my first two days on mother/baby

Babs0512 · Jun 29, 2008

Momma/baby: The nice thing about being with preceptor, is that you can pick up the good habits of your preceptor, and leave the bad behind when you begin to practice on your own.

I can picture your preceptor as you were writing, and you may be right, she may have lost her "zest" for the job - or - she may be so experienced that she performs her job without thinking - sort of by rote memory. As you begin to work more independently, hopefully your preceptor will see nursing through your eyes and your zest could rub off on her. I've learned many things from nurses I've precepted over the years.

Hang in there, learn what you need to learn - listen to her advice. When your flying solo, you can practice in the way that feels right to you, providing you do so within your hospital's policies and procedures.

Good LUck

Turtle in scrubs · Jun 29, 2008

Did she have much down time? I'm guessing not and that she quickly learned the only way to get her work done was to be brief and zip off to the next task. For me the TLC has become a luxury that I usually don't have. Truthfully it is one of the most disturbing things about my job. A year ago I was in your shoes - looking at nurses like your preceptor and saying to myself "pls don't let me become her". A year later and I'm your preceptor. I love my job and enjoy taking those extra seconds to provide comfort when I can, but find they are far less than what I would like them to be.

On a side note, your preceptor just may be a little more caring and supportive of her patients when she doesn't have a new orientee with her. Not only is she trying to take care of her patients, but having someone watching your every move can add an additional challenge.

Try not to get discouraged. Learn what you can from your preceptor - this includes things you like and want to repeat, as well as things you don't care for and want to do differently.

Best of luck to you!

Babs0512 · Jun 29, 2008

The nice thing about preceptors is that you can learn from them, the good and the bad, and then when you are out on your own, you can practice your way.

You may be right, your preceptor may have lost the zest for her career, or perhaps she is so experienced, that she does things by rote memory - without really thinking about them. As you become more and more independent of your preceptor, she may pick up some zest from you. I've learned more than a few things from nurses I've precepted.

Take her knowledge, take advantage of her experience - ask lots of questions. When your on your own, you can practice YOUR way, so long as you follow the policies and procedures set forth by your facility. Always remember, there is usually more than one way to get from point A to point B.

Good luck

buster4 · Jun 29, 2008

I can understand her side..... After a while. you have to learn to distance yourself somewhat.. or it drains the life out of you... meaning you can't put your heart into every patient.... or it will drain you to the point you have nothing left to give......

yes you care about every patient... and do the best you can with each patient, but you do the best you can do and go on....

I got out of L&D 8 years ago when after doing it for 11 years, I got to the point I didn't like to see a pregnant woman... I was just burned out.. so I got out and did something else...

I work in a physician office now.. and patients ask me how I stand hearing people complain all day.. (I work in chronic pain managment office).. honestly.. it goes in one ear and out the other... I do whats best with each patient... but I cannot get too involved... and move on.... we see with 3 nurses about 80 patients a day...

anyway.. thats my 2 cents worth and thats what its worth!!

bagladyrn, RN · Jun 29, 2008

Just wondering - what is your preceptor's patient load like? I've worked mother-baby units where 6 couplets was the norm (and could go higher). That's 12 patients! Unfortunately, with all the documentation required, sometimes you have no choice but to rush.

What you see as "nonchalant" may likely be competence - having learned to accomplish the most care in the time alloted. You may want to think about what I tell new parents when demonstrating care: If I make it look easy and you find it difficult and time consuming, remember that I've been a mom for 30 years and an OB nurse for the last 20 years - when you've been doing it as long as I have, you'll make it seem that way too.

Try to remember that you really don't have the perspective yet to judge your peers on the unit. Give yourself a year and see if your opinions change - I'll bet that your preceptor will be one of the nurses you most enjoy working with on busy shifts.

Jo Dirt · Jun 29, 2008

I remember when I had my 1 yr. old I came across a couple of pretty rough nurses. I rolled my baby into the nursery to ask about the newborn pictures. I saw the nurse with her back turned working and she looked up and saw me out of the corner of her eye standing in the doorway. This nurse started ranting and raving and I thought, gee whiz...when she turned around she said "Oh, I thought you were a co-worker! I'm sorry!"

I'm glad I wasn't the co-worker.

angel337, MSN, RN · Jun 29, 2008

So, I just finished my first two days of orientation on mother/baby. For the most part I love it. My preceptor is really nice and so are all my coworkers. My only concern is that I noticed my preceptor seems to have lost that passion that I feel she should probably have. All I kept thinking as I watched her race from one task to the next was that I hope I never become like her. (that sounds horrible since she's such a nice person!) What I mean is that I observed that she just went from one baby check to the next without the tenderness and sweetness that I would think you would want to have with a newborn. Don't get me wrong, she was gentle with the babies but just quick in everything she did. It bothered me that she nonchalantly threw her papers at the foot of the inside of the bassinet, talked loudly and quickly to new parents, didn't seem to really be listening to their concerns b/c she was always in a hurry, and only spent 5 minutes with breastfeeding teaching today and none yesterday. Eventually the mom she tried to teach bf to, decided it was too difficult and went to the bottle. ..
.. .I don't know, maybe I'm being too "sensitive" since I'm a newbie to this area. I just think more time should have been spent w/ the patients, but I could be totally off my rocker.
All in all, I love my new job so far. I just know that when I'm out on my own I don't want to become calloused towards my line of work b/c when it gets to that point, I need to get out.

i'm quite sure your preceptor felt just like you at one time and most nurses do and no doubt this is one reason why there is a nursing shortage. you have no time to do your job in an adequate amount of time. when i am with one pt my mind is always racing about what i need to do for the 3 or 4 other patients i have. even when you have time it is short lived. i try not to appear like i am in a hurry because pt's can sense that. i feel bad everyday that i cannot spend time with pt's like they deserve, but what can I do?? congratualtions in your new job. you'll do fine.

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Jun 29, 2008

I can see both sides of the coin and this is the perennial issue in most of nursing, it seems.

There are some nights that I too only get to spend 5 minutes teaching a new mother how to breastfeed her baby. I surely feel like she deserves better but sometimes that is all I have to give, between a breaking antepartum and the crapload of other documentation that has to be done (plus the extra tasks that get 'given' to nightshift). I do not like it.

Last night was a prime example. I had 4 couplets and a PPROMed antepartum at 31 weeks. I ran an NST on my antepartum, did her q4 temps, and spent time talking, as I know she needed. In the 4 couplets, I had 1) a late preterm kiddo w/ a 19yo first time mother, both of whom needed help w/ breastfeeding; 2) a mom with a screaming, gassy, fussy baby; 3) a very needy fresh c/s mom whose baby was hungry all the time; and 4) one - one couplet that was relatively low-maintenance. I have to be efficient or I will absolutely sink. I would venture to say your preceptor feels the same way.

I do understand where you are coming from though, because I sometimes feel like I come across as being callous even thought that is so not my intent. It is a very fine line that we walk most of the time.

As others have said, the great thing is that you can pick up from her what you like and want to be/do, and develop your own style for the rest. :) Good luck w/ the rest of your orientation!

cherokeesummer · Jul 1, 2008

Hey there! I'm so glad that you are liking your job! It is easy to see both sides of the picture now that I've been working in OB for a few months, 10 months now LOL! Anyway - during that time I have had the same thoughts sometimes but realized that yup sometimes we just can't do as much as we want to. IT STINKS but unfortunately management expects top rate care when you are doing three jobs at once. It;s hard, sometimes our patients get excellent care, sometimes they get super excellent care. I think we always give excellent care for the most part but that doesn't always extend to the teaching and time that we'd love to give. I don't know if I'm saying it right but you probably get what I'm saying.

Though I have seen nurses that just complain about everything and it makes you want to scream b/c you feel funny being happy about stuff. Like even though I don't agree with many things where I work, I do love my job and my coworkers so I avoid the negativity wagon as much as I can.

But yes you can learn skills and then create your own way of using them with patients that fits your view of how patient care should given.

:):)

cherokeesummer · Jul 1, 2008

PS I agree about the patient load too, when I start out with 6 couplets I already know its going to be a wild day! But I do still have trhe cutsie lovey dovey talk to the babies LOL!