Concerned About A New Qualified Nurse

RE: Concerned About A New Qualified Nurse

Mafy ccr — Mon, 22 Dec 2014 18:55:33 GMT

Im also an overseas RVN... And all the answers in here are really good! I never will forget my first day on my first job in the UK!!! Everything is diferent!!! All the rules, laws and tasks are completly odd at the beggining! Its a big change, its another world lol... not in terms of nursing knowledge...but in terms of struture! Maybe it worth asking her if she understand how vets works in here, what you expeting from her and made it clear that she needs to wake up and stand up ASAP!

Hope you sort this problem...Im woundering if you manage :)

RE: Concerned About A New Qualified Nurse

Sal the 1st — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 13:46:26 GMT

hope it all works out for you

RE: Concerned About A New Qualified Nurse

Thorn — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 13:40:52 GMT

Thankyou all for your replies, they are really helpful-am going to attempt most of the above. In regards to the laguarge barrier, while she is an English first-language speaker, we do have a lot of odd accents in the practice. Ive not thought about if before but now I wonder if she is missing things and then to embarressed to ask for a repeat?

Thanks again everybody :)

RE: Concerned About A New Qualified Nurse

Sal the 1st — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 11:14:19 GMT

perhaps you need to make a decision as a practice if you are going to encourage her and build her confidence or lose her? How is her English, is there a language difficulty? Any chance she is afraid to ask anymore because of previous experience of her asking? Is she happy? Is she homesick and regretting coming over here but afraid to say? Shadowing a colleague is a good idea - so long as she doesn't then start to think it is because you don't trust her as that will not help. Must be difficult for both sides. Starting a new job is pretty daunting sometimes have hardly ever seen two different practices that do everything exactly the same (even if they are both part of the same corporate group), I would imagine starting a job in another country miles from home could be even more daunting, and starting you first job miles away from home with only a little experience under your belt would be really scary.

RE: Concerned About A New Qualified Nurse

sheree smith — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 01:16:35 GMT

Agree with below posts. It sounds more attitude. I'm a kiwi RVN and i know that if i didn't know the drug etc I ASK.. that's simple right. To not just do it, isn't right. I would - if you have the staff. get her to shadow someone for a couple of weeks. Then keep an eye on her. scary thing having these doubts i reckon.

RE: Concerned About A New Qualified Nurse

Sal the 1st — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 00:08:25 GMT

how about a sit down and just asking her how she is finding working with you (the practice rather than you as an individual) it might reveal a few things

RE: Concerned About A New Qualified Nurse

elaine elder — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 22:53:01 GMT

I don't think this is down to her training either it does sound like its a personality thing. To not give a patient meds for 2 hrs because she doesn't know the calculation and has failed to ask for help is UNACCEPTABLE!!! if it was pain relief then it's even worse. You are all being supportive and trying to help. The issue here is she is not approaching other staff members when she needs help. I have worked with students like this and it means you can't trust them with responsibility. i would rather someone asked me several times for help than make a mistake. I also imagine like every VN you are extremely busy and can't spend all day double checking people's work. I definately think you need to speak to this individual about this situation and try to make her understand why it's not acceptable x

RE: Concerned About A New Qualified Nurse

Nicola Smith — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 20:16:45 GMT

If it is affecting patient care this needs sorting and your bosses are responsible. Is she due any sort of an appraisal where targets can be set and reviewed then action taken if not done?

RE: Concerned About A New Qualified Nurse

Celine — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 19:38:20 GMT

Oh and I meant to say - I don't think you're being an **** and I think your concerns are very valid!!

RE: Concerned About A New Qualified Nurse

Celine — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 19:34:30 GMT

As an overseas qualified RVN (and no, I'm not going to get defensive ;-)) it actually sounds to me like this is a fault with this individual personally, rather than her training. I'm the first to admit that when I first landed here my practical skills were a bit wobbly (I was able to perform them, but as we were in more of a classroom + got rotated through the vet clinic every few weeks situation, I'd say I've seen a lot of 2nd yr SVN more practised and confident at some tasks than I was.) However I know I had the theoretical knowledge too, and feel I was competent and deserving to hold the title of VN.

Regardless of this persons skill level, it seems you have a staff member with poor ability to admit her limitations, and that's something we all need to be able to do, for the whole of our careers!!

I think you're going to need to have a sit down (do you have a review /appraisal schedule for staff? Instigate 3 monthly ones until this gets resolved?!) and talk to her. It may be helpful to have her fill out a pre-appraisal form, answering questions likewhat areas do you think you're good at" and "what areas do you feel you would like more support " so she feels prepared to answer your questions and you have given her fair chance to raise her weaknesses with you.

I'd write more but this website is making my phone furious - Arlo!!!! Need the mobile version, pleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaase!!

RE: Concerned About A New Qualified Nurse

Thorn — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 18:56:45 GMT

Thankyou for the reply, I really appreciate it.

She is definately registered with the RCVS (I checked online) but I have just checked the RCVS website (good idea, thankyou) and it says this:

"Citizens of the European Union who are registered as veterinary nurses in their home country may be able to register directly without assessment; please contact the RCVS to discuss this prior to submitting an application."

She qualified in an EU country and would have applied to the RCVS about 2 1/2 months ago so it appears that they are happy with the level of her education.

RE: Concerned About A New Qualified Nurse

JaneRVN — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 18:45:59 GMT

Firstly. Have you checked their ID and status? It's not unheard of fraud cases with RVN status.

can you find out which country she qualified in and check with the RCVS their current ruling on courses from that country. There have been a number of changes recently, mainly regarding practical skills. More and more oversease VNs now need to sit OSCEs to be and RVN. Could your person have slipped through this?