A Melting Pot of Mail
Finally, a mixed (mail)bag of letters. Some readers tossed in their two cents about vaping (Clinician Reviews. 2016;26[6]:15-16) and the ACA (2016;26[5]:10, 12)—and not one but two clinicians stepped up in defense of today’s students in the Great Precepting Debate of 2016 (2016;26[6]:9, 55)!
MILLENIALS: NOT ALL SITTING AT THE KIDS' TABLES
I received my master’s degree in 2015 and am nearing completion of a year-long FNP fellowship program. I was an Army nurse for four years and a float nurse at various hospitals for five. I am a “millennial”—and, according to the published letters about precepting, am hated by older nurses because of it. Considering I have practiced with many hard-working people my age who would lay down their lives for this country, I find this unprecedented.
I work hard, but the school I attended for my FNP did not prepare me well; it was difficult to get people to teach and precept me during school. This led me to apply for my current fellowship.
Throughout my nine-year nursing career, I have precepted many nurses, including those with associate degrees. I will continue to mentor and precept as an APRN. I take issue with the portrayal of millennials as lazy and unable to work hard. Why? Because we will not work for free, would like to collaboratively learn, and need help to develop our skills?
One day, you will grow old and need someone to take care of you. Why on earth would you berate the people who will be doing just that? Complaining about this generation is not going to change the fact that they are here and present in the workforce. We need more providers, and chastising the younger generation is not going to solve that problem.
Stephanie Butler-Cleland, FNP-BC
Colorado Springs, CO
Continue for The Pros of Precepting >>
