Do experienced nurses really eat their young?

[whit717]

:uhoh21: OK - so I am about 2 weeks from graduating nursing school, and I did my preceptorship at my hometown hospital. My preceptor was a complete you know what! I mean we've all heard the saying that nurses eat their young, but this really drove it home. I was only there a total of 4 days and she managed to embarrass me in a multitude of different ways. If I couldn't remember how to do certain paperwork specific to that hospital, she made a show right there in front of all the other nurses and CNAs. In front of patients she would scold me like a child for doing things she didn't agree with, even though that is how I was taught to do them in nursing school. I have never pretended to know everything about nursing in the limited time I have spent in nursing school and all of my clinicals have to add up to be about three months tops! I really thought that if I didn't know how to do something I could ask without fearing some awful outcome. By the time I got through there she had me resistant to ask questions, and that made me miserable. Of course I would never endanger a patient for lack of knowledge, but how much humiliation can one person take?? Now I find that I have lost confidence in myself and my nursing abilities, which I know only I can allow that to happen, but I find myself asking: what if you really can't keep up? I LOVE nursing, everything about it. But I want to be good at it as well. Was she too harsh, or was I really unable to keep up like I should have been able to. I'm lost! The worst part is this is the hospital I will be going to work at after I graduate and pass boards. How can I handle working with her, especially if she is who is going to train me?

[CRNI-ICU20]

whit717 vbmenu_register("postmenu_2179101", true);

that preceptor isn't a nurse, she is godzilla in scrubs!

awww honeylump, you should just come and work with me....i would never embarrass, humiliate, or reprimand you....ever....

that old battleaxe needs a good roll in the hay or sumpthin'

you hang in there....it sounds like you are learning some things about yourself, and about this situation that will serve you well in days to come...and one day....when you are asked to precept....you will remember, won't you....how scarey it is to be brand new and full of questions??

don't let them see ya sweat....just committ to doing the best you can for your patients...of all the things that will stand out about you as a nurse, it will be this: put your patient first...

i wish we could have more nurses out there like you....

maybe old grumble britches will retire or find a different place to work....

now....here's some milk and oreos....let's dunkem and drown our sorrows in chocolate!

blessings to you in your new role! crni

[cmax1179]

I think nurses actually do eat their young. I have been a nurse for a year and although I had a descent preceptor I see alot of new grads that come on now and the training they recieve consists of the nurse working with them for 2 weeks then making coffee runs the following 8 weeks while on orientation. When I have asked a few about it they arrogantly respond "they gotta learn by doing it themselves"

CJ

[RNLULULABAMBA]

Hi;

Yes, experience nurses eat their young ones. I left two jobs in a year because of that. It was awful!. However, on my third job I found some good preceptors and that is where I still work.

My advise to you is don't allow any one to push you around. After all they are being paid to share their knowledge and they all started somewhere.

good luck

[gina gina]

all man,i hate that.i was in clinicals 4 one month and my instructor showed off in front of the staff and would ridicule us.one day i just sat in my car conteplating on whether or not i should throw a rock at her to hit her in the head.my classmate talked me out of it.but i will never 4get that. go somewhere elses,or embarass her in front of some people.monkey back at her like karma.good luck.this hits home 4 me becuz its like walking un eggshells.pull this b 2 tha side and check her.my instructor gave us all the blues so i was not singled out.tell her boss on her.she might b unhappy at home.

[patchy]

I am still getting my pre-reqs, but it is horrifying to me some of the people I meet or hear about that are planning on becoming nurses. The reason for this is because they are just so mean. Your preceptor could of always been a you know what. So no matter how good you were, she would have always be that way. In this case it sounds like the problem is her, not you.