[LilgirlRN]

The ER is very chaotic.... the best way for me to describe what we do in the ER is controlled chaos. If you're not happy with your preceptor, ask the charge nurse to change you. Everyone has their own style, what works best for them. Coming from surgery, you're pretty used to being in a controlled setting. The team does one patient at a time, in the ER, you've got no time to do that. You perhaps need someone closer to your own age, someone you can relate to. I agree with others, just because someone is smart, it doesn't make them a great preceptor. You need someone with patience and kindness, not everyone has that. Ask your charge nurse to pick someone to help you be what you know you can be to your new unit.

[Irish Nurse 89]

Originally Posted by chicagobsn

We had a code today, and I wanted to be part of it so bad, it wouldve been my 2nd code ever!!!! and she basically told me to move, and go give meds to our patient in 3 who was there for ankle pain X's 1 year. Guess its growing pains. I refuse to quit, Im in it and I want it and I will learn it and get it, just not gonna happen overnight.

Is it gonna get any better? Has anyone felt like this before? Should I just expect to teach myself? Funny thing is I cant even take vitals without her breathing down my neck making sure Im doing it right. Just wish she'd give me some credit, afterall I am a nurse.

Hang in there chicagobsn. I'm willing to bet that ALL nurses have had the feeling of being "lost" at one time or another when they were just starting out in the ER. Heck, I've been working in an ER setting for years now, and still get this feeling every now and then!
As to what happened to you during the code, I'm sure your preceptor was just trying to keep a bad situation from getting any more chaotic than it was at the time. Don't feel bad, or left out because she asked you to give out meds, instead of doing something at the bedside, because I believe that everyones roll in a code is important, that includes helping the other nurses give out their meds or watching their patients for them.
Hang in there chicagobsn, it really does get better.

[vampireslayer]

chicagobsn, i feel your pain! i went home MANY times in tears! in fact, i recall actually crying in the bathroom on break a few times as well. my preceptor was ex-military, an EXCELLENT nurse and he taught me well, but at the time, it was hell. i kept thinking "i'm too old to feel this stupid".

although a different preceptor might help, please try to hold off on that for a few more shifts. i can tell you from experience, i had a friend who was precepted by a really good, but REALLY....harsh, i guess is the word i'm looking for, nurse. my friend ended up requesting a new preceptor, and even if it's not right and it's not fair, the word got around that my friend was a "know it all", was "whiny" etc. she would question her preceptor, and it came across NOT as "ok, help me understand why we're doing this" it was more "i disagree with what you're telling me we should do". make sure you're questions are very obvious attempts to learn, not to disagree.

also, sometimes now when i precept, i can get the same way...we have SO MANY things we need to do, and it's easier when things get critical with patients to have the orientee go do the things i know they can do, while i make sure our crashing patient doesn't "go to the light". it is more helpful for the orientee to be right there in the thick of things, of course, and you should have been allowed to stay in that code, but in the end, we still have to make sure all our patients get the care they need. i'm not defending her actions, but i've been there as a preceptor myself and it's hard when you have a dozen things you know that need to be done, not to take the "easy way out" with your orientee, just to get caught up...with the intention that once you get caught up you can slow down and explain things.

i don't know if this happens at your ED, but sometimes with us, when we have an orientee with us, we end up getting more patients, or more of the higher acuity ones, because the triage nurse or person who assigns the EMS stretchers knows there's 2 of you...you're SUPPOSED to be treated as one nurse, while you're working together, but when things get tight and there are patients who NEED A BED NOW, the preceptor/orientee team gets more than their fair share. that's not the way it's supposed to be, but it happens. i remember my preceptor taking another pt, then another, then another, until we were carrying twice as many patients as anyone else, and he'd have me running all over doing things on all of them...he pushed me HARD, but after orientation, i learned how to push myself when i needed to, because of the way he'd taught me. it was really awful at the time, but now i am grateful for what i went through with him. he was mean sometimes, and hard on me a lot, and i may have learned just as well with someone more gentle and supportive, but i do think in the end i learned a lot from him.

good luck!! this too shall pass.

VS

Editing to add: didn't realize there were 3 pages to this post, and i missed your post about getting a new preceptor when i typed mine. i'm glad things are better for you!

[chicagobsn]

Thank you for all your words of encouragement. Vampireslayer..you are right. Even though my preceptor is tough and harsh...seriously, I have come to the conclusion she is right there for me and pushes me hard so I can "fly" on my own when Im done with orientation. I actually didnt request a new preceptor, I changed shifts where I got more opportunities to be with other nurses. Low n behold, the other nurses left me on my own and treated me as part of the team I became overloaded with my own patients..taking on one..two..three.. next time I look up I have 7 rooms and no preceptor and everyones to busy and were slammed.

So...back to my original preceptor..I changed my shift back..and she doesnt leave me on my own..but is always looking out for me and controlling situations where I have 4 rooms thats it. Goes to show that the ol saying.."the grass isnt greener on the other side" still exists in everything we do. Im with her..and Ive learned a hard lesson...but a lesson learned well. I went home in tears over being overloaded and felt like I didnt know what the heck I was doing in the ER.

Oh-and lilgirlRN you are SOO right about me coming from a very controlled environment in surgery. The controlled chaos is taking me for a wild ride...but I will get used to it. I am getting the hang of their method to the madness.

looking back at my previous posts...rereading it sounds rather silly now that Ive been in the ER for over 2 months now...Ive been in quite a few codes, and completely understand using the orientee to help with the other pts, explain later and do it next time deal. As I had some blinders on before...I do not have them on now.

Anyways..just thought Id tell you all thank you