I am a nursing student in my final semester which is preceptorship. I was placed in the pediatric ER, which I was thrilled about! However, upon the first day of meeting my preceptor, I was diapointed to say the least. I introduced myself, I handed her a packet that included everything for her understanding, and we went through paperwork. She then said to me, " I hope you don't mind cursing", I responded, "no, I don't mind". She then replied, " good because when I heard I was getting a student I was like ****!" I knew it would be difficult but by my 4th shift, I couldn't take anymore. This girl has a negative attitude towards work and me. I have watched her make up vitals that she forgot to get, call the wrong patient's to the back out of triage, and then ask me on my 4th shift what we are supposed to be doing. I asked her if she read the packet I gave her and she said that she hadn't and it is in her locker. I have contacted my faculty liaison over this....has anyone else experienced this?
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
You must think that faking vitals is ok? Also, this is the Peds ER, she didn't want me turned loose with her patients. I am a student, thus I am there to learn. Not only is ER different from other floors, Triage is completely different. However, by my 6th shift, my preceptor changed her attitude and it turned the whole experience around. Instead of critiquing every thing I did, she began allowing me to do more by myself while she stayed in the area to make sure everything is ok. I am now assessing, charting, giving meds, transferring, and discharging on my own.
No one thinks that faking vitals is OK. Are you SURE that's what happened? If the patient is on a monitor, I'm constantly checking their vital signs. I might not write down the exact readings at 2pm, but you can bet I know within a very narrow ballpark what those vital signs were right around 2pm. Charting those vital signs (or pulling them off the monitor) is not "faking" vital signs.
I'm glad you're doing better with your preceptor. Hopefully some of the advice you received here contributed.
Have you been taking vitals or offering to check the vital signs the preceptor forgot?
So you think faking vitals is ok?
This response reveals a lack of basic reasoning skills as well as an argumentative nature.
student_nrs said nothing about faking vitals, let alone rendering an opinion. Instead s/he is offering a valid question/suggestion which, for some reason, elicited from you an argumentative response.
With this tiny peek I conclude that you are as much of the problem as your preceptor. The primary difference is that s/he already has his/her license and a job while you have neither.
Agreed with the others: Suck it up and get through it.
Are you being proactive, taking the initiative, saying "I can get that done" or "before I go chart, I can take care of that" or "can I do anything else right now for you"
Or are you just waiting to be told "do this"?
When I became a new intern I glued myself to the RN's hip the first day. I'm sure that was super annoying and slowed her down. I tried really hard to be more independent each day. It got better by day 3, and I keep getting more independent and comfortable. I was lucky that noone displayed their annoyance openly to me. But I feel like how my experience unfolded is normal and yours too, but you do need to be proactive.
The VS seems to be a separate issue. If there is a HR of 140 and someone documents it as 80, as the patient's advocate you should say to the person documenting something like "did the HR change since the 140?" Or "let me go back and recheck that because I saw 140"
Thank you for your response. You are one of only two replies that did not have a negative tone. The first initial meeting with my preceptor was a feeling of not being wanted, that sets off negative feelings for both of us. She said to me, "**** I have a student", this was unprofessional in my opinion. Shift one consisted of her faking VS (once)...being that it was the 1st shift, I didn't want to step on toes. I only followed her the 1st shift. The 2nd and 3rd I did vitals, collected supplies, and learned the computer system. During this time, she came off in a negative tone about everything, including me asking questions. By the 6th shift, she changed her whole attitude towards me. This changed everything...she is now offering positive reinforcement and speaks kinder instead of the negative tone. I am now on my own while she stays in the area if needed. I have 2 shifts left and I am looking forward to them!
Thank you for your response. You are one of only two replies that did not have a negative tone.
If you perceive constructive criticism, suggestions, and wishing you good luck as a "negative tone" this may not be the last time you struggle with interpersonal relationships in the workplace.
The first initial meeting with my preceptor was a feeling of not being wanted, that sets off negative feelings for both of us.
Not everyone you work with is going to be thrilled to be working with you, and vice versa. As others have mentioned, nurses often get short notice, if any, that they are getting a student. It's likely her negative feelings stemmed from being put in that position and not you personally.
She said to me, "**** I have a student", this was unprofessional in my opinion.
Some nurses swear and use dark humor to get through their day or relieve frustrations. I wouldn't consider this unprofessional, unless she was doing it in front of patients. Personally, I would rather have someone be bluntly honest with me, so I know where I stand, rather than working with someone who spends the entire day being passive aggressive and doesn't communicate effectively.
Shift one consisted of her faking VS (once)...being that it was the 1st shift, I didn't want to step on toes.
Ultimately it is her license on the line, not yours, and the only person you have control over is yourself. As I, and others suggested, you can be proactive by offering to take the vitals yourself. You can even refuse to perform care or give meds based on falsified vital signs. In the future, I would be careful about going above someone's head to complain about them. In most cases it's more appropriate to confront the individual privately (if possible) and you will gain much more respect that way. If you can't resolve the issue together, then take it up the chain of command.
I only followed her the 1st shift. The 2nd and 3rd I did vitals, collected supplies, and learned the computer system. During this time, she came off in a negative tone about everything, including me asking questions. By the 6th shift, she changed her whole attitude towards me. This changed everything...she is now offering positive reinforcement and speaks kinder instead of the negative tone. I am now on my own while she stays in the area if needed. I have 2 shifts left and I am looking forward to them
I'm glad it's going more smoothly for you and your negative experience has turned into a positive one. However, it probably won't be the last time you work with someone who you feel is negative or unprofessional. It always helps me to remember that no matter what situation I'm in, or with who, there is always something valuable to learn!
Ruby Vee, BSN
17 Articles; 14,051 Posts
No one thinks that faking vitals is OK. Are you SURE that's what happened? If the patient is on a monitor, I'm constantly checking their vital signs. I might not write down the exact readings at 2pm, but you can bet I know within a very narrow ballpark what those vital signs were right around 2pm. Charting those vital signs (or pulling them off the monitor) is not "faking" vital signs.
I'm glad you're doing better with your preceptor. Hopefully some of the advice you received here contributed.