I am questioning if I am nursing material- I resigned from one nursing orientation because the preceptor
was just pointing out criticisms and no other preceptor was available- I got a job at a 2nd hospital who had presented a very good new grad trainsition philosphy- there I ended up with a preceptor who was similarly
focused on criticisms. Details: I was hired as a new grad. (I had some prior orientation experience) This hospital has computerized charting. I was finding that i was taking too long to chart, etc and was constantly behind schedule. My preceptor's critical manner made me nervous. Her solution was to give me space and just hang at the nurses station and check up on the status of things by checking to see if my assessments and interventions were charted and timely. She never checked the content of my charting just that it had been completed or not. I had a review at week 5 and received suggestion from manager to improve efficiency. This seemed to help but not always- some days you are just called aside. Anyway , wk 8 review discussed errors I had made. Plan of action was offered for 1 shift. then I was fired- organization and pt safety issues. I believe the reason for the errors were due to a poor preceptor who did not stick to me and provide positive encouragement and corrections in an encouraging way. Now I am stuck with 2 failures My issue: Its been 7 months since i passed the NCLEX and Ive "failed "at two jobs. Question: Can I just not cut it? Will anyone hire me after this? How does one know if someone is not nurse material?
Many orientees fail or leave jobs within the first year, esp if they ar enew grads. All the research shows that newbees tend to expect too much of themselves, and the staff nurses also expect them to assimilate very quickly. It is hard to go from a pt assignment with an instructor there to resource you, to an assignment with pretty much all the responsibility. Add on some anxiety about pleasing the preceptor, and viola! Prime situation for failure. Statisically, most new grads do better after about 1 year out-probably because they have been thru several orientations and finally have built up some confidence and experience! Try again-and take it slower.
Wow that is great advice. I will remember this as I enter my second preceptorship.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
i am questioning if i am nursing material- i resigned from one nursing orientation because the preceptor
was just pointing out criticisms and no other preceptor was available- i got a job at a 2nd hospital who had presented a very good new grad trainsition philosphy- there i ended up with a preceptor who was similarly
focused on criticisms. details: i was hired as a new grad. (i had some prior orientation experience) this hospital has computerized charting. i was finding that i was taking too long to chart, etc and was constantly behind schedule. my preceptor's critical manner made me nervous. her solution was to give me space and just hang at the nurses station and check up on the status of things by checking to see if my assessments and interventions were charted and timely. she never checked the content of my charting just that it had been completed or not. i had a review at week 5 and received suggestion from manager to improve efficiency. this seemed to help but not always- some days you are just called aside. anyway , wk 8 review discussed errors i had made. plan of action was offered for 1 shift. then i was fired- organization and pt safety issues. i believe the reason for the errors were due to a poor preceptor who did not stick to me and provide positive encouragement and corrections in an encouraging way. now i am stuck with 2 failures my issue: its been 7 months since i passed the nclex and ive "failed "at two jobs. question: can i just not cut it? will anyone hire me after this? how does one know if someone is not nurse material?
i look forward to your thoughts
it sounds as if you're focused on the preceptors as the cause of your problems. sometimes preceptors don't provide encouragement and corrections exactly the way you'd like to receive them. then you get to work with your preceptor to make sure you have a good orientation experience. i don't hear anything in your post that says you tried to work things out with either preceptor. it sounds as if you expected them to conform to your expectations; not that you expected to work together or even that you expected yourself to meet them halfway. when things didn't go the way you expected them to, you quit your first job. it doesn't sound as if you learned anything from that experience. you seem to have made the exact same mistakes -- and then some -- in the second job. part of getting a job in the real world is learning to work with other people -- even sometimes people you don't like.
you admit that you had made errors, and that patient safety was an issue. i'd advise you to think long and hard about the errors you've made and how you might prevent them from happening in the future. and then think long and hard about what you're bringing to the preceptor/orientee relationship. evidently you need to make some changes in yourself. everywhere you go, no matter where you work, you take you with you. and if you're getting in your own way, the only way to fix it is to fix your own behaviors. good luck with that. i hope you find a job that's a good fit for you, and i hope you're successful in changing your own behaviors so you'll succeed in a profession that provides some satisfaction to your life.
First get out the hospital environment for now. Sometimes the nice ones get stomped on there until your experienced. Try AL or LTC as a floor nurse ask the right questions though and make sure your not taking on too many high care residents and that you have CNA's doing the ADL care. If you can get into a clinic setting like Dr. office that would be slower paced.
many orientees fail or leave jobs within the first year, esp if they ar enew grads. all the research shows that newbees tend to expect too much of themselves, and the staff nurses also expect them to assimilate very quickly. it is hard to go from a pt assignment with an instructor there to resource you, to an assignment with pretty much all the responsibility. add on some anxiety about pleasing the preceptor, and viola! prime situation for failure. statisically, most new grads do better after about 1 year out-probably because they have been thru several orientations and finally have built up some confidence and experience! try again-and take it slower.
i'm not sure about the research or statistics you are referring to but it hasn't been my experience that many new grads fail, leave jobs or have been through several orientations 1 year out. all but one of my fellow students remain at our first rn job and are happy. we are at several different facilities and specialties so its not like we've had the same preceptor. its definitely stressful finding your way as a new nurse but i've never been comfortable that the first year is wrought with drama or misery as some people seem to indicate.
Thanks Jules A...just as someone who is reading these posts, entering Nursing school in less than 4 weeks.
I don't know if its been good or bad reading what people go through. This all scares me to death. I like that you said people are happy and that it doesn't have to be wrought with misery and anguish.:wink2:
as a new nurse who is struggling my manager asked me what was different as a student to now as a RN. I initally told her it was that RN an student are differnt you become the go to person for those patients, their doctors familly, sw, pt, ot etc. Hwever this is just what every new nurse experience when i told her it was the time and the lack of supprt she was able to use this. I gave her something cncerent she could action and made me supernumery s i was working with another RN to supervise and support.
Recently she though i was slw in passing meds, however when asked i replied that i was waiting for my her t check that i was ding them right. On a follwing day she let me get with it and see what my time management was like andi was fine kept withing p&P..
I am questioning if I am nursing material- I resigned from one nursing orientation because the preceptor
was just pointing out criticisms and no other preceptor was available- I got a job at a 2nd hospital who had presented a very good new grad trainsition philosphy- there I ended up with a preceptor who was similarly
focused on criticisms. Details: I was hired as a new grad. (I had some prior orientation experience) This hospital has computerized charting. I was finding that i was taking too long to chart, etc and was constantly behind schedule. My preceptor's critical manner made me nervous. Her solution was to give me space and just hang at the nurses station and check up on the status of things by checking to see if my assessments and interventions were charted and timely. She never checked the content of my charting just that it had been completed or not. I had a review at week 5 and received suggestion from manager to improve efficiency. This seemed to help but not always- some days you are just called aside. Anyway , wk 8 review discussed errors I had made. Plan of action was offered for 1 shift. then I was fired- organization and pt safety issues. I believe the reason for the errors were due to a poor preceptor who did not stick to me and provide positive encouragement and corrections in an encouraging way. Now I am stuck with 2 failures My issue: Its been 7 months since i passed the NCLEX and Ive "failed "at two jobs. Question: Can I just not cut it? Will anyone hire me after this? How does one know if someone is not nurse material?
I look forward to your thoughts
Try another one...Won't hurt!
Try to relocate to NYC then once the City has a budget, I am sure the city hospitals will hire again!
1styearsucks
59 Posts
Wow that is great advice. I will remember this as I enter my second preceptorship.