SectionsCan experienced nurses learn from newly qualified colleagues?
Can experienced nurses learn from newly qualified colleagues? What do you think?
Last week David Cameron announced that newly qualified nurses acting as “care makers” will go into hospitals and care homes to help promote nursing values. The voluntary role builds on the success of the “games makers” at last year’s London Olympics, who volunteered to make sure the games ran smoothly.
They will act as role models and ambassadors for the professional values set out in the new nursing strategy, Compassion in Nursing, which was published at the end of last year.
The story produced a large number of negative responses on our website which raised the issue of whether experienced nurses learn from junior staff?
Do I think that experienced nurses can learn from the newly qualified? Well I am tempted to say 'no'. However what is it that newly qualified nurses are good at? The answer is they are good at asking 'why'. 'Why is something done that way, why do you do this, why do you do that'. It has got to be a good thing that experienced nurses have to examine their practice to justify it, in that way we are all kept on our toes and up to date!
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Carol Ellison | 17-Jan-2013 9:37 pm I am intrigued by your 'no' response having been confronted by a whole ward team of newly qualified nurse and I was the only 'old one' remaining. They bought all of the new techniques and recent knowledge from their training which had to be adopted, according to orders from the chief nurse who worked in an office and not on on the ward, straight away. They showed no interested in the old school or my experience and I had to learn from them. The only time I was consulted was when there was an emergency when they felt rather helpless. I was also left to take all the phone calls and answer all the queries from the visitors, doctors, etc. so sometimes found it difficult to leave the office and give enough time to my patients.
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