I am in a prestigious nursing school, and had a very bad experience with a preceptor. I found her harsh, uninterested in the student's progress and very critical and inflexible. All of my other preceptors were fantastic.
I tried speaking with the 2 directors of the program and clinical, and was completely put down by them and attacked personally, with every fault of mine they can think of, being bought up, as opposed to getting any support, encouragement or being listened to.
This was a very bad surprise, as the school itself seemed very focused on the student's best interests.
Does anyone have advice? It was not at all my intention for any of this to happen, and I am now eve questioning this field.
This is what I hate about nurses. How can we be so compassionate to patients and yet so harsh and cruel to each other? This poor person has a legitimate issue with an unprofessional preceptor and all you people do is attack her further. Nursing school was the most discouraging, depressing and horrible time in my entire life and I remember having many unpleasant experiences with nurses throughout it (and after graduation). I was not a lazy or bad student. I got all A's and B's and worked my tail off to go to school full time while I worked full time. It wasn't about me being immature or unable to deal with difficult personalities. In fact, I pride myself on the ability to adapt to almost any personality. There are just some people out there who are angry and nasty. And this person did nothing wrong by going to leadership. I would be intimidated too confronting the preceptor if she is as bad as this person says.
I have been a nurse for 8 years and have precepted many, many times. I was so good at it, I was promoted to the Clinical Educator after only a few years. So I do not buy the whole I have a full patient load and now have to deal with a student complaint. If you don't like, don't volunteer to precept. If precepting is mandatory for your employer, then work somewhere else. Don't ruin this poor student's life and make them question life choices just because you're unhappy. And for gosh sakes, let's be nice to each other and stop tearing each other apart.
Hiyas...im a psychotherapist and not a nurse. However, I totally can relate, because i've worked in med surg hospitals for years in various non licensed roles..
.If you felt you were being verbally/emotionally abused and disrespected (and it wasn't a problem you sincerely instigated....we all make misakes), and dont mind confrontation w this instructor, you should take it to the chair of the nursing department or the president's office of your university...(last resort)....
This is what I hate about nurses. How can we be so compassionate to patients and yet so harsh and cruel to each other? This poor person has a legitimate issue with an unprofessional preceptor and all you people do is attack her further.
Well, none of us were there. And despite being asked several times, the OP has not given ANY details that tell us what happened. So we do not know whether it was legitimate or not. We do know that she says that 2 of the school staff told her she was wrong and they do presumable have more information]
Nursing school was the most discouraging, depressing and horrible time in my entire life and I remember having many unpleasant experiences with nurses throughout it (and after graduation). I was not a lazy or bad student. I got all A's and B's and worked my tail off to go to school full time while I worked full time. It wasn't about me being immature or unable to deal with difficult personalities. In fact, I pride myself on the ability to adapt to almost any personality. There are just some people out there who are angry and nasty.
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Sorry that you had such a bad time in Nursing School. But we still have no data from the OP about what actually occurred
[/Quote] I have been a nurse for 8 years and have precepted many, many times. I was so good at it, I was promoted to the Clinical Educator after only a few years. So I do not buy the whole I have a full patient load and now have to deal with a student complaint. If you don't like, don't volunteer to precept. If precepting is mandatory for your employer, then work somewhere else. Don't ruin this poor student's life and make them question life choices just because you're unhappy. And for gosh sakes, let's be nice to each other and stop tearing each other apart.
Many, if not most nurses in my experience do not "volunteer" to precept, they are required to do so.
And on the topic of tearing people down, why would you assume that the preceptor, and her instructors are all in the wrong when the OP hasn't even given any details of what happened. You know, Innocent until proven guilty. Why are you tearing them down without any evidence?
Why are you defending them without any evidence? And again, if you don't want to precept but your employer requires it, go work somewhere else. Don't take it out on the student.
Why are you defending them without any evidence? And again, if you don't want to precept but your employer requires it, go work somewhere else. Don't take it out on the student.
I am merely stating the fact that you are accusing them of being vile when the OP has even identified any specifics of their wrongdoing. As yet, I have not seen posters being "mean" to the OP. They are trying to ascertain what specific issue that the OP had with them to offer advice, and the OP has not done so after repeated requests. That is not defending them, it is merely asking one to consider them innocent until proven guilty. You are the one jumping on the guilt bandwagon with no proof.
I personally have precepted many times and enjoy it. But others may not. Management should at least give notice to those that will be precepting. But most do not.
They legitimately questioned the OP regarding the situation. They were not cruel, mean or evil. They did not call her a liar. You, however , jumped to conclusions, decrying the bad behavior of mean nasty nurses, though that is nowhere exhibited. They have requested to the nature of the issue so that they can more appropriately assess the situation. That is not being mean and nasty.
You have no idea how they behaved. And regardless of what exactly was said, they made this student feel discouraged and question her choice of careers. If a nurse made a patient feel that poorly, they would be chastised for it, regardless of if their words were appropriate or accurate. I'm saying that nurses should be as compassionate to one another as they are to patients. We have all learned that we have to be gentle, patient and kind with patients and their families. Why can't we extend the same compassion toward one another? Give each other the benefit of the doubt? You sound like the typical, angry nurse that perpetuates the "eat their young" culture of nursing. Hopefully you'll retire soon.
You sound like the typical, angry nurse that perpetuates the "eat their young" culture of nursing. Hopefully you'll retire soon.
I'm not sure why the hostile attitude on your first posts but you just scored the trifecta for personal insults. (Angry nurse, eat their young, and hope you'll retire soon). You left out not wanting her to ever take care of you or your family.
People are answering the OP's question honestly based on the information they have been given. You are entitled to your opinion and they to theirs. No reason to insult others for not agreeing with you.
Why are you defending them without any evidence? And again, if you don't want to precept but your employer requires it, go work somewhere else. Don't take it out on the student.
Ok, this has been explained eleventy one times before, but here goes:
You do not precept a student. You precept a new employee.
Preceptors, for the most part, are willing volunteers who have been given training in how to precept.
Student nurses are not assigned to a nurse. They are assigned to a patient.
The nurse is simply collateral damage. There is no obligation on the part of the nurse to "teach" the student. That is the CI's job.
As a floor nurse, you have to accept the fact that some of your patients are assigned to students. You don't have to like it.
I personally never minded most of the students who floated through. But, I was a floor nurse between 1979 & 2005, and things were different back then. No one expected us to be Clinical Instructors.
I think it's more important to advocate for those being bullied than to worry about the bullies who might be insulted. And I seriously doubt a nursing student being treated poorly by a preceptor will result in her being an unsafe nurse. She is welcome to care for me and my family. The nursing school I went to (and now receive students from) has their students spend the last 5 weeks of their final semester doing a preceptorship. Grad nurses also receive a preceptor when they are hired but that title is not used exclusively for new employees. Also, preceptor students are not assigned to specific patients, they are assigned a nurse to follow for the 5 week time period. And finally, if your premise were true, that preceptors are willing volunteers, then they can't very well resent their employer (or the student) when they receive the student without any additional compensation. If they believe they deserve more compensation for teaching, they should strive to become an educator and take the raise that accompanies that.
So Been There RN
7 Posts
This is what I hate about nurses. How can we be so compassionate to patients and yet so harsh and cruel to each other? This poor person has a legitimate issue with an unprofessional preceptor and all you people do is attack her further. Nursing school was the most discouraging, depressing and horrible time in my entire life and I remember having many unpleasant experiences with nurses throughout it (and after graduation). I was not a lazy or bad student. I got all A's and B's and worked my tail off to go to school full time while I worked full time. It wasn't about me being immature or unable to deal with difficult personalities. In fact, I pride myself on the ability to adapt to almost any personality. There are just some people out there who are angry and nasty. And this person did nothing wrong by going to leadership. I would be intimidated too confronting the preceptor if she is as bad as this person says.
I have been a nurse for 8 years and have precepted many, many times. I was so good at it, I was promoted to the Clinical Educator after only a few years. So I do not buy the whole I have a full patient load and now have to deal with a student complaint. If you don't like, don't volunteer to precept. If precepting is mandatory for your employer, then work somewhere else. Don't ruin this poor student's life and make them question life choices just because you're unhappy. And for gosh sakes, let's be nice to each other and stop tearing each other apart.