Preceptor problems.....

I can understand your frustration, and I too think that it's unacceptable to think that a new person to a unit can take a full load right away. How do the other nurses on your unit feel and have thy brought this to your mamager, if not you could ask them for support. If this manager hears this from more than one person, maybe he/she will be more inclined to act on it. Also, how do the new nurses feel, have they brought their concerns to the manager. If they feel that it is unsafe but have not said so, then they are accepting an unsafe patient load without saying anything. I am just wondering if you are the only one speaking up then the manager may think that you are the only one with a problem with it. She/he may be seeing this as one persons problem rather thatn the whole units problem. I would put your concerns in writing and keep a copy. It is my experience that it is harder to ignore a problem when there is proof that someone has brought it to someones attention. If that doesn't work, take it higher (again in writing).

Usually when I have problems like this I first talk to the person, then put it writing, then go higher, ect...

Something like this happened once and I had to put it in writing and go higher, and then something did get done, my supervisor wasn't happy with me for a while, but when I explained that I had verbally adressed this on more than one occaision with no response, I felt I had no other way. This was a sitiation very like the one you are in and I felt that the issue was a patient safety issue, when she saw it that way, she did forgive me, and understood where I was coming from. And things did change. Good Luck. JillR

& I was frustrated as a preceptor who had to take a full pt load while teaching "my kid"! I cannot even begin to imagine teaching them while EACH of us carried a full load!

Tyr checking out national AWHON/ACOG standards & seeing if they help support your positions....

good luck! Haze

PS. I'm going to thank my manager for NOT trying to pull the kind of staffing stunt your boss does!

I Am A L&D nurses, i just finished precepting. were i am at the first few days my preceptor had a full load and i kind of just followed her around and then slowly did more . the next week i had a full load while she followed and watched over me. she had no patients of her own. Over the next few weeks we gradually builit up to where we both had full loads. Also The rest of the nurses were real helpful anytime i had a question they helped me out.or if i got backed up someone would help me catch up again.
I feel that it is a bad idea to give a preceptor and preceptee a full load.thats just my opinion,Mark.

P.S. Please don't refer to all L&D nurses as girls. just a pet peeve of mine,Thanks

Wow, what a terrible situation. My facility operates as a SRMC--there is a 3 month preceptorship program for any nurse without OB experience. The preceptor is often given a full assignment. The first couple of days is observation and gradually the new employee takes on more responsibility. At the end of 3 mn, if the orientee feels they need more time--they only need to ask. Yes it is difficult to preceptor with a full load; however, we are understaffed and a lighter load is not always possible.