How many preceptors did you have?

[Piper98, ASN, BSN, RN]

Just curious…how many preceptors did you have as a new nurse? Or what is to be expected? I assumed as a new nurse you would have one, maybe two, and follow their schedule. I have had nearly a new nurse each shift and am finding it not ideal. It is so hard to adapt to the differences with each nurse, explain what I know, and still try to learn and develop my flow and skills as a new nurse.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

This is likely something you need to sit down and communicate with your manager/educator about. Who is a preceptor can depend on a lot of things, such as shift, full time or part time status, and patient experiences that they are trying to give you.

I work in the OR; our new nurses orient to each specialty. They also are strictly 7-3 because that's when most of the surgeries happen. No sense putting someone brand new on night shift to orient when nothing happens. Which means there are multiple preceptors for several reasons:

1. Not everyone is an expert in every surgical specialty. The same preceptor in neuro surgery isn't going to be a good choice of preceptor in transplant surgery.
2. Not everyone is full time. Can't assign the same preceptor when they aren't there 5 days a week.
3. Not everyone works 8 hour shifts. See #2.
4. Orientees need to learn various types of surgeries. Even within the same specialty, certain types of surgeries or even surgeons have a team within the team.

Now, we do try to keep them with the same preceptor, or in the case where the main preceptor is a 12 hour shift or part time with a small number of preceptors, for the first 8 weeks of orientation. We have a new group starting in three weeks. There aren't even enough preceptors for all of them who stepped up and volunteered to precept, which means we will need to choose some preceptors who aren't volunteering. That means some will probably not have the best experience because their preceptor isn't happy to precept.

[JKL33]

6 hours ago, Piper98 said:

I have had nearly a new nurse each shift and am finding it not ideal. It is so hard to adapt to the differences with each nurse, explain what I know, and still try to learn and develop my flow and skills as a new nurse.

You are correct. In my opinion having you show up and just go with whoever happens to be there is a frank display of the underlying lack of concern they have for your development of any expertise or comfort level. It's the kind of thing that happens when they simply want the next warm body to acquire the minimum training as quickly as possible with the least amount of energy expenditure possible on their part.

Plus now they have made one bad staffing move after the other so it's probably actually difficult now to provide the kind of consistency you're talking about (use of pools, people floating/being pulled, travelers, etc).

[HiddenAngels]

I had two preceptors, one very seasoned older nurse (she was A-mazing) and before her, I followed the nurse who was resigning.  This was years ago when there was a little more normalcy.  The manager actually mirrored my schedule to theirs so that I would always be with the same person.

If this is something that will accommodate you, when you go talk to the manager see if you can mirror one person's schedule (pick someone who's style that you like, hopefully you've seen enough of them smh). Good luck

[JKL33]

7 hours ago, HiddenAngels said:

I had two preceptors, one very seasoned older nurse (she was A-mazing) and before her, I followed the nurse who was resigning.  This was years ago when there was a little more normalcy.  The manager actually mirrored my schedule to theirs so that I would always be with the same person.

Ditto. Seasoned expert on days for the first half, seasoned expert on nights for the second half.

 

[angeloublue22, BSN, RN]

I've worked at several hospitals and every one I never had the same one twice. I know it's frustrating.

[newyorkrn, BSN, RN]

I am about to start my orientation - it seems that I will have at least 1 on nights and one on days, but I believe they are considering doing 2 each, that way I see different ways to do things, and in case schedules don't align