If you are a nurse that is precepting, or are someone that is considering precepting, there are some things you should consider when deciding to mentor a new nurse. Coming from the perspective of a recent graduate who had an unsuccessful orientation, there are many things that I would have liked to have seen out of my previous preceptors. Although I cannot speak for all orientees, these are things that I feel could benefit many new nurses.
1. Make sure you are ready to be a preceptor and that precepting is something you really want to do. Are you ready to let a new grad make some of the decisions on their own, or do you feel better when you are in control of the majority of your patient's care? If you are, that's fine, but realize that may not be helpful to a new nurse who needs to experience patient care themselves. Are you someone that likes to teach others, or do you honestly prefer to handle patient care on your own? Some people are natural teachers, while others are not. Be honest as to whether or not you feel like you can be both nurse and teacher. While a new nurse is not a student, and should have some basic knowledge, you need to be prepared for someone that comes from a different educational background than you, and be ready to provide explanations when their understanding differs from yours.
2. Let your expectations be known. Be very specific as to what you are expecting from the person you are orienteering. ASK about their other preceptors, what their expectations are, and what they have already done. TELL them whether or not you want to be told, step-by-step what your plan for the day is, or whether or not the orientee can go ahead and provide patient care, and report back to you later. MAKE GOALS with the employee each day, so you both know what the plan is in order to make progress. Let your orientee know if you are willing to show them a new skill, or if you would prefer them to look it up themselves. Make sure you let the employee know what actions you feel will be necessary if your expectations are not met.
3. Be honest...with the ORIENTEE. If you honestly feel that the orientee is struggling, address the issue with the employee. While the manager, of course, needs to know the situation, make sure that ALL issues that you are bringing forth to the manager have already been addressed with the person that needs to know them the most, the person who has the most control in fixing any issues that may arise...the orientee. DO NOT delay in addressing any concerns you may have. Your orientee will NOT appreciate any surprises later on. Always make sure to express the gravity of any concerns you have. Do not brush the concerns off when addressing the orientee and make them sound much worse when you talk to the manager. HONESTY IS KEY in order to make sure that everyone is on the same page. Do not keep secrets from your orientee, and try not to have "secret meetings" during shifts. If you must talk to the manager on your own, do so when the orientee has left for the day. Your primary focus during the shift with your orientee is on them, and performing safe patient care. Additionally,it raises trust issues when the orientee knows that you are talking about them without them present. Also, if you honestly don't think you can work with this person, speak up so someone who can will be able to do so.
4. Do not make comparisons. If you are orientating more than one nurse, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE refrain from comparing one person to the other. While it is human and natural to do so, please remember that each person is an individual, with their own personal knowledge base and unique experiences. Even if you do compare the two in your head, please do not make it known to your orientee that you prefer the other person over them. Orientees know when their preceptors prefer someone over them, and that puts pressure on them. As a preceptor, your job is to do your best to ensure the success of ALL your orientees, not just the ones you prefer.
5. Be positive. Although concerns are important to address, make sure that they don't become the only thing you focus on, or even the primary thing you focus on. The new orientee is not perfect, but generally, there is always something positive you can say about them and their progress. Positive reinforcement is needed as much as criticism, as it is hard to continue making an effort when one does not feel they do anything right.
6. Keep promises. If you say that you will help a new nurse with a certain skill, procedure or anything new, do so. Always be at the shifts that you say you will be at, unless of course, it is an emergency.
Thank you,
A New Nurse
What else do you think preceptors should keep in mind when orienting new nurses?
