FNP advice

Editorial Team / Admin · Sep 14, 2005

I am in the last year of a part time online FNP program. I am currently doing my pediatric and women's health rotations. My OB/GYN preceptor, although he is very polite with me, does not let me assess patients by myself. Since He is always hurrying through patients, most of the time I jus sit and study in his office. I have had excellent rotations in the past, including my current pediatric rotation, where I got to do everything and sometimes I refused to do procedures outside my scope of practice. Should I just let it be? Is this a skill I can learn in practice? I would appreciate your feedback.

Hello, bancho,

Why does your preceptor not allow you to do hands on? Sitting in the office is such a waste of your time. I do not understand.

He is a physician or an NP?????

You will learn to do skills.....assessments and the like after NP school, but, do you plan to work in womens health or as an FNP? If so, you really need this preceptorship to jumpstart you..........I just do not understand his rationale? Have you asked him?

bancho · Sep 14, 2005

Hello, bancho,
Why does your preceptor not allow you to do hands on? Sitting in the office is such a waste of your time. I do not understand.
He is a physician or an NP?????
You will learn to do skills.....assessments and the like after NP school, but, do you plan to work in womens health or as an FNP? If so, you really need this preceptorship to jumpstart you..........I just do not understand his rationale? Have you asked him?

Thank you for your reply. I would like to work in family practice when I graduate. Thus, I will not be working in women's health issues that much. Since I am a male, I think the problem is my gender because many patients have reservations about somebody other than their PCP and a female nurse being in the room during their pelvic exams. Both of my preceptors this semester are physicians and all of my previous preceptors have been NP's.

Editorial Team / Admin · Sep 14, 2005

Thank you for your reply. I would like to work in family practice when I graduate. Thus, I will not be working in women's health issues that much. Since I am a male, I think the problem is my gender because many patients have reservations about somebody other than their PCP and a female nurse being in the room during their pelvic exams. Both of my preceptors this semester are physicians and all of my previous preceptors have been NP's.

Hi, again,

Have you asked him if you could be in the room for everything BUT a pelvic and/or breast exam? To listen? He will not allow you to do anything? Does he allow you to make rounds with him at the hospital? He must be accepting of the NP role or he would not have agreed to be your preceptor. And, being a male should not make a difference IF the patient is in agreement. A female should always be present anyway......

I am sorry you are not getting a well-rounded experience in OB-GYN.

cgfnp · Sep 14, 2005

Thank you for your reply. I would like to work in family practice when I graduate. Thus, I will not be working in women's health issues that much. Since I am a male, I think the problem is my gender because many patients have reservations about somebody other than their PCP and a female nurse being in the room during their pelvic exams. Both of my preceptors this semester are physicians and all of my previous preceptors have been NP's.

If you have to ask, it's probably not worth probing. I would get what you need and get out, and tell the faculty not to send students there any more.

I am pretty cautious about these kind of things because when I tried to rock the boat I almost got kicked out of school because I was tired of writing papers about how many times Florence Nightengale washed her hands and asked to learn something of value to me like, I don't know.. maybe.. CXR or EKG interpretation??? This didn't sit well with all the opposite gender faculty. So, from that point forward, I just acted like a factory worker. I showed up, clocked in, did what I was supposed to, and clocked out. Yeah, some of the "educators" will puff up and say you coulda shoulda woulda but the bottom line is the most important thing is getting your license so you can practice and being careful and learning what you need after you get out.