Why such high new RN turnover?

Nurses New Nurse

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My understanding is that new nurses (recent graduates) are the most likely to leave the field. If true, why is this? Is it because they underestimated the job's demands?

If you got into nursing to be the smartest person, best paid, or to denigrate other's by infering that nurses are the only providers who care about patients, nursing doesn't need you. Long hours, major responsibilities, major liabilities, missing your pets and loved ones, taking care of other's families and sometimes not your own, not to mention relationships suffering, thats nursing.

The only reason to get into nursing is to nurse, you have to love it. I know alot of nurses are not going to like hearing this but to bad, I love nursing, I love being at work, and more than anything I care about my patients.

I had a meeting for recertification for ventilators (LTV1150 to be exact) and tracheostomy care for home health patients , pediatric patients. The trainer made a comment in front of many nurses (not recerts but new to this type of care, the ratio of recerts to new to this area nurses was 10-1 in favor of the new nurses) that the parents of these patients are "crazy". I had to immediately defend the parents, stating that this type of blanket statement is terrible. Many parents could be specialized nurses in the field that their child suffers, based on their knowledge of their childs condition. The parents often know the ins and outs of treating the patient, they just lack nursing jargon. Broad brush painting is horrible, of course there are some parents more difficult to deal with than others, but unless they just do not care about their childs care, they are doing the best they can. I digress, but in a way it still relates to what we are discussing. Nurses adjust, period. Love what your doing and you can tolerate anything. Do your best every shift is my motto, keeps your nursing strong, keeps your liscense strong.

I had a meeting for recertification for ventilators (LTV1150 to be exact) and tracheostomy care for home health patients , pediatric patients. The trainer made a comment in front of many nurses (not recerts but new to this type of care, the ratio of recerts to new to this area nurses was 10-1 in favor of the new nurses) that the parents of these patients are "crazy". I had to immediately defend the parents, stating that this type of blanket statement is terrible. Many parents could be specialized nurses in the field that their child suffers, based on their knowledge of their childs condition. The parents often know the ins and outs of treating the patient, they just lack nursing jargon. Broad brush painting is horrible, of course there are some parents more difficult to deal with than others, but unless they just do not care about their childs care, they are doing the best they can. I digress, but in a way it still relates to what we are discussing. Nurses adjust, period. Love what your doing and you can tolerate anything. Do your best every shift is my motto, keeps your nursing strong, keeps your liscense strong.

Considering how shallow and rushed many of those ventilator certification courses are and how quickly any ventilated patient can turn for the worse, I would be a crazy parent too.

Specializes in Med/surg, ER/ED,rehab ,nursing home.

I have had medical students work at a nursing home, as a CNA, for experience and of course pay. You get to know your patient and the care issues. I was a relief nurse for this nursing home while the regular nurse was on vacation. My CNA's were very helpful in letting me know about changes in their patients. It seemed that all I had time for was making medication rounds and calling the doctor with lab results. I could not do assessments on 30+ patients other than a quick check when I passed their meds. It is up to you to decide what you would like to learn. CNA's have a very busy work schedule, feeding, cleaning, bedmaking,all the stuff that nurses have to do. I think with the work load pressure, it would get you into the mindset of logistics when a nurse. It is a whole new ballgame once you become a RN. I started out as a LPN/VN working several years in nursing homes, private duty, visiting nurse, and hospital nursing including the ER. I studied for my RN and worked several years on the same floor at the same hospital where I worked as a LPN. No problems with my advancement. We have had CNA's become RN's . They felt it helped a lot.

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