eating the puppies

ER nurses tend to be type A's okay? Driven, competitive, ambitious, aggressive types. We are the kind of people who when you go to a class, think we know more than the teacher. Thats why I hate going to classes. Its embarassing to see us in action sometimes. Of course some of us think we are so superior that we act like some kind of ER Goddess whose job it is to inform lesser mortals of the way things SHOULD be done.

Sometimes the people who choose to be preceptors are ER Goddesses. They are the ones who tend to volunteer for a job like that. Mix this with a new ER nurse orientee...

The ER Goddess expects humility and fear and worship from the new orientee. If you don't sit at their feet humbly as they drop pearls of wisdom, they can make your life a living hell. They will talk about you. They will sew doubt about you. It irritates the shit out of me.

Me? I've never been a preceptor. I'm not anal retentive enough. Here's what I tell new people: If you have questions, I'll try and answer them, feel free to ask me. I've been here a long time and I don't know everything. I rely on my co workers to help me if I need it. Critical patients are scary. You are not alone. We will help you. We won't let you go down in flames. Welcome.