BAD PRECEPTOR!!

Nursing Students CNA/MA

Published

Yesturday was my first day as an orientee, and I was assigned to a young, immature, impatient and rude cna. She did not want me to assist her or do any types of hands-on training, she just told me to watch nearly everything she did. When I watched her demonstrations, she briefed through everything and didn't explain a thing. I was asking NUMBEROUS questions about everything because I just didn't understand why she was doing this or her method of how/when it gets done. Her attitude was distant, aloof and snotty. She made ugly faces at times when I asked her about charting or how to operate a hoyer lift. She made it seem like I was slowing her down and wasting her time. She often left me when she told me to make beds, and it took me 20 MINUTES to find her in a wing she was not assigned to work in...CHATTING with a friend of hers...FOR ANOTHER 8 MINUTES, completely ignoring me and pretending like I wasn't there. Yesturday was a horrible first day as an orientee. I almost wanted to complain to the DON, but I thought that would make me look bad being a freshly new cna. When it was time to leave, I heard her tell a co-worker "You know they done hired some new cna's to snatch up all our hours."

............... :confused:

I'm very happy that I DON'T have her assigned as a preceptor throughout the rest of my orientation. It was a horrible experience. We are all in this as a team. That was my worst nightmare come to life. Why look down your nose at me, just because you have more experience? :mad:

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Specializes in Med-Surg/urology.

OMG I went through the same thing at my (now former) job. I only got 3 days of orientation which I felt wasn't enough. The first night went well, the person I was with was extremely helpful. The next two days on orientation were straight from hell! Like you the preceptors were nasty, rude & disappeared for long periods of time. Both days I came home crying b/c I just couldn't believe that people could be that rude & downright mean to new employees. Never have I experienced that sort of behavior at any of my jobs. My mom said I should have told the DON but what good would have it done? Both of my preceptors had been at the facility for over 20 yrs! So I tried to do my best & stick it out but that facility was terribly run, never had any supplies, no sense of teamwork...I could go on & on! So I quit. Thank God I found a new job rather quickly at a great facility..plus I have a PRN position at an assisted living facility as well. My advice to you would be to tell someone about how this person treated you. I believe it is people like this that causes facilities to have such high turnover rates.

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Specializes in Rehab and Alzheimer's.

When I first started out, I had a similar problem. I asked for a different trainer and the facility complied. I lucked out and had possibly the best teacher I could ever ask for, who patiently dealt with my "greenness" and built up my confidence. You also have the right to ask for a new person to orientate with. I don't understand why some cnas are like that either. Some are very set in their ways; and some are just not meant to teach. I hope you have a better experience and I'm sorry someone did you that way.

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I just couldn't believe that people could be that rude & downright mean to new employees. Never have I experienced that sort of behavior at any of my jobs. My mom said I should have told the DON but what good would have it done? Both of my preceptors had been at the facility for over 20 yrs! I believe it is people like this that causes facilities to have such high turnover rates.

I completely agree. I have no clue why people would ever behave this way...not only to other human beings, but at WORK. How unprofessional! You would assume that people who work in healthcare actually have a heart...:igtsyt: Earlier in the day, a fellow orientee was having problems with the staff. And when she spoke to the nurse, the nurse replied "Well, you know it just comes with the territory. Some people are just ignorant."

While I agree that some people don't know how to act in public, why does the facility tolerate a hostile working environment?

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You also have the right to ask for a new person to orientate with. I don't understand why some cnas are like that either. Some are very set in their ways; and some are just not meant to teach.

Thank you for your advice. Luckily, I am not scheduled to have her as a preceptor in the reamining of my orientation. But if I do run into this type of unconsideration again, I'm speaking to the DON. Something needs to be said about this.

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Specializes in LTC.

You're supposed to shadow on the first day and not really do anything but watch. Training people does slow you down and the amount of stuff you're supposed to be teaching people on top of that is overwhelming. I know that when I've trained someone (only a few times), I've talked in circles. Those poor people were probably so confused. That said it sounds like she was more ****** than just overwhelmed. My trainer wasn't nice either. The first one I had was okay but she shouldn't be training people because she can't get her work done as it is. My next trainer had an attitude. She made me feel stupid all the time. And she's lazy and doesn't do half of what she's supposed to do. She was only interested in getting me to fly through the work after a few days so I could do it all while she goofed off at the desk. Then when I was still slow she got all annoyed.

It sucks but pretty soon you'll be off training and that's when the real learning experience begins. Then after a month or so it's all good. When you have questions just ask someone else. Usually the other workers on your hall are more than happy to explain stuff to you.

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You're supposed to shadow on the first day and not really do anything but watch. Training people does slow you down and the amount of stuff you're supposed to be teaching people on top of that is overwhelming.

It sucks but pretty soon you'll be off training and that's when the real learning experience begins. Then after a month or so it's all good.

Thank you for your advice, fuzzywuzzy. Before I took my CNA training class, I often browsed through this website, and ran across many of your comments and threads. :redbeathe You share an intresting, informative and sometimes sarcastic viewpoint relating to working as a cna. And from what I've read, you sound like a caring, hard-working and compassionate nurse aide. Like you, I hope to be dedicated in providing decent care to my residents, while still holding onto my sense of humor after working in this field a few years from now. :redbeathe:redbeathe:redbeathe

According to the preceptor, she demonstrated how to properly make a bed, and sent me to make 5 of them. I feel that if she were to teach me how to properly give a resident a bed bath, I could have been assigned to get at least one of her residents washed, dressed and ready for lunch. I understand that she has a lot on her agenda, but if she just toke some time to teach, train and give an example, then I could be used as an assistant to help make her workload a least bit hectic for the day. Along with providing me some hands-on training at the same time. A fellow orientee of mine told me that she assisted in feeding, changing, dressing and giving a resident a shower her first day of shadowing. I think it depends on the preceptor if they will either allow an orientee to just follow them around and take notes. Or if they will teach, train and allow an orientee to get their hands dirty while learning something new.

My biggest problem I had with this preceptor in whole was her disgusting and unprofessional attitude. She ignored me when I would call her name, and carried on silently with her work as if I wasn't there. She often left me at times, and wouldn't bother informing me of where she was going, or when she'd be back. I honestly don't think she had any intention on being an informative preceptor to me that day. The biggest lesson she taught me was, 'How not to behave and conduct yourself to new employees in the workplace.'

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Specializes in LTC/Rehab.

I'm sorry you had such a horrible experience. When I was in orientation, I had both good and bad preceptors. Not everyone is a good teacher, or patient and well-mannered. Good luck with the rest of your training!

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help!!!! i am a new lvn in texas. i just started at this medical clinic that has a bunch of specialty doctors its a group of doctors that are associated with a certain hospital! anyway, i was in an rn program almost done, then i got into a car accident and my grandmother passed, so needless to say i did not finish the rn program. i plan on finishing once my boyfriend graduates school. anyway i digress, so now i am a lpn or in texas its an lvn. so not to toot my own horn but i did get a great deal of education and i feel that i have pretty big knowledge base. i just lack confidence. however, at this clinic i first started training with internal medicine which wasn't so bad, but i don't know if its just me, but i feel like i do a cna's job. all i did was take vitals and do an ekg here and there, do some flu test, or urine test or strept test or prep for a pap smear and refill rx's. as far as assessment that doesn't really happen. i don't know if its just hard for me to transition from rn because that is most of my training, to lvn, or if it is just the facility? because i would start to ask questions and then chart it but the dr.'s would go in and ask the exact same questions, so i don't know. now they put me at a cardiologist office and i work with a ma that is not very helpful at all in fact she is downrite rude and snotty, she is taking the position of this paramedic (suppose to be nurse) that has been with this dr for 12years, she is having to take on a lot!so i keep asking her and telling her to show me what i can help her with. i am trying to take some tasks to help out.yes i am new, but i am there to help and want to learn. i told them that i can fill rx's however we do get rx's for coumadin/warfarin and i know that i need to check the inr's for those meds before i refill them, so i ask to see the inr log and she wouldn't let me see it and tried to force me to fill the rx w/o checking. she told me that she was taking care of that, but yet she still wanted me to refill the rx. i feel like she is trying to run me off i don't know what to do. i feel like if i ask the dr all of my questions that he is just going to be annoyed with me as well. they knew that i was a new grad nurse that had no experience in cardiology, i don't know what to do....i do the ekg's well, i take bp, i know the cardiac meds for the most part, i should refresh myself. but i do know that there are ace inhibitors, the calcium channel blockers, the prils and statins and i also know the dieuretics. i know that we do cartoid echos, stress test, nuc stress test/otherwise known as lexiscans, i just feel like there is so much more that i can do, but noone at this clinic wants to show me or help me and they really do need me, (or at least an extra person) but i just.... i don't know... i need some advice...am i doing what i am suppose to w/ the vitals, ekg's refilling rxs is there more that i should be doing???? please help!!!!!

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Specializes in CVICU, CCU, MICU.

I had a similar experience when I trained except I trained with someone older than me who loved to throw my age in my face. No matter what I did it never seemed to be enough. And she seemed distant and I didn't want to ask questions. Whenever I train people now I try to remember that day no matter how impatient I may get because I don't want anyone to feel the way I did. I ended up becoming that woman's favorite person to work with to.

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Im sorry you had such a bad experience. Just try to rise above it if you can. If you are unsure of a procedure, you tube has a ton of videos you can watch. Also if you need clarification on how to use a lift, take it upon yourself to ask a pta to demonstrate it for you. Good luck.

Also, I just wanted to add that I too have had a similar experience to yours. My preceptor was horrible and would constantly disappear with no explanation. Once I even found him in the parking lot WASHING HIS CAR when we supposed to be working!

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Well that is good to here. I am trying so hard, when the doctor is around she isn't as mean, but as soon as he leaves she turns. But now I feel comfortable just asking the doctor if I have any questions and he tells me that I am doing a great job, then later when he leaves, my trainer comes to me and tells me that I am doing everything wrong.I don't know...I don't understand why people have to be mean. Even if they were trained that way doesn't make it ok. Like you, I know that I will never train someone this way. Thanks for the support. I am sure that I will be on here a lot just to vent!

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