Thank You

Yes, I'm new at this. Initially, I wasn't ashamed to have a handle that clearly identified me as a nascent member of what seems (more clearly every day) to be likened to a Greek society. However, after hours and hours of pouring over articles, odes, and mostly woes about the nursing profession, the fact that I still have no idea what I'm doing in the nursing world has been impressed upon me as 'good-for-nothing.' Somehow, life experience abounding, my perspective means nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada. My competencies in conflict resolution, or 'glass-half-full' attitude, or skilled navigation in the professional world have proved to mean nothing here. I am sometimes even spoken to as though I am completely clueless about being completely clueless... It is unfortunate that the number of forums trumpeting this profession is limited, but I really wanted to take this time to say Thanks to all of you who gravitate here to glean triumphant instead of seeking out newcomers to lambaste them for their innocent ignorance. I am in my first semester of nursing school. I couldn't be happier. My grades are great, the information is easy for me to absorb. I don't ever feel bored for a second. I hear all the time that I need to wait until I'm in the real world. Well, right now I'm in the real world of nursing school, and I love it. I have very close friends in the nursing world, so I hear about the crazies, the cliques, & the injustices all the time. Will I love it when I get out? Who knows...? I'm sure I'll not only have foreseen challenges, but situations that come out of left field that render me paralyzed with fear, or gripped with the consequences of one wrong decision. The thing is, how does anyone know anything about me to decide whether or not I can handle a given situation? How does anyone know whether or not I've spent a lifetime in psych units, with a violent deaf-blind? Can you imagine a world like that? How does anyone know I haven't had to take care of a quadriplegic most of my adult life? How does anyone know that I haven't experienced failed health care on many levels to pave a better road for my patients? Why am I automatically presumed to know nothing of healthcare, just because I'm a student? I feel like the transgressions of the nursing profession are no better or worse than those of any other industry. Your boss sucks? You feel over-worked and under-paid? Great, join the club... I guess I just wish it could be enough for someone to reach out and try to help someone without being bombarded from the sidelines by those who seem to feed on putting people in their "right" place. It's so negative and unnecessary. I love this forum. You all are positive, supportive, objective, constructive in your criticisms, and offer hope to those of us genuinely interested in/willing to make this profession work for us as much as we work for it. Keep on keeping on. I hope that I will be working at your side in this lifetime. Last edit by TheBlackDogWaits on Feb 11, '13
I have two opinions:1. I understand feeling picked at. Some people on this board (I can't say how many) actually DO have a problem with nursing students and... *ahem*...uh, new nurses? LOL But it's their issue not mine. I don't have a problem with my coworkers. They're great. They take care of the new nurses. They don't let us flounder. Nurses at my facility tend to stick together. Young and old, we've banned together against the real enemy: Management/corporate! LOLThe aides have joined in on the fun, too! Yeah, it's not perfect but look at it this way: We could be pointing our proverbial guns at each other. This is progress, people! Progress! LOLSo, if I say anything about nurses not being supportive of new nurses? I'm only talking about the nurses that I see on here.Do nurses eat their young? Uh, no...more than other seasoned professionals tend to chew up and spit our theirs.I also don't care for the ways in which nurses will mistreat clinical nursing students. ...and no - I don't have to put myself in anyone's shoes. I've worked in teaching hospitals and trained + supervised students. Plural. As in, 'several at once'. I never asked for them and, sometimes, never cared to train...but I never took my frustrations out on them, either.That's unprofessional and inappropriate, if you ask me.Now - are nurses the only ones to treat their students so crapp-ily? No...more than other professionals. LOL It's just that nurses tend to ignore the behavior and, when called to the carpet for it? Go out of their way to excuse this ugly behavior in others away. They blame the student, not the rude nurse....because they didn't ask to train a student. ...because they're tired and overworked.It's a bunch of b/s, really. No matter the cause, it's never 'ok' to treat others like dirt.2. I understand feeling picked at but some practically court it. 'Some' nurse aspirants on allnurses are just annoying as hell. LOL There's no other way to put it. It get under my skin when pre-nursing school students, nursing students and STNA's gripe about how nurses 'don't love their jobs' and this, that and the other. "Oh, the board's so negative."No, it isn't. Some people are idealistic and can't handle the reality that nursing isn't all roses. (neither is healthcare, for that matter)As I've stated elsewhere on here? I don't mind it when posters just push them towards the 'kiddie table', so to speak. That's where they belong.Now this: Somehow, life experience abounding, my perspective means nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada. My competencies in conflict resolution, or 'glass-half-full' attitude, or skilled navigation in the professional world have proved to mean nothing here. I am sometimes even spoken to as though I am completely clueless about being completely clueless...... The thing is, how does anyone know anything about me to decide whether or not I can handle a given situation? How does anyone know whether or not I've spent a lifetime in psych units, with a violent deaf-blind? Can you imagine a world like that? How does anyone know I haven't had to take care of a quadriplegic most of my adult life? How does anyone know that I haven't experienced failed health care on many levels to pave a better road for my patients? Why am I automatically presumed to know nothing of healthcare, just because I'm a student?

This thread needs to be moved to General Discussion. And, I agree, HEARTILY, with MedChica. Beautiful response.

MedChica, thanks for that... After I wrote it AND submitted, and went in to edit, I decided it would be nice to just delete it altogether. I could've even edited all the completely irrelevant crap, but it was too late. Maybe because I'm not a member, who knows. My original post wasn't intended to be a backhanded compliment, but I know that it came across as one. I worked in a facility for almost 5 years, with a staff that had the sink-or-swim mentality with new recruits. They were brutal. They weren't brutal to me, because I had "chops", I guess. Soon, I found myself glomming into a culture that I hated, but did nothing to stop - and I treated all the newbies the way I learned from my predecessors. I guess I am being somewhat of a hypocrite. Right now, when I see posters in their frustration, I think to myself, "It's really not that serious.... why the hate?" Honestly, though, I wonder if I will be you in five more years, with a very obvious reason to be frustrated.... Thank you for the feedback. My original post was a genuine outreach to the members who somehow keep their cool and articulate their bias without snagging the line, even though some of us have posting issues.