Bad preceptorship assignment

Nursing Students General Students

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Despite being at the top of my class (I have straight A's) I was passed up for my first two choices of preceptor assignment and given my thirs- which I obviously didn't really want! The only explaination I was given was that spots were tight and it was hard to place people. I know other people were given spots I would have got, and I know that some people who she had trouble placing were given the opportunity to change their plans. I was never given that option.

After she told me that I got my third choice she said, "It was really hard to place everyone. Is that okay?" to which I responded "do I have a choice?" and walked away.

I am so disappointed and have cried for hours now.

I am fairly positive that she won't halp me find another placement and I wonder what I should do. If they won't help me find something at the larger hospital, should I look for a spot at a smaller critical access rural hospital or nursing home- otherwise I will be stuck in behavioral health.

I just want to quit- all this work to get skrewed out of a good spot in the last stretch. I have never hated nursing school as much as I do now.

Specializes in Orthopedics, Rehab, LTC.
I am in the exact same spot today. Just found out I got choice number 8/8, a nursing home. I also have straight A's and have worked my butt off for this. We were always told we could choose, and when it came down to it, they looked at grades. I'm an older student with 3 kids and a husband who runs a business, so relocating is out of the question. We also don't have health insurance, and my son has a procedure he needs this summer that will cost us thousands of dollars, so I am desperate for a job ASAP. I have also sat back and not complained about complete chaos in the program while others have been LOUD about their disdain for the school. I am planning on speaking with the director about my concerns regarding how to land a job without being able to use much from my preceptorship, and look into any shadowing experiences possibly available in the area hospitals.

Good luck to you!

What?!

As someone who worked in a nursing home for 3 years before landing a job in a hospital, I find this a little offensive.

Nursing homes provide you with the opportunity to develop time management, being responsible for an outlandish amount of residents at one time and learning medications extremely well. Also, it provides a great opportunity to hone your skills in working with the elderly population (which is SO helpful as this is a HUGE population in acute care as well).

You will use many, many skills from your preceptorship in a nursing home... and chances are, depending on where you live, you may end up having to take a job in a nursing home in this job market. Just read the 1,000's of posts about new grads unable to find any jobs, let alone in acute care.

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Specializes in Telemetry, OB, NICU.

I don't mean to sound mean but, I also think you sound entitled. It is not "highest grades served first thing." You were given choices, and that means you accept that you may get any of those. You got your 3rd choice. Sorry about your luck. And you said "do I have a choice" and just walked away from your instructor? Hmm. Very nice. I think you need to find a way to control your anger around people. Real world (of nursing) has a lot of frustrating events in it, and I don't know how you would handle a very intense situation with this attitude.

If you go back to this instructor for sympathy now, I doubt they would help you anymore anyway. Accept the fact and go on. Acting like it is the end of the world is useless.

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Unfortunately none of you know the entire story of what has gone on in our nursing program or you would see that I am not acting entitled or bratty. She went back on her word because it was more convenient for her to do things this way.

She knows that I will be in a clinical setting where I will only be able to shadow the nurses that are there. I will not have any involvement in patient care. I was not made aware of that until after choices were made. Our town was previously served by a regional center that was closed and absorbed by the hospital and we were under the impression that the hospital provided the same serivces, which it does not.

I want clinical experience. In two years I have only had 8 clinical days in a hospital where we performed patient care. I do not expect this to lead to a job or anything else- I just want the clinical experience to put on my resume.

And I do pay tuition for the opportunity to learn and be taught. This is not given to me out of any kindness on the universities part. So to a certain end I am "entitled" to the best learning experience they can provide.

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it is not that I like or don't like psych. It is that I will only be shadowing the nurse and didn't know that when picks were made. I just want the opportunity to learn some clinical skills. And I am very ticked that we were not told this would be pooled selection.

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

I find that in the working world of nursing, there is ALWAYS a dreaded task that would be my "last pick", but regardless, it still needs to be done. Period. And I don't have the luxury of asking for a different task or assignment. There will ALWAYS be something you don't like about your job.

This is the real world. Work with what you have and keep an open mind. Who knows, maybe you'll learn something new.:specs:

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What?!

As someone who worked in a nursing home for 3 years before landing a job in a hospital, I find this a little offensive.

Nursing homes provide you with the opportunity to develop time management, being responsible for an outlandish amount of residents at one time and learning medications extremely well. Also, it provides a great opportunity to hone your skills in working with the elderly population (which is SO helpful as this is a HUGE population in acute care as well).

You will use many, many skills from your preceptorship in a nursing home... and chances are, depending on where you live, you may end up having to take a job in a nursing home in this job market. Just read the 1,000's of posts about new grads unable to find any jobs, let alone in acute care.

I have worked as a cna in a nursing home for the past 2 1/2 years. I have no idea why it was offensive to say it was my last choice. I was hoping for placement in a hospital because I want that experience. At my nursing home, LPNs give meds. RN students follow the charge nurse around which gives management experience. I was simply hoping for nursing skill and patient experience.

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

I intentionally applied for the rural spots when available. While they may ship out the most serious cases, most students woudn't be involved in those anyway.

I found the "rural" nurses to be less jaded about students, and far more welcoming and enthusiastic about having a student around than some of my rotations where there were so many students all the time. In fact, the aides, docs and rest of the nurses looked out for me, not only my preceptor.

I would try for the rural spot if open to you. It should give you a lot of varied experiences.

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I want clinical experience. In two years I have only had 8 clinical days :eek:in a hospital where we performed patient care. I do not expect this to lead to a job or anything else- I just want the clinical experience to put on my resume.

And I do pay tuition for the opportunity to learn and be taught. This is not given to me out of any kindness on the universities part. So to a certain end I am "entitled" to the best learning experience they can provide.

I wanted a psych preceptorship but didn't get it. They didn't place anyone in psych this semester. I plan on being a psych nurse so it would have been a great fit for me. Anyhoo, as much as I love psych, I would have been very upset too if all this time I only had 8 clinical days. I too would have felt cheated. And like you said, you are paying to learn. So I do think you have a right to be upset. I don't think you are being entitled at all. I know you are venting right now, who amongst us doesn't vent and or let our emotions get the best of us from time to time?

I think you should plead your case and see if its possible to get another spot. If not, then just try to make the best of it. Don't go into it with a sense of doom and gloom. Good luck!

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Specializes in Orthopedics, Rehab, LTC.
I have worked as a cna in a nursing home for the past 2 1/2 years. I have no idea why it was offensive to say it was my last choice. I was hoping for placement in a hospital because I want that experience. At my nursing home, LPNs give meds. RN students follow the charge nurse around which gives management experience. I was simply hoping for nursing skill and patient experience.

I had quoted in bold the part that was a little offensive (which I do realize was too sensitive on my part... my apologies). I do understand that you don't get the same clinical experience in LTC as you do in actute care, but when you say "I am planning on speaking with the director about my concerns regarding how to land a job without being able to use much from my preceptorship"... that's suggesting that you'll have a harder time getting a job if you only have experience in LTC. Almost regardless of the clinical experince you have, you may probably only find a job in LTC right now with the job market how it is. Heck, I spent 3 months of my clinical internship in CCU at a Mayo hospital and still had to spend 3 years in LTC/rehab before getting ajob in acute care.

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Specializes in Chemo.

feb 15 by tajlemm6

you are right we do not know what really goes on in your school. i had issues with myschool, but i got through it and made me a better nurse. what it sounds like byyour own words, you want us to agree with you. most people are telling you touse this experience to enhance your nursing skills. in no way shape or formdoes nursing school makes you know everything about nursing or makes you an experiencednurse; that takes time. as i said to you before, nursing school is only the beginningof your nursing education. in nursing you are going to deal with thing that aremuch harder than not getting the preceptor you wanted. if you go into an interview with that same attitudeyou will have a hard time landing a job. please listen to the people in here;we all have a wealth of knowledge and experience, after all you are the one whoasked for our option.

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And I do pay tuition for the opportunity to learn and be taught. This is not given to me out of any kindness on the universities part. So to a certain end I am "entitled" to the best learning experience they can provide.

EVERYONE in your class is entitled to the best learning experience they can provide, just because you don't want behavioral health doesn't mean you're not getting that.

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EVERYONE in your class is entitled to the best learning experience they can provide,

Yes, but, obviously not everyone can get their top choice. So, what process should be used to determine who gets theirs? If she is straight A-s and top of her class then I think that she should have been the first one placed in her top choice. The best performing athletes get paid the highest salaries, etc.

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