I'm a new RN - graduated in December '09 and started as a circulator in March. It seems my bosses have given me just 4 months orientation instead of the 6 to 9 months they kept telling me it takes to learn the job. In fact they've only really given me 3 months - now I'm on a 30-day extension because I am not where I need to be at 3 months' time.
I'm not an extremely extroverted person, but I am normal - I'm not shy. I speak up when I need to, I don't get in everyone's business, I'm not bossy or arrogant or rude, I ask questions when I need to and I communicate well, I take responsibility and learn from mistakes, I am not afraid of snippy surgeons, etc. -- these were good things in my eval I got last week. I document, communicate well, I'm great with patients, assessments, etc. and I can rattle off the whole list of things I am supposed to do and check for as a circulator, from holding area to PACU report. I was told at about the 4-week mark I was doing great but needed to take the initiative to tell my preceptor to let me do things by myself (e.g. I am hooking up a scope camera while she goes over to hook up the bovie - I either should ask her to do that or tell her not to hook things up, let me do it all) - even though I "won't be on my own for at least 6 months". So after that I did that and they told me I was doing better and they were impressed.
But apparently I still didn't seem to come across as being the totally confident circulator I needed to be. Which is supposed to take at least 6 months, as they told me many times. But now all of a sudden it was only supposed to take 3 months, and they think I can do it so they've given me a 30-day extension on my "probationary period" (which all jobs have). In the week since they gave me my evaluation, they put me on some cases at the last minute by myself (because of staffing issues that came up). Even 2 ortho cases, which in my eval they said they don't expect me to be able to circulate myself yet.
So why did they make the big deal out of my capabilities last week, then the next week put me on cases by myself? Why did they feel they need this in writing? Every time they've told me "we want you to be at THIS level" - I've stepped up and done it, I've followed their guidance and direction, and I've made big improvements and my confidence grows more and more every day. I take their constructive criticisms well. (And on top of that I later realize I should have gotten paid a third of my sign-on bonus this paycheck!)
I am sure that they shouldn't be firing me in 30 days, but it makes me mad that they did this (it's in writing - I didn't argue). It just seems like something is behind it - like they have someone with perfect OR experience that they want to hire but can't because the budget won't allow it. Or they suspect some staff will be quitting or something. Or they want to hold off a month on paying me my money. But it took me a week to process this and I didn't have a week to think about it.
If I am just whining then tell me to shut up :) But it's a little dishonest of them. And I still feel like I let myself down, when maybe I shouldn't feel that way.
