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Who is that new
person you pass in the hallways? Is he or she looking a little
apprehensive? A little lost? Or a little cocky? Is that person a new
RN? I hope so!! Do you remember the moment that you had your first
true patient load—not being a student or in orientation? The moment
when you signed your name with the initials RN with pride and
hesitation? Maybe you were not anxious, but I know that I was.
I began my nursing
career in a medium size hospital as a staff nurse on night shift. I was
one of two full time RNs on a Pediatric Unit. We had patients ranging
from preemies that needed to grow to go home to 18-year-old patients
when the general med-surg floors were full. We had children in comas as
well as those whose mothers needed a break and knew what symptoms to
tell the ER physicians to get the child admitted for 24 hours.
The nurses on my
Peds unit were wonderful. They knew I did not know a thing about being a
nurse. Though I had a degree in nursing and completed a great
internship in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, the “Real Nurses” knew I
needed guidance, LOTS of guidance. Thank goodness that they gave me
their time, wisdom and compassion.
Yet, being on night
shift meant I was the junior RN in the hospital most nights. When there
was an unplanned call-in from a RN and someone needed to be reassigned
to cover this unforeseen situation, it was me! During the year I worked
at this wonderful facility in Ohio, I dreaded the sound of the phone
ringing on our unit. Compared to the actual record, I am sure that it
only seemed like I was re-assigned to other units a lot. Nonetheless,
each time I remember never feeling prepared for these assignments. I
arrived on the units after the previous shift had left armed with only a
tape-recorded report, a cardex and medication sheets to guide the care I
was to give to some 40 patients (with the assistance of a LPN and one
or two non-licensed personnel.) The supervisor always was polite,
appreciative and tried to assist. But her duties were many; once I had
counted the narcotics, she was off to handle other responsibilities!
Was this safe? NO.
Was this appropriate? NO. Was this reality? YES.
And so, you can see
the moral of my message.
As new graduates
continue to enter our profession, let us remember two important things:
1.
The new graduates are not
us!
2.
These new graduates will
be the nurses taking care of us as we age…
Therefore, WE must
re-examine how we assimilate these wonderful new professionals into our
workforce.
Health care is known
for “eating their own.” Isn’t this sad?
As we welcome the
new nurses (whether they are in their 20s or a wee bit older), we MUST
change this perception. Many places have done so, but not everywhere.
We need to be assisting nurses at all levels to grow into the best
nurses that they dream of being. You remember that desire: to be the
nurse who understood the plan of care, knew all the medications, had
time to educate the patient and family, and worked with social services
to make sure the patient would be well-cared for upon discharge. That
nurse who wanted to take care of patients (not just the paper work), is
inside each of us today! We need to make sure that it shows with each
and every patient while we remember to show this through the mentoring
of our new professionals.
The dance begins the
moment the student arrives on our units during the school experiences.
The staff sizes up the students, rightly or wrongly, in a few quick
glances. All the while, the students can easily sense this culture of a
work place. Are these quick perceptions always correct? Are these what
we want to perpetuate? Probably not, but that has become the American
way.
It is never too late
to change how you are treating the students you come into contact with
each day. So, when that new nurse (whether they are new to nursing or
just to your work area) comes along, help them.
If your unit or
facility has a structured mentoring program make sure you understand it,
support it and, if possible, be an active part of it. Many nurses think
that mentoring and orientating are the same, but they are vastly
different.
Each new member to a
unit should have a strong orientation program that makes sure that the
nurses understand the technology, policies and procedures of the unit.
The orientation should include making sure that each nurse has obtained
the level of competency they need to perform at the highest level
possible.
Mentoring is the act
of guiding and encouraging. In nursing, this is so important! Do you
(did you) have a mentor? Someone that encourages you to get more
education; that you can ask about certifications; that listens when the
day was so stressful that you just pray that did all that should have
been done; with whom you share the joy of understanding when the patient
says “thank you” because of the way you handled something. If you
don’t, do you wish you did? Don’t you want to help the newest members
of our profession?
Now is when so many
new graduates come to our facilities and our units. I challenge each of
you to help each of these new RNs reach their potential because they
will be taking care of you and me one day! We need them to feel welcome
as a valuable part of our teams and, of course, part of our professional
organizations (GNA & ANA).
Part of our
responsibility as GNA members and nursing leaders is to cultivate those
who will follow in our footsteps; what better opportunity will we have?
To all our new
graduates: know that we are excited and proud that you are part of our
profession! Good luck and remember that the Georgia Nurses Association
is YOUR professional organization. We will be here to provide you with
compelling experiences, essential learning and powerful resources that
will help you progress your career. We invite you to explore our
membership opportunities and consider the benefits of membership.
Please visit us at
www.georgianurses.org or contact us at gna@georgianurses.org. |
