Feeling discouraged.

TruvyNurse · Mar 26, 2018

Luckily you are getting a fresh start with a new preceptor. I would speak to your manager or possibly your old preceptor and ask what exactly went wrong. Get some constructive criticism. Did you get specific examples of how you arent being receptive? Use it to make the next 6 weeks successful. Good luck

Crush · Mar 26, 2018

You are only half way through orientation and sometimes it can be just a matter of you & your first preceptor not being a good fit. I am guessing you may have some underlying stressors related to a new move, new job, new grad to top it off. It takes a while to be comfortable on any floor as a new grad. Be gentle with yourself.

Why would your preceptor say you are not receptive to teaching? Be receptive to any constructive criticisms. Ask your old preceptor and/or your manager for some feedback so you can learn and grow.

JKL33 · Mar 26, 2018

Hey guys,
I am a new grad who just started in the icu. I am feeling discouraged because recently my preceptor decided she no longer wanted to work with me. She told the manager that I was not receptive of her teaching. Orientation is 12 weeks long and thins was my 6th week. I am now assigned to a new preceptor and I will be starting with her tommorow. I guess, I have already given up. I wanted to be an ICU nurse, but I have been feeling so depressed and discouraged lately. I guess part of the problem is that I just moved to a new state to start this career. I have no family or friends here to discuss my feelings with. Just down in the dumps. I am not sure what to do now.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this. Any words of advice would help at this point.

Well that stinks. Sorry you are having a rough time.

Do you agree that there wasn't a great rapport going with your first preceptor? And is there any truth to what she supposedly told your NM?

I ask because all of that speaks to how you need to proceed going forward.

Don't give up! There is a very real and common phenomenon of feeling like, "What the H have I gotten myself into?" and kind of feeling completely overwhelmed. Don't mistake that for a premonition about whether you're going to succeed or not! You can, and if you want to you will!!

You need some social/relaxation activity in your new place. You need a mentor. And you need a good rapport with preceptor #2.

Take care of yourself on your down time and be a go-getter while you're there learning.

Post here if there are more specifics you want to talk about.

((hug!))

barcode120x, RN, NP · Mar 29, 2018

Well, think of it this way. You have 6 more weeks to show what you got with a new preceptor. As the above replies had said, pull your preceptor aside and ask him/her what you did wrong. Be honest AND humble. Tell her/him that you want to succeed. Ask them to be blunt about the criticism. You can also do with this with your manager.

Worst comes to worse, you can start elsewhere. Maybe ICU wasn't the right spot to start right now. You can look into telemetry next and after getting experience through there, you can move up to ICU eventually.

Have Nurse, ADN, RN · Apr 3, 2018

Hey guys,
I am a new grad who just started in the icu. I am feeling discouraged because recently my preceptor decided she no longer wanted to work with me. She told the manager that I was not receptive of her teaching. Orientation is 12 weeks long and thins was my 6th week. I am now assigned to a new preceptor and I will be starting with her tommorow. I guess, I have already given up. I wanted to be an ICU nurse, but I have been feeling so depressed and discouraged lately. I guess part of the problem is that I just moved to a new state to start this career. I have no family or friends here to discuss my feelings with. Just down in the dumps. I am not sure what to do now.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this. Any words of advice would help at this point.

First, KUDOS to you for being brave and starting in a whole new state! And congrats on your new job in ICU!

Don't beat yourself up. Some Preceptors teaching styles and clash with a new staffs' learning style. I do education in my role as the Infection Preventionist in addition to being the ADON, so I get a lot of variety of learning styles sent my way.

Ask a lot of questions and let your Preceptor see you write down notes. This will strengthen not only your knowledge, but your working relationship with your Preceptor. It will also show your interest in learning and that should show your supervisor that you are in fact teachable.

And just a side note: If you are going to be working with or along your former Preceptor, it might be nice to let her know that although your learning style might have been a challenge for her, that you are in fact appreciative of her valuable time and acknowledge to her that you know that precepting can be hard at times. She may feel a bit better about it down the road, working with you. Just an idea.

(Sending you a grandmotherly hug!!) Go get 'em, Kid!

allnurses Guide · Apr 6, 2018

I only ever dropped a preceptee once, and it was because she did not seem receptive to being taught. This was perceived by me through no eye contact or response when given guidance or correction, a general demeanor that seemed sulky, bulldozing ahead on skills or medication administration, without discussing it prior, getting it wrong and then standing there, embarrassed and resentful while I corrected what was done and discussed it with her, seeming to have a chip on her shoulder, very obviously heavily invested in making make me believe she was a "good nurse", not understanding apparently that a "good nurse" straight out of school is a nurse who understands he or she still needs a lot of training. Never smiling. No expression of thanks for the time taken to teach her. Lots of heavy sighs.

I recognize in hind sight that this new nurse was exceptionally insecure and unbelievably invested in trying to give an appearance of competence. It was a strange dichotomy, being that insecure and yet that determined not to be humbled. She wanted to work on our floor very badly. She ultimately didn't get to.

I have no idea if any of this will ring a bell with you, but if it does, then it is possible your preceptor is referring to the impression these things can give.