Dear preceptor

Ok, so this is a vent. I apologize for the length of this post. Please note that this is not meant to be a general statement of my opinion on a whole group of people. Don't flame me. I'm mad and tired and don't have anyone else to tell. Nurses Announcements Archive Article

Dear preceptor.. I came to you smiling, full of energy and ready to tackle the last leg of my orientation journey, with your guidance of course. I haven't really gotten any inclination on where that guidance is at. You tell me what patients to take, and I take them. Then when I am at the bedside, communicating with the family (you know that rapport thing?), you decide that it is a great time to tell me *not to touch the patient*, or the machines for that matter unless you are there. What? I did not fall off of the nursing school wagon yesterday. I am new to your facility, but not a new grad. I did get a smug sense of satisfaction when the family told you it was fine and I was handling things.

I see that you do not have any intention of assessing my skill level or evaluating areas in which I need assistance. In your eyes, I have no skill level or even brain stem function because every action on my part is met by you with some sort of resistance or interrogation. You cant wait for me to come out of the bathroom before you call the doc... making me look like some sort of fool that cant call the doctor. Lo and behold the toilet flushes and I am greeted with 75 orders, all of which you *write* but make me *do*. Although I am a critical care nurse, and am comfortable with bedside procedures, it is *imperative * on your part to ensure that I am educated on sterile fields and how to open packages. That makes me feel so great, especially with the doc at the bedside.

Precepting with you has given me a great opportunity to practice dealing with "the cold shoulder, being aloof and unapproachable." I *know* that you aren't any of those things, just preparing me for when I run into someone who is. Thanks! I am now well versed in forced conversation, fake enthusiasm, and being lonely but not alone.

I have been practicing my mental, telepathic and psychic abilities... seeing as how there isn't any verbal interaction between us, its time to take it up a notch. *places fingertips to temples* Can you hear me now?

Here is an interesting thought. You breeze in, tell me how the lights have to be like this, and these lines need to be like this and so on. I am respectful of those requests. I like things a certain way too.. try to be mindful of that. The road goes both ways here. The same goes for documentation. Maybe you could ask me why I wrote a certain thing before you scratch it out and write error... although all the extra embellishments make my flow sheet look freakin fantastic, right?

When I ask you about something, especially when its a policy and the rationale for not following it... I just love when you get mean and flash those *knowing* looks to all your friends at the desk.

Precepting with you has been quite the experience, and as life goes, all things must come to an end. Now that our journey is finished, know that I will *never* forget you.

Love, your preceptee

I am experiencing something very similar. I am over 40, but have only been a RN for less than 2 years. I recently switched jobs and my preceptor treats me like her gopher. I am not a new nurse to train, but a transporter and a patient baby sitter while she takes extra smoke breaks. Never once has she ever taught me anything. She will answer questions, but the same question, may have multiple answers, even if the scenario is identical, depending upon her mood. I never have any valid insight on any patient and if I fail to obtain IV access, the patient is definitely not a hard stick, even if my preceptor ends up placing the IV in the ventral wrist area.

Whether one wants to be a preceptor or not, teaching is part of being a nurse. Do you really expect me to believe that a nurse can teach patients, but not other nurses? I think preceptors should be evaluated by new employees and that the feedback should factor into yearly evaluations. If this were the case, I bet even marginal preceptors would get reasonably high marks due to the effort put forth. I'm not asking for a professor, just someone who puts forth some genuine effort to orient me, if not for me, then for the patients I will care for in the future. How can I truly learn any quality skills when you expect me to jump on a moving ride with no explanation or preamble, only correction when I am set up for failure? I cannot know, what I do not know, I need to know.

Specializes in Ortho/Peds/MedSURG/LTC.

A bad preceptor, and I had two of them, takes away confidence, destroys dreams, makes one feel like they have been crapped on, let down, stepped on, spit on. One of my preceptors got fired 6 months after graciously allowing me.."what's her name"...do a lot of busy work (CNA work) who did not bother to call me and say "I won't be there please don't drive 1 hour for nothing and have to go back home and waste 5 hours of your day in preparation". Yes it was sweet to hear "your preceptor, the one that was so crappy to you, got fired for stealing a hydrocodone, obviously she'd been doing it more than once! but she got caught and fired on the spot". That firing did not and has not boosted my deflated ego..oh I won't forget her! The last day, her signing my papers, in front of 6 of my peers, I tried to put on a smile, as she looked bothered for being asked to sign and fill out my evaluation, looked at me and said "now, what was your name anyway...I forgot." what a bone head. Presently, I am out of work. Thinking I may never go back, its not the nursing, I could work 20 hour shifts and not eat. :confused:

Specializes in none.

I too have a mentor who could only see the negative things I do. I cannot ask question when we are in the room. So far we've only spent 18 hours (3 days, third day is 2nd week) together but majority of that is probably sitting around by myself. First day with no plan, tells me about pt in 100 miles/hr speech. Expect me to read his mind what the do's and don't's. And tell me the third day, I am not getting it when he has not tell me really anything except when he wants too. Tells me to read flow sheet when he sees me doing nothing, read a nurse note of previous shift, expect me to take this in the 2nd day, and know the meds the patient have. I do not have access to computer and the chart, you could only read so much. Yes, once in awhile, I forget stuff, I guess I am not allowed. All he keeps telling me is how seasoned nurse will eat me alive, how docs will not want to work with me, how patient sees that I am not confident. I am not afraid to show I am not confident, because it is true. Not yet, anyway. I may not be as quick or as confident, but I know I will be as time comes. Isn't it? Unless, I am just really dumb but I don't think I am. He tells me I am not focusing my energy to the right place, but he is not helping me either. Leaving me all alone, while he is in the computer checking his facebook. When I tried to have conversation with other nurses who is willing to talk to me, which I thought was okay with him and at the end, he now thinks I am not focusing my energy. He tells me at times to help nurses, but yet I hear negative things about it. So what should I expect on my fourth day? I am not allowed to interrupt him when he is writing because I could easily make a mistake. So when should I? I feel like a kid that is only allowed to speak when spoken to, ask question only when given the signal to ask question. Is that right?

I am feeling bad for all the peeps with bad preceptors. When I took a preceptor course in 2002 and shortly after had to precept I regretted it myself..As many bad habits I had collected I had to drop because I felt I owed new nurses the right to learn the proper way to perform their duties as staff nurses. In other words when I was a preceptor there were no shortcuts or sneaking off the floor or any of the bad habits many nurses get over the year. I just felt I owed new nurses the opportunity to learn the proper way and not my way. I think it is one of the best things about having a conciense

Specializes in CCU MICU Rapid Response.
I am experiencing something very similar. I am over 40, but have only been a RN for less than 2 years. I recently switched jobs and my preceptor treats me like her gopher. I am not a new nurse to train, but a transporter and a patient baby sitter while she takes extra smoke breaks. Never once has she ever taught me anything. She will answer questions, but the same question, may have multiple answers, even if the scenario is identical, depending upon her mood. I never have any valid insight on any patient and if I fail to obtain IV access, the patient is definitely not a hard stick, even if my preceptor ends up placing the IV in the ventral wrist area.

Whether one wants to be a preceptor or not, teaching is part of being a nurse. Do you really expect me to believe that a nurse can teach patients, but not other nurses? I think preceptors should be evaluated by new employees and that the feedback should factor into yearly evaluations. If this were the case, I bet even marginal preceptors would get reasonably high marks due to the effort put forth. I'm not asking for a professor, just someone who puts forth some genuine effort to orient me, if not for me, then for the patients I will care for in the future. How can I truly learn any quality skills when you expect me to jump on a moving ride with no explanation or preamble, only correction when I am set up for failure? I cannot know, what I do not know, I need to know.

I just read your post and preceptor evaluations would be a grand idea. I know its been several weeks since your post I hope that things are improving for you. Ivanna

Specializes in Ortho/Peds/MedSURG/LTC.

Its a small community. I have found work though only part time, I'm with wonderful nurses, the way nurses should be working in a clinic. Thanks for asking....and your absolutely right. All those proceptor wanna beees, all those managers that listen to your clonies "lying to you" about newbies- the ones you hire with your smokey voice saying "they will eat you alive on my floor newbie" - you ruin good nurses lives, that ones that weren't raised in your fighting, hateful, jealous, toxic, environment where you bite each other on the back as dogs do. I am learning and learning quick, I'm past your silly games, put me back on your floor and I, not you, would have been the one slamming my fists on my desk...asking 'W?" - I QUIT - To those girls who had nothing better to do than talk to each other about me...you were afraid of me - the patients love me, ask for me, I treated them like my own flesh and blood. I wasn't there only for 20.00 per hour (hospitals are scarey! your doors do not lock, people scream, codes are called) Its called the gift of empathy - something you will never ever own. Don't want to be apart of your toxic arena, you absoulutely have way too much "grandious self love", you are so blind. Those girls have a reputation (Students say stay away from 2 floors this one and THAT one) and the community will respond and go to a "nicer" people friendly hospital. I hear your hospital is fighting to keep the bills paid. lol the other hospital won't even consider giving you a raise if the patients are not happy.

Specializes in Ortho/Peds/MedSURG/LTC.

These preceptors did not want to be "Teachers" - nor do they have the "gift" or knowledge of what it means to become a preceptor. Students that are reading this...meet all the nurses you possibly can...YOU choose someone that YOU like. I had two absolutely horrible preceptors...why because I did not know anyone in those hospitals ..but LESSON LEARNED: If you want a decent preceptor I'd almost put an ad in the newspaper - you'll get someone who can read and is a bit on the social side, or I'd post it on the employee bullentin board. Nurses do eat (mostly alone) and stare at the bullentin boards in break rooms. Just because they are know it all nurses doen't mean that they have patience or can teach anything.

Specializes in Rehab.

Oh....I could write the same letter to all three of the preceptors that I've had...so lets go!

Dear Preceptor...

I came into your unit with wonder, with enthusiasm to start something different...and you stamped on me like an ant that was on the floor next to your patient. No, I am not a new nurse, but I am new to your floor and I would like to know how YOU do things here.

I know how to do somethings, I am perfectly capable to dialing the phone when a doc needs to be paged, but its funny that I get nasty looks when I say, "Well no one ever showed me how to call a doc because they never let me." Its also hilarious to me when the docs walk into the room for rounds, I'm standing right beside the resident answering questions and then you pie in and say the same things I did with a smirk on your face. Its also hilarious to me when a doc says something for me to do while they're in a room and you say to me "Yeah...thats an order ok?" No way...I thought they were just learning to talk! I also enjoy when I have an idea and you don't agree with it...and when I talk to the doc about it and he likes the idea...that you stick your nose in the air. Or, when a doc and I have discussed an idea and have a few questions for you, you always criticize the idea first, but then go and try to get the supplied for our idea even though you think they don't exist...but they do and our plan works. I LOVE when I get complimented by an attending at the bedside with you standing there and all you say is "Hmmm..." I'm smug, I'm sorry. I also thought it was hilarious when you got your foot run over by a cart coming out of the elevator after a morning of pounding me into the ground with watching me count my narcotics and then counting them yourself (even after 3 weeks after me getting my own), snapping at me because I tried to help a resident draw blood, and making me feel like the size of a pee. Also when you dumped me to care for a crashing patient and left me on the other hallway with a stable patient sitting up in the chair waiting for a bed upstairs....that was fabulous...thanks for the learning experiences that I had 6MTHS AGO!

To preceptor #2....thanks for interrupting me during my morning routine and then saying I have bad time management because it took me and hour and 1/2 to do one room because you just HAD to get the swan out of the patient and you just HAD to talk for 1/2 hr about central lines. Thanks...appreciate the constructive criticism. Thank you for also making me feel like I know nothing and never opened a drug book in my life. I've never used these drugs before, so I would appreciate a little more understanding. Thank you also for telling me it was inappropriate to tell a patient that her breath smells and if we brush her teeth, her mouth will feel better after being intubated for 3 days...I guess I should have told her that that face you made when she breathed into your face meant it smelled like posies on a warm spring day...my mistake. Thanks for writing that in my orientation book too...so when I get to defend that in front of the manager...oh wait...I won't be able to defend it, but you will be the correct one and I will be the meaningless speck on flesh you passed by that day.

Thanks again and I look forward to preceptor others myself. Because of my experience with you, I know how NOT to treat young nurses who want to learn. I'm a vicarious learner...and I learn well.

Love and Hugs! Your preceptee

Specializes in Emergency Room.
Second, most of the nurses who precept do so because they are the most senior staff. They know more and have seen more than the other nurses on the unit. As a result they tend to hold thier preceptees to a higher standard than thier peers. If I precept someone, I expect they will know almost as much as me before they take over patient care- anything else is a disservice to the patient.

WOW! You must have an amazing gift for teaching! You imply that you are one of the most senior, and therefore most experienced, nurses on your unit. It has taken you years of experience to learn and know all of the things that you know and yet you can teach a new nurse almost as much as you know in a few weeks of orientation?!? AMAZING! I wish I had you for a preceptor!!!:bow:

Reading these posts has got me scared now. :sniff: I am finishing me last term in nursing school. It is my last clinical and precepting. I went back to school to get away from working in a place where I hated my job and the people that I worked with. Wish me luck!

Unfortunately nursing is full of women who are insecure and their main purpose is to put others down in an effort to save their own job, not to mention falsely bolster their own low self esteem. Not all preceptors and nurses are to blame for issues with new grads; however, every new grad has different needs based on what opportunities were presented to them while they attended nursing school. Posts on this site are full of mean replies from experienced nurses who should have new grad expectations, not over the top experienced nurse expectations. And for the love of Pete, stop telling new grads how smart you are. If you really are that smart, you would know that even 8 weeks won't bring a new grad to your level. Shame on many of you who intimidate, stomp on the new grads spirit, and suck the life out of him or her.

Years Exp: 20

Nursing Specialty: TICU/SICU/MICU/CVICU/ER

Your story broke my heart!!! When I precept a new person to our units I only ask one thing of them, to teach me something about the Lycox, Vent, prisma, IV drips...etc. And you know over these years they have taught me as well!!:yeah: