I am a new RN who has worked two full days on a med/surg floor. I did my preceptorship on this floor as a student, 6 weeks with a wonderful, caring, conscientious nurse.
The preceptor I have been given as a new grad is not so wonderful, caring OR conscientious. The first day, we had a patient with an infected PEG site, sacral decubitus, rectal pouch (for feces), s/p stroke, etc. Sad case. The nurse didn't even LOOK at the PEG site dressing. She would not have changed the rectal pouch were it not for the doctor coming to debride the sacral wound (30 minutes before end of shift).
The second day, she stated in report that she had changed a patient's foot dressing. If she changed it, I didn't see it done -- and I'm working right with her.
As new grads we were given, as well as a preceptor, a 'mentor' who is a member of management, and not affiliated with the floor we are working on. When I had met with her during orientation, she had told me that I could talk to her about anything, especially anything that she might need to intercede about on my behalf.
Here is my dilemma. I'm two days on a new job, on a floor that I'm planning to be working on for some time. I will be going to night shift when my orientation is over, so I won't be working with my preceptor after about 4-5 weeks. Other nurses that have worked behind this nurse know she is not doing her job. How do I approach this problem.
I know that the honest and ethical thing to do would be to talk to my mentor about this. Being the person that I am, I don't think I could stand myself if I didn't talk to her about this. I just don't know HOW to do it.
