Has anyone ever????

[healer27]

Hi everyone,

As some of you know I posted the encouragment needed post at an earlier date. I am new grad currently in the 4th week of an orientation with a preceptor that I'm not happy with. I've talked to her and tried to explain my needs but still don't feel like I'm getting the support I need. Last week, I had a pt whose blood sugars were crashing all day. At one point I ran to find my preceptor after getting a low reading and she told me to get a blood specimen send it to the lab to verify the low reading. Fine but then the secretary wasn't around it took me waayyy lonng to figure out HOW to get the order in on my own (b/c my preceptor went missing again couldn't find her) etc.. In any case the point is I'M TIRED of being left on my own during critical times such as this to fend for myself. I don't like feeling like she doesn't really have my back.

I will be going to a new floor and getting a new preceptor SOON and I have talked to education & explained how I've felt and asked them to try to put me with someone who would be more available. i'm PRAYING that I will get someone who is better at teaching and will work with me more rather then just throwing me in the middle of things.

However, in talking with some of my friends at other hospitals it seems they've gotten much better training. A couple of WEEKS of classroom time prior to even setting foot out on the floor. With my program we had 4 days of classroom time which included computer training. I'm wondering now if I should just leave this program and just go to a different hospital all together. I'm beginning to wonder if this place i'm at just skimps by giving you a brief classroom orientation and then just throwing new grads at whoever is willing to take them; I don't know what kind of guidance they give preceptors if any.

So, just wondering if anyone's been there done this, decided to go to another hospital and restart somewhere new or if i'll just run into the same problems again?? I don't know all I want is to be a good and safe nurse.

[all4schwa]

you can still have bad nurses in a good hospital. and there are people who are just not meant to be preceptors. do you carry work phones? many times if i have a smallish question (ie. paperwork), or cant find somthing (in the supply room) i just call her phone. also, if it's not a drawn out procedure, i don't hesitate to ask another nurse. whose ever is closest. i have a hundered questions a day (it seems like) this prevents my preceptor from being bombarded and the other nurses always seem eager to pipe up and show me a thing or two.

besides all that, i really like the hospital. did you say you are rotating departments for an internship. wait till you get to your next rotation, you'll be a lot more confident.

g.luck!

[Dempather, RN]

To ease things on myself - I'll go to another nurse to ask for help. If my preceptor isn't around... there's usually somebody else who has a moment to answer my question. Don't feel like you're burdening anybody. And don't apologize when you ask for help. These are things that I've been told, and hopefully you have, too. Just remember to thank the person you ask, most people see when they are appreciated and respected.. and are at that point, more than willing to offer help (and this does NOT go back to the reason why your preceptor is MIA all the time). Back to your posting, though - if you aren't finding the guidance you need on your floor, something needs to change. As for switching hospitals - that could be used as a last resort, when you've exhausted all of your options with this one hospital. Did you have to sign a contact stating that you needed to stay with the hospital for a year? I know I had to for mine.

I know how it feels to want to learn as much as possible - to do everything the way its supposed to be done. I think by going and searching for opportunities for change as opposed to waiting for it to happen is the right thing. :) Good luck on the new floor and keep us posted.

[willdgate]

In my opinion,the grass is never greener on the other side, therefore, I would ask nurses at different hospitals how they like it. You should ask nurses that are like you in learning and skill level. I had interviews with 2 nurse managers and they both seemed to suck,but what can I do, just take one day at a time, and pray for a better day.

take things slowly and ask around, FIRST.

[cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN]

Boy do I understand how you feel! Last week, a doctor came and told me that we were going to surgery, and then 30 minutes later, the OR came and told me that they moved up the surgery time. Yet, I still had no orders! I'm trying to get everything ready to send the pt to OR when the CT tech tells me he's ready to take the pt to CT. Of course, I knew nothing about the CT. That's because someone else took a verbal order and put it into the computer, but failed to tell me. I couldn't find my preceptor anywhere, and I'm trying to figure out what the heck I need to do to prepare a pt for surgery. All this and I'm trying to get his BP out of the 70s!

Again, no preceptor in sight. I was so stressed. It was 9am...

I can understand wanting a fresh start.