Truth time: There’s a huge difference between an experienced nurse and one just out of nursing school. So though you both may have the initials RN or LPN or LVN or NP (etc etc!) after your name, you’re going to need to revise your expectations a little bit. A brand-new nurse is not going to be able to function independently on the floor, and that’s okay. Your job is to welcome her and provide information and support as needed.
Take the time to introduce yourself and to learn a little more about her. Talking to her for a few minutes will give you a good idea of her strengths; playing up her strengths can help her feel like an important member of the team.
Introduce her to the other staff members and give her “the inside scoop”—you know, how things really run on your unit. That doesn’t mean dwelling on gossip; it just means letting her know things like which doctor prefers to be paged rather than texted.
Be a role model for excellent nursing care—and that can include verbalizing how you’re going to approach your day after you’ve listened to report—and be available to answer questions. Answer her requests for help or information positively. Provide emotional support as necessary. Remember, a new nurse isn’t a burden, but a coworker.
With time and support, she’ll soon be flying alongside you.
i am the main preceptor on my small pcu . our last 4 new hires were all new rn’s. i worry that i am notorganized enough, not giving them everything they need. i try to be very supportive and we encourage the whole floor to be supportive, so in that respect they do well. but trying to do your job with all it entails in a timely manner, and still teach them is very challenging! there is so much they don’t know, and we only give them 6-8 weeks here, .and of course everyone thinks my job is so much easier, since i have ” help “. being a preceptor is a love hate job. i love helping new nurses find their feet, but hate the huge responsibility i feel for them! what i do or don’t teach them can affect how they do their jobs for the rest of their career, i hope i’m giving them what they need.
Excellent insight. My only issue is that the author kept refering to the new nurse as she or her. In todays nursing, men are a part of the corps. I would think new nurses need the above mentioned assistance no matter what gender they are.