how long until you would feel comfortable precepting?

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in General adult inpatient psychiatry.

I've been on my unit for about a year, mostly on nights but I've done a few days here and there and am filling in on days for the next few weeks. I love my unit, am always learning new things, but I feel like I've got the routine down and have something to offer that our two other older preceptors may not be able to offer in my youth and quest for knowledge. My hospital offers a preceptoring workshop that I'd like to attend but there needs to be an approval letter from my NM first. Do you guys think that a nurse with one year's experience could precept adequately?

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We're having this ongoing debate (on year-old preceptors). It's been going for a few weeks, and it looks like it's going in favor of more experienced nurses, primarily because while many of the experiences available on the floor do happen over the course of a year (codes, sheath pulls; heparin, insulin, cardiac drips; all kinds of arrhythmias) there are a great many important variants that a nurse will miss, whereas it's fairly certain a nurse will cover these in a longer period.

I'm fairly cautious. At just over 3 years on the floor, I'm starting to feel good about precepting. YMMV, however, the concept of having "the routine" down may be misleading. The older I get, the more I realize every situation has its critical idiosyncrasies, and the less I find any situation routine. When I say I'm getting comfortable, I mean I feel I can assess and refocus an orientee's critical thinking path on the spot.

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Specializes in General adult inpatient psychiatry.
We're having this ongoing debate (on year-old preceptors). It's been going for a few weeks, and it looks like it's going in favor of more experienced nurses, primarily because while many of the experiences available on the floor do happen over the course of a year (codes, sheath pulls; heparin, insulin, cardiac drips; all kinds of arrhythmias) there are a great many important variants that a nurse will miss, whereas it's fairly certain a nurse will cover these in a longer period.

I'm fairly cautious. At just over 3 years on the floor, I'm starting to feel good about precepting. YMMV, however, the concept of having "the routine" down may be misleading. The older I get, the more I realize every situation has its critical idiosyncrasies, and the less I find any situation routine. When I say I'm getting comfortable, I mean I feel I can assess and refocus an orientee's critical thinking path on the spot.

I appreciate your feedback. I do realize that there are still things I'm learning and that I haven't seen all of the variants that I may see with more experience, and I am taking that into consideration. I understand your caution and I'm sure my NM might probably have a similar opinion.

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Specializes in Developmental Disabilites,.

Are you talking about precepting students or new hires?

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Specializes in Home Health.

I assume you mean precepting new hires. I think that a nurse that has a total of one year of nursing experience really has no place being a preceptor or a charge nurse.

If you have been a nurse for several years but have only been on this unit for one year, then maybe it would be ok for you to precept.

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Where I work, you are assigned 2 preceptors (one with less than 2 years of experience and one with 5-10 or more years of experience) We do this for several reasons... 1) While the more experienced nurse may be an invaluable resource of knowledge, they jump from point A to point D within seconds and its sometimes harder for them to think things through like a new grad needs. The newer nurses are still thinking through the whole process and are many times able to verbalize the rationals and such that a new grad needs to develop. 2) Scheduling... it makes it easier when you have 2 different schedules to pick shifts from when you are new. If you need a certain day off, it can easily be done and you aren't stuck with just one schedule 3) Personalities... Sometimes personalities don't click and so the new grad can schedule to be with one preceptor while things are being worked out to switch the other one.

All of these things go together to help retention. A happier, more nurturing flexible environment makes it easier to transition to being both a professional and a team member. Our new grads get 22 weeks MINIMUM orientation and we strive hard to give them every opportunity to be successful.

I'm completely ok with people with a year of experience being a preceptor, especially how our unit has it set up.

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Specializes in Home Health, Nursing Education.
Where I work, you are assigned 2 preceptors (one with less than 2 years of experience and one with 5-10 or more years of experience) We do this for several reasons... 1) While the more experienced nurse may be an invaluable resource of knowledge, they jump from point A to point D within seconds and its sometimes harder for them to think things through like a new grad needs. The newer nurses are still thinking through the whole process and are many times able to verbalize the rationals and such that a new grad needs to develop. 2) Scheduling... it makes it easier when you have 2 different schedules to pick shifts from when you are new. If you need a certain day off, it can easily be done and you aren't stuck with just one schedule 3) Personalities... Sometimes personalities don't click and so the new grad can schedule to be with one preceptor while things are being worked out to switch the other one.

All of these things go together to help retention. A happier, more nurturing flexible environment makes it easier to transition to being both a professional and a team member. Our new grads get 22 weeks MINIMUM orientation and we strive hard to give them every opportunity to be successful.

I'm completely ok with people with a year of experience being a preceptor, especially how our unit has it set up.

This sounds amazing. :) I am not lucky enough to land something as nice as that. What an intelligent setup. :up:

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Specializes in General adult inpatient psychiatry.
Where I work, you are assigned 2 preceptors (one with less than 2 years of experience and one with 5-10 or more years of experience) We do this for several reasons... 1) While the more experienced nurse may be an invaluable resource of knowledge, they jump from point A to point D within seconds and its sometimes harder for them to think things through like a new grad needs. The newer nurses are still thinking through the whole process and are many times able to verbalize the rationals and such that a new grad needs to develop. 2) Scheduling... it makes it easier when you have 2 different schedules to pick shifts from when you are new. If you need a certain day off, it can easily be done and you aren't stuck with just one schedule 3) Personalities... Sometimes personalities don't click and so the new grad can schedule to be with one preceptor while things are being worked out to switch the other one.

All of these things go together to help retention. A happier, more nurturing flexible environment makes it easier to transition to being both a professional and a team member. Our new grads get 22 weeks MINIMUM orientation and we strive hard to give them every opportunity to be successful.

I'm completely ok with people with a year of experience being a preceptor, especially how our unit has it set up.

I really like this idea and think it would really well on my unit as we're starting to get more of a mix of younger nurses in with the older nurses. I appreciate your advice.

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Specializes in General adult inpatient psychiatry.
Are you talking about precepting students or new hires?

I'm talking about new hires. Students will probably always go to the most experienced person on days.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

I absolutely think a nurse with one year experience can and should precept students and new nurses.

Watch one, do one, teach one...

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Specializes in DOU.
I'm talking about new hires. Students will probably always go to the most experienced person on days.

I've been a nurse for 1.5 years (newest nurse on my floor), and I get all kinds of students. No new hires, though. The most experienced nurses on the floor don't WANT students.

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Specializes in PICU.

As a new nurse who has been precepted by nurses with 1 or less years of experience, I don't think it is enough. But as with all things, it really depends on the situation. Honestly, if you are a great teacher, that could mean more than all of the knowledge in the world. I love the idea of being assigned two preceptors, one with more experience and one with less. I am definitely going to mention this at my organization.

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