I am a senior in a BSN program. Have maintained a good GPA, have always had good grades, and have been on honor rolll most semesters. I have always had a good rapport with the professors and administrators at my school, and have had no "issues". We are entering our one on one preceptorship, and were asked to give 3 areas of preference for placement. I selected 1) Critical Care Unit, 2) Emergency Dept., and 3) Progressive care/step-down unit. Well, I received my assignment yesterday and have been assigned to a long term care facility. I am so upset! I have goals to work in an ICU or Emergency Dept., and do not feel that spending what should be the pinnacle of nursing school in long term care will benefit me. Yes, I will get patient experience, but I have been a tech at a hospitall for 4 years, that is not an area for which I need experience. I addressed it with my school and was told, that's where you are assigned. It can't be changed. If you don't want to go there, you can withdraw and take this class next semester.
What really frustrates me, is that in speaking to other students in my class, I am the ONLY student that did not get an assignment that was on the "preferences".
I don't know what to do! If I withdraw, that moves my graduation from May to end of summer. If I just go to LTC, I am missing the opportunity to develop and hone the skillsets that I will need working in an acute care hospital, not to mention the opportunity to network and build rapport in order to find a job after graduation.
I think you will still have a great learning experience. Definitely don't postpone graduation just because you didn't get your preferred placement. But I would definitely inquire as to why you did not get one of your top three choices. Can't hurt to ask.
Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.
I know a BSN nurse who was horrified to be placed in a pediatric LTC facility for her clinical capstone. This place was not even her third choice, but she reluctantly decided to make the best of the experience.
Guess what? She ended up loving the place and decided to stay on once she graduated as an RN. She is now the DON at the same facility :)
Specializes in Professional Development Specialist.
If you're area is like mine, preceptorships are in seriously SHORT supply. I asked for the same, and even arrainged my own. Even though my school couldn't place me for a preceptorship until 2 weeks into our 6 week session, they told me "that's not how it's done" and refused to accept the ICU preceptorship I had arrainged.
I ended up in a hospital med surg but none of it mattered. I couldn't get a hospital interview for anything. But only 1 of the graduating class got a job through their internship. Ironically that person was in the ICU where I had arrainged my own preceptorship. The rest of us struggled and a lot ended up in LTC or psych. That's the nature of ADN in Denver these days.
So you didn't get what you wanted. Suck it up. This will not be the first time that something in life doesn't go the way you want it to. Do you really think that just because you ask for something you will always get what you want? Make the best of the placement and act like a grown up.
To the OP...I'm not gonna be mean, rude, disappointed, etc. I'll just say this, long-term care might be the best thing for you. Deal with it, be happy you have an opportunity. FYI...when interviewing someone, that ICU "experience" from school means not much at all.
Those of you who say the preceptorship experience doesn't mean anything in terms of getting a job, are speaking only from your personal experience. That may not be true for the OP.
At my hospital, we only hire new grads who have done preceptorships in a related specialty for many units. If a student in my region were to find herself in the OP's position, waiting would be the only way she would get an RN in her chosen specialty. We are the only children's hospital in town ... and we rarely hire new grads who don't have relevant work experience (e.g. CNA experience with children) or a pediatric preceptorship.
The OP needs to find out if that's truly the case for her ... or whether the LTC preceptorship won't be a strong factor in her post-graduation job options. She needs to get the facts for her situation and not make assumptions based on what was true for other people living in other communities.
cmw6v8
157 Posts
I think you will still have a great learning experience. Definitely don't postpone graduation just because you didn't get your preferred placement. But I would definitely inquire as to why you did not get one of your top three choices. Can't hurt to ask.