absolute power in the O/R corrupts absolutely...

nambour51 · Jun 21, 2006

It is a bit hard to give a definitive answer to your questions.

1. Unfortunately this PERSON really unnerved you, and apparently it showed. When you are in an environment for only a set period of time sometimes you have to keep a check on your attitude in order to achieve your long term goal. Sometimes the only thing you can change in your day is your attitude.

2. Maybe the school should have looked into the issue more carefully. Something to keep in mind when you report a problem like this is to keep to the facts and keep the emotion out of it, thereby providing specific issues that can be addressed. (Be objective not subjective).

3. Charge nurse and preceptor have a responsibility to ensure you were in an environment where you could learn and develop your skills, however you cannot change the past. You are now a tech. It is time to let go of a past situation that you cannot change. Focus on being the kind of tech that you would have liked to have had mentoring you. You have learnt what not do do through this tech!

scrub2nerse · Oct 13, 2008

yes power does corrupt in the OR and I feel that the school that you were attending is in great need of a clinical instructor who does not have their head so far up the political butts of the hospital that he/she did not consider pulling you from that "person".

As a surgical tech of some 15 years and a precepter for most of it, I am aware that the only reason that a surg tech student gets treated that poorly is when the surg tech who is training them, is flustered because they are not comfortable with what they are doing..and therefore, they have no authority to be precepting what so ever. It takes a couple of years in an OR be become comfortable enough to teach. I am sorry that you paid for a program that did not meet the needs of it's students. After all, all that we learn that truly benefits us in school (as scrubs) comes from our clinical experiences and I can see why you are still frustrated about this. Telling you to forget about it, or that everything will be o.k. is non-therapeutic and destructive in your dealing with this situation. I would, if I were you, write a letter to the school expressing your concerns. A professional, well written and thought out explaination about how this event has effected your professional life..would to more for you than just trying to forget. Even if nothing is done, and the letter is ignored by the person who reads it, at least you have gone thru the excersise and written down the reasons that this event has changed you.

I am not a good writter, but I hope that in some way this makes some sense to you. :clown:

p.s. I am back in school again for nursing and well, I can say...I really know what you mean:bugeyes:

shodobe · Oct 13, 2008

Just let it go. No sense in getting upset over this. Remember, what goes around, comes around. This tech will get theirs in the end you will have moved on to better pastures. Some people love that contol issue and she probably does the same thing in her private life. Hopefully you have gone to a better place and have better people teaching you the right way. Good luck.

correctlywrong · Oct 14, 2008

Let's talk about what YOU can do.

1) Learn from the bad example that was set for you, and when you find yourself in the role of a mentor or team member, focus on how you can do the opposite of what was done to you.

2) Consider whether it is appropriate to approach the PERSON with whom you had this conflict and give them professional feedback on how their behavior affected you. Do you think that this would help them to make positive changes in their future performance? If you decide to give this a shot, consider writing them a letter. Keep your emotions in check and just give the facts as you see them. Use "I statements." When X happened, I felt blah blah blah. As opposed to "When you did X, it made me blah blah blah." See if you can find someone like a counsellor from the school or even a therapist to help you draft the letter. Sincere feedback of this sort is a kind of gift that you could give to the PERSON, which could help both of you to grow as professionals. You may find that addressing the PERSON directly could resolve many of your issues with the situation.

Not all people are able to recieve such a gift with good grace. You might determine that the PERSON is not someone that you could consider approaching with feedback at this time.

3) Try to put this behind you as you become increasingly competent and comfortable in your career. You will need months and years before you become an expert, but you don't to be a nervous wreck while you gain the experience that will get you there. Everyone was a newbie once. Just breathe, do your best, and you will be ready to mentor someone else before you know it.

ewattsjt · Oct 18, 2008

Your preceptor should have stepped in and stopped the novice from getting on your case. Most techs even from an excellent program need about a year of experience before they should be precepting someone else. Working at a facility that is a teaching institution I can say that that can not always happen. The school’s instructor should have been concerned about what was happening as they accepted your money and you were to receive a certain amount of education for you $$ but giving the benefit of the doubt we are only hearing one side of the situation. So my response is only geared for the side that you present.

Do not let it go but get over it. There is nothing you can do about the situation that you were in so get over that part. That does not mean that you should forget or not follow up. It means to take one step at a time. As a new practitioner you need to focus on learning all the ropes to become the best you can be for the patient. Once you reach the level where you are practicing comfortable you should follow up on the issue.

As correctlywrong stated, you should take with you that experience and use it to better yourself (this is especially true when you are precepting students). You can use that experience to show others when they may be crossing the line. The odd thing is the novice may never have had an idea of what they were doing to you.

You can become proactive in the school and gain support to end such things. You may be able to put together a preceptor program that the facility will assist you with that will aide both the facility and the students. I guess what I am saying is to use the experience as a positive in you life and build upon it.