Preceptorship squabble

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Specializes in LTC, Subacute Rehab.

I'll try to present both sides fairly here. My LVN class is gearing up to do preceptorships the end of next month. Today, we received a list of which nurses / facilities in the county would be suitable. A classmate had been talking before about doing day shift at Facility A; it has 12-hour shifts and is close to home.

I called Facility A today and arranged to take one of their day shift preceptorship slots; my reasoning is the same - 12s will get it over with more quickly, and I won't have to drive 25 miles each way.

My classmate is unhappy with me because she "cannot leave her son alone at night." He a teenager and she trusts him to cook dinner. She also receives all her income right now from financial aid - full scholarship plus.

I don't have children, but my husband is paying for -everything- right now. If I take an accelerated preceptorship, I can go back to work for a little while at my CNA job. I haven't been able to work because of our school schedule.

Another caveat is that my classmate can precept at any facility - I cannot precept where I work, according to the rules of the program. She could, but does not want to, precept at my facility, which is in the same town as Facility A.

I just want to know if I've been unduly selfish in taking a spot she wanted. Should I have stepped aside and let her have first dibs? I acted quickly because the number of available preceptors is quite limited.

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

you have just as much right to be there as her. if they pick you over her you can't help it. maybe they will pick you both.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Only.

Clinicals can be first come, first serve...

You did what you needed to do for you, nothing wrong with that.

If she wanted it that badly, she should have called and set it up already.

I dont think you did anything wrong..

Andd

Good luck with clinicals!!

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Specializes in Home Health.

Life's not fair...the sooner she learns to deal with that, the better. So maybe you did her a favor by teaching her that. And, no, you didn't do anything wrong.

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I'll try to present both sides fairly here. My LVN class is gearing up to do preceptorships the end of next month. Today, we received a list of which nurses / facilities in the county would be suitable. A classmate had been talking before about doing day shift at Facility A; it has 12-hour shifts and is close to home.

I called Facility A today and arranged to take one of their day shift preceptorship slots; my reasoning is the same - 12s will get it over with more quickly, and I won't have to drive 25 miles each way.

My classmate is unhappy with me because she "cannot leave her son alone at night." He a teenager and she trusts him to cook dinner. She also receives all her income right now from financial aid - full scholarship plus.

I don't have children, but my husband is paying for -everything- right now. If I take an accelerated preceptorship, I can go back to work for a little while at my CNA job. I haven't been able to work because of our school schedule.

Another caveat is that my classmate can precept at any facility - I cannot precept where I work, according to the rules of the program. She could, but does not want to, precept at my facility, which is in the same town as Facility A.

I just want to know if I've been unduly selfish in taking a spot she wanted.

Yep..

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Specializes in NICU.

Nope. You're not obligated to her. Sounds like there's another clinical she could do (the one where you work) but has CHOSEN not to. That's on her.

I'm a big ol' bleeding heart liberal, but there's nothing that irritates me more than talk of "owing" and "deserving" and "being entitled to".

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, IM, OB/GYN, neuro, GI.

You didn't do anything wrong. We were told at the beginning of the program that we would have clinicals anywhere in the county and it was up to us to make sure that we got to the sites. We never got to pick where we wanted to go for clinicals, we could only say where we would LIKE to go. Also anyone who worked at a facility was not allowed to do clinicals at that facility unless it was the only site available for everyone.

We had a similar problem with our peds rotation because there was a day a night shift available (we're a night class) and the days had the advantage of three days but longer hours. The students in class that didn't work or had flexible schedules volunteered to do this shift because of problems in tha past with day rotations and people complaining about having to work. However, since this clinical was only three days everyone wanted it. The instructors picked who they wanted to go their regardless of anyones work schedule although the ones that clearly could do it were picked.

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I'm siding with you.

She is choosing out of preference...you are choosing out of necessity.

Don't feel guilty about it.

Teenagers can be left at home and get themselves up the next morning, if need be, and get on the bus and get to school.

....and that child would think the whole world was caving in on him if he was late, didn't go, or anything went nutty at my house while I was gone.

I grew up in a house where we were left alone at very young ages due to both parents being healthcare professionals. However, I knew if I broke a single rule that had been laid out to me...I was in deep doo doo.

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Specializes in LTC, Subacute Rehab.

Thanks, everybody.

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Nope. You're not obligated to her. Sounds like there's another clinical she could do (the one where you work) but has CHOSEN not to. That's on her.

I'm a big ol' bleeding heart liberal, but there's nothing that irritates me more than talk of "owing" and "deserving" and "being entitled to".

My thoughts exactly!

You did what you needed to do. You did nothing wrong.

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