I've been a nurse for the past 5-6 years; back ground PH, Ambulatory care, and case manager for patients that are transferred to acute care inpatient/obs, snf, and back etc. My new job is hospital inpatient cm. This hospital is very new to me; services, protocols, programs - I have 6 wks of training. I've been a nurse for a while so I've learned not to take bad comments to heart. However, my trainer has been horrible.
After my 3rd or 4th day she ridicules me, gets irrate, irritable, lacks any kind of patience. Right now I'm on my 8th day - she continues to refuse to teach me, expects me to know(despite not showing me), and has tried to blame me for things as a trainer shouldn't have been missed (she says, "I guess I'll take the blame"- referring as if its my fault when she forgets something. I'm just happy to be done with her as I train in another shift. She even makes snide remarks on my background as a nurse; of course I don't have 30 yr experience as her.
As someone who has trained staff in my prior position, you just don't conduct yourself in such a unprofessional manner. I'm thinking she stresses her whole family out daily. Anyway, please remember not to eat the young new nurses or ones you are training. Your energy projects onto them and its not a healthy learning experience.
Each day start with goals and let her know I ma familiar with but need more..., I would like you to show me this and then can you watch me do it do so I can get your expertise feedback. I would have a list of items you need to learn how to do and go over them with her. I would also have a conservation with her about how you learn best i.e. I am tactile so you can show me until the cows come home but once I physically do this and you watch to ensure I am not missing something after several I will get the hang of it and you will look li9ke the best trainer yet!
If she continues or does not change then I would ask for a different preceptor because anything you do learn you will most certainly question your self about how you are doing the steps.
Lastly take a deep breath and if the situation continues just have goals each day for yourself and try to complete them.
@potatoRN I'm currently training with an "experienced" nurse who doesn't like to train, criticize/rude/impatient to everyone, etc. Sometimes I feed her ego and ask her how she deals with (random things lol). She's full of herself and since shes been working for the hospital for 15years, everyone is inferior to her. She likes to make jabs on my experience and her expertise, I listen and pretend to not take it personally so it doesnt feed her ego lol. Now, my plan is to learn on my own and ask her only when necessary - I would prefer her to call-in sick and I figure out all on my own than listen to her try to degrade me lol. Now, if it escalates to true bullying personally - I will document and report it. Some nurses can feel inferior when a new nurse has a higher degree or "different" experience than their own; I have noticed some acute nurses w/superiority complexes that feel their experience is the only important type of experience or hospital. Not every nurse gets into the best hospitals or job settings. I think it's important to understand that, but people tend to understand only what they know. Feel free to ask me questions/message me if need be.
@kooky korky & @Neats, BSN i'm either a threat or she's venting her home life/personal life at work (I hear her degrade her fam members over the phone lol). Thing is, there's no one else to train me for PM shift since its a shift for one person with two nurses that alternate days(the other person I prefer works PT). Right now, I'm just acting like her negative attitude/feedback doesnt phase me - can tell shes the type that feeds on putting others down. I will comtinue to ask for her help while I learn/train. No one probably taught her how to be kind growing up and thats okay because that ruins her life with that mindset, not mine lol. I do try to create goals for myself to complete and inquire about things I dont understand with certain work procedures/services. @broughden Workplace bullying in healthcare is definitely too common. It's difficult to handle priorities and maintain a work environment focused on patient care, bullying policies need to be better reinforced for zero tolerance. What makes it difficult is that sometimes the managers are bullies or bullies are senior employees and the new nurse is still on probation.
Neats, BSN
682 Posts
I would attack my situation this way;
Each day start with goals and let her know I ma familiar with but need more..., I would like you to show me this and then can you watch me do it do so I can get your expertise feedback. I would have a list of items you need to learn how to do and go over them with her. I would also have a conservation with her about how you learn best i.e. I am tactile so you can show me until the cows come home but once I physically do this and you watch to ensure I am not missing something after several I will get the hang of it and you will look li9ke the best trainer yet!
If she continues or does not change then I would ask for a different preceptor because anything you do learn you will most certainly question your self about how you are doing the steps.
Lastly take a deep breath and if the situation continues just have goals each day for yourself and try to complete them.