I am really confused by the stigma and negative attitude towards new nurses from experienced nurses as I am a new nurse and just plain do not understand? aren't we all new nurses at one time, so why are "some" nurses (as I do not think it is an all inclusive thing) forgetful that they were once the person whom they reject or whatever they do? I am unclear on the reality of what transpires in reality, I just know what I hear and what I have gone through myself.
I am really curious as what the stigma is all about from real nurses and not just rumors? I have heard that an experienced nurse will refuse to help a new nurse in a situation where the new nurse does not know what to do and the experienced nurse does??? I have been told this but really this actually happens in reality? plus, who is the one who suffers in the end of a situation like that? I have a really hard time believing that nurses would do that to their own, and for what purpose or reason does anyone justify doing something like that? it was clear to me that when I entered the field of nursing that I would always be a teacher once I possessed something to teach because it is a field that is based on a foundation of knowledge in addition to experience that cannot be acquired any other eay than to be taught on a situation basis.
are the experienced nurses tired of teaching new grads or they do not feel that teaching is part of what they signed up for? are there such an abundance of new grads with the shortage that experienced nurses are overwhelmed by the new grads and their needs? I am not a twenty something new young nurse. I am a early thirties starting my career after children new nurse. I can understand from the point of going to nursing school with younger people that it is easy to be rubbed the wrong way by younger people with less life experience, is that the issue?
I can see new nurses in relation to the above statement not acknowledging the proper respect in regard to an experienced nurse, and I can see that as a big problem is this the issue? I know in my clinical experience I had great experiences with nurses that other students had poor experiences with because of the attitude for which they approached their clinicals. I met my nurse at the beginning of clinicals introduced myself and followed them everywhere they went except the bathroom all day long. we were always assigned to just one of the nurses patients, but I never met a nurse that said no to a student observing and helping with all the patients and why would I sit around while I the oppurtunity to learn just because I was only assigned the one patient. I have seen students get totally ignored because they don't act or they just don't put forth any effort. my first goal was to find and learn to do things that would be helpful to the nurse I was working with. I understood that I rank low and I do what is needed to be done and thats that, whatever it may be. I had to be cognizant of the nurse I was working with and their comfort level with me handling whatever I would handle for them. I always did things no other student did, I was trusted with more after time worked with the nurse, and I had really positive experiences and was always the person the other students went to because they didn't know how to do much or work the computer software. I was eager to learn anything I was offered, as the nurses saw my eagerness to learn they began teaching all through the day. one day, I was paired with a nurse that had 30 years of experience. I would have liked to spend a year with her, she was like my own private encyclopedia of secret information. I love to learn new things, anything new and so that drives me too.
I did face complete rejection from a whole er of nurses. our clinical instructor did not know any of the er nurses, so she stood there trying to get "noticed" at the nurses station for more than 20 minutes. even the nurses ignored her. she addressed the nurses working and said she had nursing students, and only one nurse acknowledged her with a so what and turned and walked away. our clinical instructor told us follow some person who did not acknowledge that we even existed as a human being in the world. we stood at the nurses station and when the new nurses arrived we were paired up with another nurse. I tried to plant myself in, but I kept following her as she tried to find places to use her cell phone and she kept exiting the area of er. she was not happy about my stalking her when she was doing what she was. it was the longest day of my life, I cannot do nothing but was forced to. I finally exited the nurses station and learned from the residents, as they were willing to teach me. I felt unbelievably uncomfortable because all of these nurses where aware we were students and refused to even speak to us, to say a simple hello to us. I mean we basically treated lesser than a human being by people that I had such a high regard for before I decided to become one. I felt awful that day truthfully because if this is reality for me, I don't want to be a person that treats people poorly ever. one nurse said she takes the students and set us up with a nurse that found us invisible, so we took one set of vitals and returned to stand at the wall. finally, one nurse acknowledged us that we were assigned to but she just wanted to get rid of us. it was the best day when that day was over.
I also was treated poorly in relation to an interview I want to get some opinions but I am too detailed and my posts are too long. I really just want to understand this and try to make sure I do not do any of the things that have created this stigma most importantly.
my biggest question is, when if ever will I be treated like a deserving human being in the eyes of the nursing world? a nurse told me that she likes new grads (yeah) during an interview and stated that nurses eat their young but I from what I see in relation to how nurses treat one another they are not partial they eat each other too. why are nurses not supportive of our own, and unified as one large force?
this is a real serious question, I just don't get it?
There are some really mean and arrogant older nurses is right, but just a few. To bad they wear on you the most at work. One bad comment directed toward you and your day can be ruined.They know it to. 55 should be manatory retirement age for nurses so they have something to look forward to in there career. No real retirement age now is like going backwards in my opinion.
Actually, I found nurses with 2 - 5 years the worst at doing their best to make you look worse than they! and nurses with more experience to be the ones who have little patience - usually the ones who are not happy with the way managment is handling things. Those who aren't disgruntled with management or are more secure with themselves are the most patient with new nurses
Add me to the list of students who has NEVER been treated with so much as a weird look or crossed eyes. I am always treated well. Always.
+1 here.
I was once told that you only learn 10% of the job in nursing school, and that number shrunk to 5% when I started precepting. As a student, I was open to learning from my nurses and was grateful for every opportunity to work with the patient (including making their beds and getting them ice chips). If the nurses see that you're willing to help out in any way you can (esp with the simplest tasks), then they will be more amenable to providing you with more opportunities.
You always learn something new everyday, regardless of how many years of experience you have under your belt. :)
55 should be manatory retirement age for nurses so they have something to look forward to in there career. No real retirement age now is like going backwards in my opinion.
This a joke, right? How do you propose one to live with 55 as the age of retirement? Our 401k's have been tanking lately. Very, very few places still have retirement benefits and Social Security is nothing but a joke. No one could live off that. I'd love to hear your ideas.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
there are some really mean and arrogant older nurses is right, but just a few. to bad they wear on you the most at work. one bad comment directed toward you and your day can be ruined.they know it to. 55 should be manatory retirement age for nurses so they have something to look forward to in there career. no real retirement age now is like going backwards in my opinion.
Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.
There are some really mean and arrogant older nurses is right, but just a few. To bad they wear on you the most at work. One bad comment directed toward you and your day can be ruined.They know it to. 55 should be manatory retirement age for nurses so they have something to look forward to in there career. No real retirement age now is like going backwards in my opinion.
Ok, so maybe I'm out of line by putting my 2 cents in as I am only a student. But IMO, you just get what you give. I have heard complaints from classmates that the nurses are mean. I have never been treated unfairly by any of these nurses. Then again, I do whatever I can to help, treat them with the respect that they have already earned, pay attention, and try to wait for appropriate times to ask questions. I also make sure to thank them for taking the time to show me things. Some of these nurses have even taken the extra time to come and get me when doing procedures. As students or newbies, the only respect we've earned is the basic respect given to fellow human beings-we have not earned the right to be respected as nurses. And for the experiences with that "cranky" nurse-try to remember that you have no idea what her day, week, or life has been like. We're all human. A nursing liscense and angel wings aren't the same thing. I don't think the experienced nurses eat their young-they only eat the idiots!
Sorry for the long post, any ideas on how to summarize. I include every detail.
You do have a problem in this regard. If you chart this way, you will never be able to manage your time. You will always be behind, you will always be staying late after your shift is over in order to catch up on your charting, etc.
Just keep it short and to the point. Do NOT include every detail in your charting and here on AN. Long posts such as yours seem really self indulgent (and you are not the only one who does this).
Reading the replies, it sounds like everyone is frustrated and unappreciated. Old and new. I think it stems from a lack of understanding on both sides. Some older nurses, who haven't stayed current with research, continue to do things that new nurses learn are directly against evidence based practice. This falsely leads some new nurses to think that they know everything and don't respect those who have gone before them. There is fault everywhere. Everyone in this profession needs to understand that learning is constant, no matter how long you've been doing it. And with that, everyone has the responsibility to share their knowledge.
All that said, I am a new nurse and don't know what the poster is talking about. I was prepared for the "eat our young" culture when I first started my job, and I have yet to come across it. I do have to say though, that you have to be assertive to get some of the opportunities you need. No one is going to hold your hand. As one of my older preceptors kept saying to me "you're not in nursing school anymore. you need to develop your own clinical judgement"
Most often, you reap what you sow. In other words, if you enter into a situation expecting the worst, there it is. The young/old debate....where does it end? Young nurses are just as guilty of stigmatizing older nurses. I've seen it in the flesh, and on these boards, if you make an honest effort to do your job and be considerate of others, most people will not have any issues with accepting you.
The one thing I can't stand is hearing unemployed new grads say, "I can't find a job! But I won't work nights, or do this or that..."
What do you expect? No one is rolling out the red carpet. You have to pay your dues. This is where much of the "stigma" towards new grads comes from.
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
There are some really mean and arrogant older nurses is right, but just a few. To bad they wear on you the most at work. One bad comment directed toward you and your day can be ruined.They know it to. 55 should be manatory retirement age for nurses so they have something to look forward to in there career. No real retirement age now is like going backwards in my opinion.
Maybe you and Anthony can start your own manatory. In the meantime you can ponder that vexing reality that a nasty personality is no respector of age or gender. Also -- PM me and I'll arrange for my bank to accept your direct deposits.
Sometimes getting rid of a scourge takes some coin you know.
To those who consider it an affront to take temperatures or make a bed, with or without the rolleyes and little sniff- most likely upon your return nurses might just forget to track you down to do or observe a more complex procedure. There's quite a bit of symbolism gleaned from that. Not just nurses, but doctors and lawyers do that , too!
I don't know what you are calling a "stigma". I was 35 y/o when I graduated from RN school and when I started as an RN. Some nurses liked me and some didn't. There was some gender discrimination because I am a man but you don't have that. A big part of the problem you talk about in my opinion is that staff nurses have so many difficult patients that they don't have time to take care of them as they would like too. Answering a new RN's questions is something they don't have time to do and are naturally irritated when they need to explain things that they don't have time to explain.
All new RN's should have preceptors for awhile to show them the ropes and answer their questions. The preceptors should have no patients or a reduced load so that they have time to orient the new RN.
doctors and lawyers do that , too!
bftighe
4 Posts
There are some really mean and arrogant older nurses is right, but just a few. To bad they wear on you the most at work. One bad comment directed toward you and your day can be ruined.They know it to. 55 should be manatory retirement age for nurses so they have something to look forward to in there career. No real retirement age now is like going backwards in my opinion.