Losing the Preceptor . . Er . . . Cane

Nurses New Nurse

Published

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

I thought I'd been looking forward to this date for a long time -- actually, I guess I HAD been looking forward to it, but not with any sense of the reality of it all. I've been walking with assistance for six months now, since my first knee surgery. First the walker, then the cane . . . then the walker again after my second surgery and then the cane. And finally, today, entirely as an afterthought, I got permission to ditch the cane.

"You're walking so much better today," my PT told me as I was leaving the clinic after more than an hour of exercise, massage and ice.

"You've really turned a corner!"

"Good enough to lose the cane?" I asked over my shoulder as I proceeded to leave the clinic.

"As long as it's not icy," she said. And there it was. The date I've been working toward for such a long time, the permission I've waited for, the validation I've sought. As an over-the-shoulder aside as I was leaving the clinic and she was assisting an octogenarian to stand. No time for fanfare or celebrating -- just quick permission to go out of the house without my cane. I've already been walking around inside my house without it; my house is small with plenty of furniture for handholds should I feel the least bit unsteady.

It's been a long, long time, but I think this must be like an orientee finally completing orientation and being given permission to take patients on her own. You've been waiting for it, working towards it and are sure you'll be safe. Then the big day comes . . . .

My first day outside without the cane, and I missed it. I really did. I came to a curb, and though I knew I could reliably stand on one foot for the instant it took to reach down with the other and find solid footing, I missed that cane. As I stood in line in the drug store, waiting for a prescription, I sort of missed that visible sign that I'm not quite as steady as some of the rest of the folks in that line. Whether or not I was actually LEANING on the cane, it did signal to others not to cut in front of me or ask me to help them out with reaching objects on the top shelves. (Kind of hard to turn down a little old lady when I LOOK able bodied but know I am not. Quite.)

An orientee always has that preceptor around, and knows that if she's about to make a mistake (or miss a step), she'll get reminded or bailed out as needed. And then the big day comes when you're flying on your own, and suddenly you ARE the nurse. There's no preceptor to remind you to check the blood pressure and heart rate before you give the metoprolol or to check you lab results after you've gone to the trouble of drawing the blood and sending it to the lab.

Graduation is a big event. New nurses eventually become seasoned nurses, and I'll get used to walking without the cane again. But I'm a bit scared, as I'm sure the new nurses are, too.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

GOOD FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

Looking forward to my own graduation from the cane, Ruby! The walker I gave up readily, but I feel a little emotionally dependent upon the cane, for all of the reasons that you stated.

Congrats!

Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

Glad to hear you're recovering so well!

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

Congratulations! I joke that I could open my own DME store; right now I'm using the cane, but with several more surgeries ahead of me, a cane is the best I can do...for now.

I know just how you feel. Best wishes on your path to recuperation!

Its good to know that you are fine. Take care always.

This is why the most basic precept in nursing and rehab is never to increase dependence by applying technology when it's not really needed. No reason we can't apply that to anyone in our care, including orienting new hires and preceptees/students.

Me, I'd keep the cane to whack the knee of any young whippersnapper who didn't give up his seat to an old lady on the subway. :)

Congrats!

:dancgrp:

Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

Congratulations Ruby!

I know as my preceptor backed away my stress levels increased and I felt sure I was about to kill someone; in face the first day on my own I drove home crying because I documented that a stroke patient had garbled speech per family, and then gave atorvastatin (the patient swallowed without difficulties, but I still should have held it and waited for a swallow eval). But I learned, and I got better, and now the charge nurse is saying to me in report "Can you take a student today?".:yes:

+ Add a Comment