[noelle4]

Please advise. I am one month away from being off ER orientation (no prior experience) and feel good about my performance so far--altho I am by no means an expert and have MUCH more to see. I have been told by ER staff, including docs and even chief of ER, that I am welcomed and doing well (altho I still go home and doubt myself somtimes!) Patients and family members tell me they hate our ER, have horror stories about the care they've gotten in the past and have even stated our ER would do well to hire more "caring and compassionate"nurses like me http://www.nurse-forum.com/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif The response I'm getting for the most part is positive.
I love the job, and still have a long way to go tho,like I said earlier. Here's my problem:
My preceptor ( a veteran with excellent skills) is not the easiest person to get along with. Fights with staff, challenges the docs, ALL the time,creates drama and tension.. I felt sorry for her, tried to be friends and stay on her good side since all this is new to me. Today, to my utter amazement, she tells my manager she does not think I am "where I should be in," my orientation, giving no real concrete reasons to justify her statements and actually going so far as to make things up to make me look bad!!!. I felt sabotaged and blindsided. I think she resents me b/c I am a nice person!! I know it sounds crazy..! So, I am disputing this and asking for another preceptor ( I truly believe this woman is unstable) which my (fairly new and overwwhelmed) manager agrees to do. I have worked so hard to do well here and now I have to ask myself if I really want to work in this ER, or whether or not my manager will keep me!
Does anyone have an opinion please? Is there a preceptor out there who can guide me?
Tx !
N.

[Aneroo]

You've made steps towards the right thing to do (getting a new preceptor). Some folks out there just weren't meant to be preceptors.
Were there a lot of other new folks starting around the same time as you? I started earlier than others, so I had an awesome preceptor. I think there were some folks in came in behind me though, who didn't, just because they were running out of 'awesome' preceptors. Not saying the others were not good, just didn't click well with others. There were several folks I worked with who ended up with several preceptors due to this.
So long as you have people backing you up, you're fine. If this preceptor were able to provide something concrete about you, then I'd be more worried (If she had proof to back up what she has been saying).
Good luck with the new preceptor!

[lannisz]

It's not just you....when I was a new grad and orienting to the CCU, I had a preceptor who suddenly turned on me when I was almost off orientation. I had had 2 glowing evaluations prior to this. My preceptor had seemed very unstable (mood swings, making dangerous mistakes and then claiming I was responsible when I wasn't even involved with the patient.) I found out later that she had a long psychiatric history and had stopped taking her medication about that time. I ended up leaving the unit. I felt management was irresponsible in letting her practice when she was so unstable and didn't think I could work where they would cover something like that up. My preceptor had been in that same CCU for 20 years (right after nursing school) and had never worked anywhere else. Don't give up. I'm sure others know your preceptor's "MO"

[er_guy2003]

Sounds like the group responding to you is right on track. Seeing I am an ER preceptor let me add a few items. New Non-experienced ER folks can be over-whelmed when they come right off their orientation. Build trust with fellow co-workers, show the docs you know what you are doing or at least willing to learn from mistakes. Don't allow your charge nurse to to give you heavy assignments, or critically ill patients. Know who to ask for help. Also realize it will take you 6-12 months to feel comfortable. During that time you will become emotional, you will question your decision of joining the ER, and any number of other distraught situations may come up. However; just from reading what you wrote, My money is on you doing just fine. One other lil tid-bit, ER nursing is very addictive, if you luv it; you'll retire from it. Good luck.

[KatieBell]

Isn't that the truth about the ED nursing being addictive. I have been trying to leave it and I always end up coming back.

I'd ask for a different person to precept you, and I would build relationships with the nurses and just keep your chin up. You'll do fine.

[LoriAlabamaRN]

From what you've stated, others have had problems with this nurse as well, so I doubt her opinion will carry as much weight as you fear. You're doing the right thing, and it sounds like you are doing a great job as well!

[Angie O'Plasty, RN]

Just remember Noelle, when it comes right down to it, the whole ballgame is not office politics. It's the patient, the patient, the patient.

Sounds like you're doing well there, except for this chick. I was told once that I needed to "be a duck" and let the other stuff roll right off my back, and that's the advice I'm going to share with you now.

Best wishes--and remember, you can vent here anytime. Keep us updated.

[TazziRN]

I agree with ER work being addictive -- I've been doing it since 1988 and can't imagine doing anything else!

I had a terrific preceptor so I can't advise from a personal standpoint, but I did see someone get railroaded by a preceptor who had it in for her and she (orientee) was terminated based on the preceptor's eval even though she had asked for a different preceptor and the rest of us who had seen her at work told the NM that she was doing well. Unfortunately the preceptor walked on water as far as the NM was concerned and often got away with things that the rest of us couldn't do. You were lucky enough to get another preceptor: stay alert but take this second opportunity to shine in spite of what the first one said. And ER Guy is right: it will take you a while to feel completely comfortable.

[noelle4]

Thanks to ALL of you who responded to my problem!! You guys are AWESOME and u can't believe how much better i feel after reading your msgs of support!! You sound like the kind of RN's I wish I could work with--I will go back in there with my head up and do the best I can and rise above it (and I plan to kill this RN with kindness..
Thanks again.
PS..er guy, I tried to send u a msg before i read this one. Thanks to your excellent advice here in the forum, you raised my confidence! (I want u as my preceptor...BTW, what do u think about "orientation extensions?"? hurtful or helpful?)
I'll keep u posted.
thanks again
Noelle

[erjulie]

seriously, that could have been me as a new grad in a PICU. I had the most psychotic mean woman in the world as a preceptor who essentially destroyed me in one year. It was awful despite the fact that I had a previous degree, tons of experience and was pretty tough. I was grateful to get out of there with any shred of sanity left,and went to the peds ER where I was literally astounded to realize how much I knew. What a terrible way to learn that you're good at your job. Please don't let your preceptor shred you like that. Rely on the feedback from the majority of the staff. Currently, I'm the staff educator and my main purpose, 20 years later, is to never allow that to happen to any other new grad. We review the orientee's progress biweekly (at least) with the preceptor, educator and clinical specialist. This allows the orientee to get more than one perspective, and it allows the educator to guide the preceptor (and keep him/her in check if need be). We are very careful about who precepts and how quickly information is fed to the new grad. I tend to be protective of them, but have had success stories and am happy with that. So, even if it's a bad experience for you, you'll get something out of it, even if it's how to deal with psychotic co-workers. And, there are a few out there!