not fair.". I have never had an inpatient job whether as a nurse or an aide where I didn't have to float somewhere when needed, I realized some people hate to float and I understand that and some level of complaining is acceptable but then you do it and take your turn, where as what I've seen is people demanding special treatment. So many complaints about assignment equity as well, complaining because they have one more patient than another person, complaining that they one less patient than the other person and will get the first admission, complaining that the acuity is too high, complaining that the acuity is too low, complaining that their rooms are too far apart from eachother, blah blah blah. I am fine if someone has a legitimate concern with their assignment but when every single shift you complain and demand it to be amended, that's just ridiculous. We all get tough assignments, it's a part of the job, deal with it. Sometimes I just get tired of people refusing to care for certain types of patients, refusing to float when it's their turn, refusing portions of their assignment, refusing to accept constructive criticism, and it's always coming from newer nurses and newer CNA's. Also have had several new nurses think it was acceptable to put off their charting until the next shift they return! ?

I realize that nursing programs prepare students for the NCLEX as opposed to reality, but I really wish they would at least tell students that nursing is hard and there is a degree of unpleasantness that goes along with the job. But most of these nurses plan on leaving the bedside in a year or two anyway.

I will say though, that I've had some really terrific new nurses as well, they've been a breath of fresh air and a joy to work with compared to their peers.

it is appalling to complain about certain assignments - this is what we signed up for! we took an oath to care for everyone and anyone -- I was a new grad only 5 years ago and let me tell you... I was scared *** but never argued or complained... we all need to put in our time and work 

4 Votes
Specializes in Emergency/med surg.
On 12/25/2020 at 12:41 AM, TheMoonisMyLantern said:

I've observed this behavior in newer nurses of various ages not just those that are young. Many new nurses at my facility have been appalled at the fact that they too must work with COVID patients, or bariatric patients, or any sort of unpleasantness at all! Float to another unit, "I wasn't hired to float, it's not fair.". I have never had an inpatient job whether as a nurse or an aide where I didn't have to float somewhere when needed, I realized some people hate to float and I understand that and some level of complaining is acceptable but then you do it and take your turn, where as what I've seen is people demanding special treatment. So many complaints about assignment equity as well, complaining because they have one more patient than another person, complaining that they one less patient than the other person and will get the first admission, complaining that the acuity is too high, complaining that the acuity is too low, complaining that their rooms are too far apart from eachother, blah blah blah. I am fine if someone has a legitimate concern with their assignment but when every single shift you complain and demand it to be amended, that's just ridiculous. We all get tough assignments, it's a part of the job, deal with it. Sometimes I just get tired of people refusing to care for certain types of patients, refusing to float when it's their turn, refusing portions of their assignment, refusing to accept constructive criticism, and it's always coming from newer nurses and newer CNA's. Also have had several new nurses think it was acceptable to put off their charting until the next shift they return! ?

I realize that nursing programs prepare students for the NCLEX as opposed to reality, but I really wish they would at least tell students that nursing is hard and there is a degree of unpleasantness that goes along with the job. But most of these nurses plan on leaving the bedside in a year or two anyway.

I will say though, that I've had some really terrific new nurses as well, they've been a breath of fresh air and a joy to work with compared to their peers.

this makes me thankful for the strict nursing program (catholic school founded by nuns)  I went through that had a very traditional tough approach - they acknowledged the adversities and challenges of nursing but also taught us how noble of a profession it really is... they also held us to a very high standard - no cutting corners. I guess not alll programs do that anymore!!

10 Votes
Specializes in Community health.

“Status dramaticus” OMG 

2 Votes

There is a lot going on with new nurses. Those who just finished in December or June had their clinicals and in person classes impacted by Covid. Virtual Sims and Case studies are great but they do not cut it. Lots of the reality, prioritizing, and organizing that comes at the end of a program is lost.  

There have been a lot of student complaints about clinicals and EVERYTHING!  Many are poor test takers. That is impacted by inability to study together in person and also impacts the emotional support they give each other.  In the ADN program , we see a lot of students who not only have the massive task of their core nursing classes, Covid related self, family, and work concerns... often they are also taking BSN classes from another institution.  The BSN school does not communicate with us, nor we with them. 

I get that students need to  have the BSN as a goal. Some cannot handle the added load with their ADN courses, esp at this time. One student  complained about our virtual sim product, comparing it to the one in her BSN course. This student received the absolute minimum passing grade in my course and the other ADN course she was taking. Of course, I had no idea that she was taking another course. 
 

School is getting them through the minimum academic and hopefully, NCLEX requirements. Esp now, it often isn’t teaching team work and enculturation them into the profession. This applies to many 20 somethings  as well as 40 somethings. They have 1, 2, or 3 patients. They are not ready to walk on to a unit and take a full assignment. Part of it is normal. If your remember being a new nurse, it wasn’t a picnic.
 

We also need to go back to some basics in education. As the Covid impacted new grads, enter the workforce, they need direction and support. It is hard because demands on everyone is increased. RN to BSN is great, but not all students can handle it.  Students who flunk out of the ADN program will have no use for the courses, if they cannot get through the RN portion.  Hospitals need to emphasize the expectation of teamwork. Everyone is tired. We aren’t giving you a finished product right out of school. Support and honesty about expectations and frequent feedback is what is most needed. 

 

4 Votes
Specializes in oncology.
6 hours ago, imenid37 said:

There have been a lot of student complaints about clinicals and EVERYTHING!  Many are poor test takers. That is impacted by inability to study together in person and also impacts the emotional support they give each other.  

Yes! support in nursing school from fellow students is vital. After over 40 years I am still close to those I knew in nursing school. 

6 hours ago, imenid37 said:

. often they are also taking BSN classes from another institution.  The BSN school does not communicate with us, nor we with them. 

I am not sure I uderstand you here...students in the ADN program are also taking 'RN to BSN courses?' Don't they need the RN license to continue? I have never known a student in an ADN program to have more time  for other thinngs than what the ADN program requires.

 

2 Votes
Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
10 hours ago, CommunityRNBSN said:

“Status dramaticus” OMG 

Yes, often diagnosed at the Level 1 Drama Center... ?

9 Votes

Each subsequent generation starting with the boomers have become more unencumbered with accountability. 

3 Votes
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