cross-posted from: https://linux.community/post/559954
Im a nurse and most nurses seem to agree 2 years is the mark when you become proficient.
I passed the nclex but there are so many things you only learn by doing and living it, not reading it on a book or on a lecture by a nurse who stopped working with patients 20 years ago.
This sucks because until then your coworkers are not going to fully trust you and, in my case, they want me to do things their way, because otherwise it’s wrong. Add 6 nurses to the mix that feel entitled to this and you’ll understand why Im burning out: every one of them feels entitled to correct me, but the way one works contradicts how the next one does.
I wonder if this is a rite of passage across industries and workplaces and if in some industries it takes way less than 2 years to be proficient.
If this is how life is, how do I survive till year 2?
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You guys are proficient?
15-20 years?
C/C++ dev here.
I had a decade head start, so by the time I “would’ve” otherwise got the job, I was already a pro at it.
Working as a nurse I’d imagine you’d have governance documents or procedure documents written by your organization. Just use those to reference back to, that should cover a semi-decent portion of your nursing role. Id imagine most nurses would cool their jets at that 8-10 month mark for routine care and then when you’ve got new grads they’ll have someone else to focus on?
It takes most people around 18 months in my job. We all know that though, have written procedures, and help the newer members develop.
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if six people means six different ways of doing things, that means everyone is just winging it and the group is in serious need of some procedures
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this is absolutely terrifying to hear about an industry like healthcare
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procedure will always leave some room for interpretation and personal preference. If any team member insists that their way is The Right Way without justification, then they’re crappy communicators at a minimum, and possibly just crappy at their jobs
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it sounds like you have crappy teammates and weak leadership. Good luck
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6-7 years in sysadmin, IT consulting and coding each.
how long did you need to become proficient at your job?
In my line of work I usually say “1 year to learn the basics, another year to become proficient”. All of this is on-the-job training. A relevant skill beforehand is assumed. IT/Offshore seismic survey tech.
Define proficient? I’ve never stopped getting better at any of my jobs, but I hit “good enough” after a year or two. After 5 I had improved processes and procedures enough that I could do my boss’s job, and when they gave that job to someone else I left to do a similar higher position elsewhere.
I still carry those skills with me, so I am much more prepared even when dealing with something new because I’ve dealt with similar problems in the past.
About 3-5 years, but they keep promoting me out of my old job.
This sounds like a process management problem more than a proficiency problem. Why are nurses doing things in a different way? Are there no standard operating procedures that are followed?
Suck it up. If the experienced nurses want you to do something a specific way then do it that way until you’re experienced enough at it to decide a different way. In other words, you should probably learn their way first, unless it’s a danger to self or patient.
I’ve been in my field for over 15 years and I’m still learning. There should always be something you won’t feel completely proficient at, yet.
I’ve been an actor for 25 years and a marketer for 15. I still actively learn and develop both skills through classes, workshops, research, participation…
Nothing should ever stop the human mind learning and growing.
