pls help- what should I do?

Specialties Operating Room

Published

I am in my final preceptorship in the OR. We are a group of 5 students who were given a bursary that pays half of the course cost, and we signed an agreement that we would complete 24 months of service.

It has been a rocky road at best, and while I have a 94% average in the course, the clinical portion was inconsistent at best. Now that I am in preceptorship, each day is different, my preceptor is very up and down, one minute she is giving me high praise, the next she is telling me that I don't prepare enough.

On Friday we had a hysterectomy that became difficult, the doctor was already upset because his slate was booked differently than he wanted and he had had one difficult hyster already (fibroid the size of an 18 week uterus). I was scrubbed and my preceptor was trying to help but things did not go according to plan, she was talking me through it and the doctor got mad. In the end I wound up contaminated by a suture and she took over, which was ok with me. When it was all said and done, the doctor took a strip off her, told me I did fine, that she should have introduced me as a learner, and that she should have taken over when it was obvious that things weren't going well. Afterwards she took me aside and told me that I didn't want to be there, that I wasn't prepared enough, that I didn't care etc. etc. and that I needed to make up my mind by monday if I want to come back and finish. She was crying after the doc yelled at her, cried while telling me off, and has cried one other time this week about a similar talk we had about nursing eating their young. I feel like I'm with a loose canon.

I don't intend to apply for work because this or has so many problems and issues right now, staff shortages, morale issues, and many depressed staff. I have a job to go back to and realize now that it was not as bad as I thought where I come from. I have a suspicion that some of this has to do with the fact that the manager knows I don't plan to apply, doesn't want to pay the bursary, and is wanting me to weed myself out of the program. I would like to finish the course so that I can at least have options elsewhere should I choose to do so. I have been attending faithfully, do my best and maintain high marks.

What should I do?

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Specializes in Obstetrics, perioperative, Infection Con.

I am very sorry you are having a bad time. It sounds to me your preceptor is having a very rough time herself, and is not ready to deal with you. Does your employer have more than 1 hospital? If so, would you be able to go to another OR to finish? If not, would you be able to get another preceptor?

There must be somebody in charge of the program. Is there a clinical educator you could go to?

You are also going to have to make up your mind where to go next. The 24 month period sounds like a long time if you don't want to be an OR nurse (not everybody is you know). If you do want to be an OR nurse but not at the facility you are now, you need to look for a different place to finish the clinical part and see if you can have some arrangement with the place which has paid for your course to pay the bursary back.

Hope this helps, and I hope you stay in the OR God knows we need all the OR nurses we can get.

Good luck!

Marijke:icon_hug:

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Specializes in OR.

It sounds like your preceptor is not that secure in her own abilities...The doctor was right, she should have let him know that you were in a learning process and it sounds like what she did instead was throw you to the wolves.:no: As a tech, I have precepted students and if the case becomes at all difficult or unstable, the teaching person should step in immediately. For that matter, if I knew ahead of time it was going to be a hard case, I would have asked him if he was comfortable letting you take the table and I would have asked you if you wanted to first scrub it as well. Some people are not good at precepting unfourtunately. The fact that she took out her hurt(because the doctor yelled at her) on you does not speak well of her teaching abilities. If you truly are interested in the OR-do not let this person discourage you.

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Specializes in Theatre.

'she cried' ... sounds like the preceptor may also be having a rough time. If you don't intend to stay there that may be reflected in your attitude and affect how your preceptor treats you. Training someone in the OR can be very demanding and very discouraging if the person does not intend to stay. Sometimes it is hard investing your time and energy when you know that you are not going to reap the benefits (eg with the person staying on). Maybe she shouldn't be a preceptor. Maybe she doesn't really have an option. Maybe she is under a lot of pressure. I am not trying to justify her actions but rather point out that she is a person with thoughts and feelings. Marijke has offered some sound advice and ortess1971 gives some insight into what to look for in a preceptor. You need to think about your long term future when you decide what to do about your current situation. I wish you well whatever you decide to do.

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Specializes in pediatric er, iv team nicu, picu, and ot.

Pray..breathe and realize it seems huge right now..but there is a bigger picture..and part of that bigger picture is you are being led in life and nothing happens by accident..I dont know you but I just feel if you get quiet you will know what to do ..go where the peace is say I am doing this---- pause see how it feels, do you feel peace?.. ..maybe you are in this persons life for a purpose and this is a distraction from that when I encounter something like this I first forgive the person ( does not matter who is right and doesnt matter if I feel it but I choose to forgive ..its up to my creator to bring that about .then I ask to see how he sees this person to show me his truth ..all of a sudden I may feel compassion for them..I may realize a deep pain they have that I never realized and I speak blessings over them..its powerful..there are always test before promotions..in all levels..mind body spirit..you dont fail you just either get a chance to repeat the test or go to the next level..follow the peace..you already have the answer

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Specializes in OR.

I am planning on going into my hospital's OR program. They require you to sign a contract stating you will give 12 months after the program back to the hospital by working for them or pay them $10,000. This is not a binding contract.

I would research other hospitals in your area and let them know what you have completed thus far and see if you can get your preceptorship there. The ORs are hurting for nurses so you might get lucky!

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Thank you all for your replies. I wrote to the instructor of the course over the weekend, explained everything that happened. My preceptor ended up calling me yesterday and apologized although she still didn't really take responsibility for what she put me through. We agreed that I would come back today and we'd try to see how it went. We were in ENT and with a doctor I've worked with before and everything went ok. I still don't feel comfortable with her, but I refuse to let this ruin the experience.

Unfortunately the next nearest OR that would fulfill the requirement is 2 hrs away. I would love to be able to consider that but this course is already stretching us financially so it isn't really an option, and I think I'd probably have difficulty convincing the college that it was necessary.

Thank you all for your replies and support. I'll keep you posted how it all ends.

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