I guess I am the baby here, I am 26 and have been working as and RN since I was 21. Most of the nuses that I have worked with on most of my assignments durning my travels have always been a great deal older. With their experiences I have learned alot. Keep going strong you give us younger nurses someone to look up to.
I'm 43 and consider myself an old-timer.
I've often though of writing a book called "You can tell you're an old nurse when..."
...you remember metal bedpans.
...you routinely washed and sterilized metal bedpans.
...it was common knowledge that if you needed help STAT, and no one was answering the call light, you threw the metal bedpan out into the (non-carpeted) hallway. The noise woke the dead and help was there.
...you actually counted IV drip rates and were impressed with the first IVAC you saw.
...you find yourself employed some 20 years later at a place where they still use the first IVAC you ever saw.
Can anyone help me with this "project." It might get fun.
I am having a crisis. Recently, I was approached by our educator to resume a preceptor role in my ICU. I am a 36yo RN who has worked in this unit for 11 years- the last 5 as a charge nurse. I have precepted before with great success.I tend to be decribed as "anal" and acertive. I think that that's not necessarily a bad thing and sometimes it's a great thing. Here's my rant.
After the second day on the job, my orientee has stated that he has is not comfortable with a protocol and will NOT do it that way ever. It is a tubing protocol- not dangerous, just wasteful and against the grain of current studies in line infections. Also, even after discussing the need and purpose of isolation gowns for even minor interaction at a patients bedside- he demonstrates ( yes on day 2) that his habit is not to wear them. There have been other comments and flags that are burning me up. These are my 2 documentable concerns.
AT the end of day 2 of orientation we mutually decided it would be maybe best if we searched out another compatible preceptor for him as not to make his experience in our facility a bad one and start out on a more positive note. I feel weird about it even though I know it is the right thing to do. Partly ego and partly safety. S'posedly, he has a varied background not including critical care. Therefore, I started out as if he was fairly green. He admits to experience with vents, lines and other things but verbalizes little understanding so far. In retrospect, i could have started things at a differant pace. On day one he was annoyed that I gave him no freedom. day 2 - I was too liberally and distant. His actions toward our vent patient really reflect sound care of a chronic vent patient vs critical non- weaning patient. I am at awe that he has no understanding of the settings and patient responces to those settings. TOday I speak with my educator about my concerns and generating a new preceptor. I feel like -itch and that I blew it. I see 'issues' that may or may not resole regarding practice concerns. It it too early on this path to carry these thoughts? Has anyone else had a orientee that just did not mesh with them? I am a mess. HElp
could you put me on his national do not care (for) list please?I don't want him taking care of me, especially if he was in the isolation room next to me just before.
What would throw a flag up for me is that he sounds pretty disrespectful. If he's just starting (especially) he should be doing just what he's told. He hasn't been there long enough to make his own decisions. Plus, if he has that attitude already, how bad is it going to be when he's comfortable?
I'd say you're doing the right thing
... NOT wearing gloves to do handle any body fluids.
.... smoking at the bedside with your patient.
.... an aline was a big deal when they came to your hospital.
....candy stripers!
.....wore your nursing cap faithfully every day.
....wore only a white uniform and sneakers were unacceptable foot wear.
WOW- I feel old
....your pleurevac set up was a couple of bottles on the floor.
Tst3
...hemorroidectomy patients stayed a week inpatient.
...doctors would send<font color="purple">Text</font> their patients in to a private room for a week for "rest".
...patients would be admitted the night before surgery for a shave and an enema.
...glass thermometers soaking in alcohol at the bedside for each patient.
...the only special bed on the ward was a circle-electric bed.
...we used to call our units "the ward".
...the patient bathrooms were out in the hallway and not in the patient rooms.
...color coded little medication cards.
...we mixed all our own IV's in bottles.
...we gave all our antibiotics by IM injection in the buttocks for weeks on end until we couldn't find a soft spot to put them in and half the time the solution would spit back out at you, and their hips were so sore and hard and bruised. (Thank God for IVP meds now!!!)
...families never stayed overnight with the patients and visiting hours we strictly enforced. (wholistic care was not a priority then).
...we cleaned, sharpened and sterilized needles on the ward and reused them over and over again.
I am 64 and planning to retire when I am supposed to- next year at 65 1/2. I think our unit has about national average age wwith most of our nurses 40's to 50's and a few 30's and maybe 2 in their 20's. Most of our group has worked there for 10-30 years,including supervisers and we get along well with little back-biting. We try to support one another and trade hours etc as needed to make life better for all.
As for I remember when--I,too know how to count drops so the IV will run at prescribed rate. Also remember wearing those hats which I loved at the time (it proved that I was a real nurse!) I learned lots of tricks from older staff,including nurse aides.
I'm 47, have been an RN for 27 years and still love it!! Obtained my CCRN 12 years ago. Got my BSN 2 years ago and am currently working on my Masters/NP. Am I nuts to do this at my age?! Maybe, but I'm not getting older, just better!!
Guess I'm the youngster of the crowd, I'm 35 and looking forward to another 20 years or so of Nursing.
Course I'll always be doing my nursing website on the side. Or maybe floor nursing will be come the "side" job
We'll see how it works out.
Has anyone heard that the average age of a Nursing Instructor is like 53!
Who's gonna be teaching once they retire?
Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com
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