Confused

[jenal77]

I have a question, I am a new grad and got hired for ER. My preceptor was never with me, always sat at the nurses station and if I needed something I had to go find her. She was scheduled as charge nurse on days I was working with her or on the main floors doing IV's or Midlines because she really awesome at it. I couldn't handle the stress of being left by myself anymore and always feeling like I wasn't safe because I never had any validation, so I turned in my two weeks notice. Two days after turning it in my manager called and said I didn't have to finish out my notice, I informed HR to CYA, fast foreword 3 months later, I contacted my old manager to see what my standings were, he told me he put me as non rehire able because of my pace, critical thinking and because my preceptor asked for 3 weeks more time because she was pulled so much during my orientation. Again I emailed HR to contest this, but yet again like before no one is responding. It's to the point of where I want to give up on nursing all together. How can I gain experience and learn if I can't get a chance to?

[TriciaJ, RN]

This sounds like a very wrong way to train a new grad, new employee. It's probably pretty standard, unfortunately, but it isn't very smart, as we see by the nurse having no job now and the hospital having wasted their money and now having to hire someone new and start all over. Ridiculous for both OP and the former employer.

Her post sounds like she was not really oriented very actively. There's a certain degree to which she should have been with the preceptor and the preceptor can't just sit at the desk or go do IV's on other wards. Certainly not at first.

Of course it's the wrong way to orient a new grad. But it's done all the time and the new grad is now the one without a job. The MIA preceptor is probably still collecting a regular paycheque while she skips out on her current orientee.

One of the most important things to learn as a nurse is how to do workarounds. Find me a workplace where people don't have to figure out a way around something that shouldn't be there.

As a new grad, you learn how to work around a crappy orientation. Find someone to take you under their wing or least someone's lapels to clutch when you really need input. If you kill someone during orientation the hospital is generally on the hook for that as long as you didn't do something totally off the wall.

A poor orientation is the bane of everyone's existence, but how you handle it can be the making of you. If you bailed, that says more about you than the facility. At this point take whatever job is offered and resolve to make the most of it. Decide for yourself how bad they'd have to beat you to make you leave before the first year is up. Once you have a year under your belt anywhere, you can look around and decide on your next step.

[JKL33]

There is a huge disparity between what nursing schools believe nurses need to know in order to pass the boards on the first try be successful, and what nurses actually need to know in order to "hit the ground running" so well that they don't need a mentor near-by. Nursing programs bear the responsibility for their end of the disparity, but if, then, a hospital (fast-paced, sick patients) wishes to benefit from the price point and availability (and relative professional naivete) of a new grad, then they fully own the responsibility to fill in the gaps and to make it a priority to assist a brand new nurse as s/he begins the journey from novice to expert (Benner). They must address things that fall within the disparity of what nurses are taught and what excellent nurses need to know. To do anything less is just taking brazen advantage of new nurses without any regard for their future whatsoever. A scheme where a new-grad is hired into a hospital and then "mentored" in name only, is 100% inexcusable. And that's without even addressing the patients' well-being or the fact that the institution can not honestly evaluate a new RN whom they aren't truly observing or mentoring.

To the OP, it upsets me to hear this account. I hope this experience has allowed you some time to regroup and some time for self-reflection. I wholeheartedly believe everything I said above, and yet, the *only* way to react to situations like these is to rise above. In that regard, I must agree with others here who wonder whether you might have acted rashly or failed to utilize avenues of assistance that might have been available. It may seem unfair (indeed, I think it's certainly unfortunate), but because you are the only one who truly has a stake in your best interests, it behooves you to act with due caution. Could you have approached your mentor and your manager in a more neutral and open manner? Could you have shared some of your anxieties and sought a shared plan to deal with them? Could you have been more specific about what you needed? Did you show gratitude along the way when it was deserved? Did you convey (through actions) your interest in learning and advancing? These are just questions but in short, did you put your very best foot forward as if your job and your own well-being depended on it? Sometimes you do have to cut your losses, but only after careful deliberation.

The fact that you may have been treated unfairly is a moot point now. IMO the best thing you can do is review those things which were in your control and not theirs (your tone of voice, body language, effort, persona, etc.). It can be tough to take a hard look at oneself, but anything less is just robbing yourself of an opportunity for growth and wisdom. After you do those things, head into the future with a better perspective and portray it when you get your next interview. Then tell the truth as you experienced it while accepting responsibility for what you should. Something like this may be appropriate, if true: I accepted the position as a new grad, and failed to explain that as a novice I could benefit from 1:1 mentoring for the first part of my orientation. When I found myself with quite a bit more early independence than I expected, I unfortunately resigned instead of realizing that "being a novice" is not a defect. Now I know, and I regret not having been more circumspect about the situation and having a genuine conversation with them about it.

Best of luck in your efforts to process this experience!

[NurseNextDoor]

Why didn't you ask another nurse on the unit? I always ask another nurse who is just as qualified and experienced to answer my questions, some of them may have way more experience than your preceptor. My preceptor only had two years working experience at that facility and 4 years in total but there were other nurses working that had 10 years plus at that facility. your not restricted to your preceptor for questions, I find that the nurses on the unit are always willing to help you if you have questions wether your preceptor is there or not.

Be confident in your abilities as a nurse!Figure out why you lack in confidence (if this is the case), are there areas that you are unsure of?, if so educate yourself, go back to your textbooks they are your best friend and a lot of hospitals offer online courses, does this facility offer online courses for specific areas of practice? They usually do and this is something they would have told you in orientation. I had no experience with telemetry and I took it upon myself to register for the hospital rhythm strip interpretation course and several others.

[amzyRN]

Why didn't you ask another nurse on the unit? I always ask another nurse who is just as qualified and experienced to answer my questions, some of them may have way more experience than your preceptor. My preceptor only had two years working experience at that facility and 4 years in total but there were other nurses working that had 10 years plus at that facility. your not restricted to your preceptor for questions, I find that the nurses on the unit are always willing to help you if you have questions wether your preceptor is there or not.

Be confident in your abilities as a nurse!Figure out why you lack in confidence (if this is the case), are there areas that you are unsure of?, if so educate yourself, go back to your textbooks they are your best friend and a lot of hospitals offer online courses, does this facility offer online courses for specific areas of practice? They usually do and this is something they would have told you in orientation. I had no experience with telemetry and I took it upon myself to register for the hospital rhythm strip interpretation course and several others.

This won't work in ED orientation. A nurse needs to learn priority setting and that requires a mentor to be present for the thinking process and also to make sure the nurse is doing things correctly. The OP was getting a crappy orientation. I think they should have asked for a new preceptor before resigning, but if that wasn't possible, give the required notice and resign.

The ED is very unpredictable and a a new orientee needs supervision.

[NurseNextDoor]

I see, I was on a medical Surgical Unit so I guess its different from Emergency most definitely. I also had crappy orientation but managed to ask others discreetly and they were more than willing to help. At least you resigned and were not fired but, I would just take the loss and move on, I would also keep the experience on my resume. You don't have to tell your future employers the truth about why you left you just tell them a reason that sounds better.

Goodluck!

[jenal77]

I did ask others and they would respond by asking where my preceptor was, they weren't the friendliest and if you weren't in their click you were basically ignored.

[amzyRN]

I did ask others and they would respond by asking where my preceptor was, they weren't the friendliest and if you weren't in their click you were basically ignored.

You'll get a better orientation at your next job, just make sure you ask that in the interview. A new grad should get at least 12 weeks of orientation in any specialty. In ICU or ED, probably a little more than that. There are other jobs out there waiting for you and facilities that will be willing to train you the right way. You just have to put effort into finding them now. Don't let this experience get you down.

[K9lover, ASN, RN]

I agree on that 'license on the line.' I hear that in the most minute error or omission, if this were the case scarcely any one of us would make it through 1st year as an RN with our license intact.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

don't ever give up. Keep positive and you will do fine. you know that you are good at what you do and you will do fine. if you need guidance and assistance all you have to do is hang in there and don't be afraid to ask for help, you'll learn what you need to learn and you won't go wrong. just believe in yourself.

With respect, Cinderella, new grads aren't usually good at what they do. They need mentoring, teaching and guidance. I've met some new grads (most, actually) who are good learners, good communicators, good employees, but I never met one who was a good nurse at the start. (Well, except the new RNs who have LPN experience.)

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Of course it's the wrong way to orient a new grad. But it's done all the time and the new grad is now the one without a job. The MIA preceptor is probably still collecting a regular paycheque while she skips out on her current orientee.

One of the most important things to learn as a nurse is how to do workarounds. Find me a workplace where people don't have to figure out a way around something that shouldn't be there.

As a new grad, you learn how to work around a crappy orientation. Find someone to take you under their wing or least someone's lapels to clutch when you really need input. If you kill someone during orientation the hospital is generally on the hook for that as long as you didn't do something totally off the wall.

A poor orientation is the bane of everyone's existence, but how you handle it can be the making of you. If you bailed, that says more about you than the facility. At this point take whatever job is offered and resolve to make the most of it. Decide for yourself how bad they'd have to beat you to make you leave before the first year is up. Once you have a year under your belt anywhere, you can look around and decide on your next step.

We all want that magical preceptor who will gently mentor and guide us, standing ever close so we don't have to hunt for them but far enough away we don't feel them breathing down our neck. We want the preceptor who loves to teach, is good at it, and teaches us in the way we feel most comfortable learning. We want a paragon who never brings personal problems or bad moods to work but who will cheerfully overlook any and all personal problems and bad moods WE bring to work. Sadly, there just aren't that many perfect preceptors out there, and most of us have to settle for the one we get. Learning from a bad preceptor is possible and probably necessary. Bailing because of a less than perfect preceptor, as noted above, says more about you than about the preceptor or the facility.

[DTWriter]

I did ask others and they would respond by asking where my preceptor was, they weren't the friendliest and if you weren't in their click you were basically ignored.

OP, make sure to shadow the next unit that you are interested in. Do not be afraid to ask for a shadow day before accepting a job offer.

[socoamaretto]

About the "license on the line," if the new grad RN does do something incorrect, depending on the error, couldn't it be classified as negligence and malpractice and a lawsuit could happen?