I don't have enough experience for this!

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Specializes in NICU.

Hello. I have been off of orientation for 3 1/2 months now. I work on a super busy med/surg floor. We have quite a few new grads on my unit and we also have students and externs often. For the past month and a half I have been precepting. Whether it be an extern, a student, or a new grad... I always have some one with me. There are many older nurses who never have to precept. I try to do my best to teach, but very very often I get asked questions that I don't know the answer to. I have to turn to someone else to answer my orientee's questions. I seriously have only been by myself twice in the last month and a half.

The orientees say that I am an excellent teacher and I'm constantly giving them good new-grad pointers. And telling them things not to do. They find it helpful considering I am a new nurse myself. But it is becoming stressful to me. I feel like I'm losing learning opportunities because I let my orientees do IVs, place NGs, pull JPs, do dressing changes. I'm losing precious learning experiences myself.. I don't want to sound selfish.. I like to teach.. But I feel like I'm too fresh off of orientation myself to be taking on this huge role.

Has anyone ever experienced having to precept so early? How did you handle to stress??

Thanks in advance..

Tiger

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Specializes in ER, Medicine.

How did you get pulled into this experience so early? Even though it must mean management is impressed with you and trust you...I do agree it might be too early. Right now is your time, it sounds selfish, but it's true!

I would talk to management about it and refuse to take any more preceptees until you are ready!

Enjoy your time as a new nurse.

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Specializes in NICU.

Wow, you shouldn't be precepting yet! That's not fair to you or the new grads.

Talk to your NM and/or your unit educators. We can't be preceptors until we've been there AT LEAST a year, and usually then it's just to precept a traveler. To have a new grad it's usually about 2 years of experience.

Being a new grad yourself, you need the practice .... you should be the one starting the IVs, putting down NG tubes, etc. You need that practice!

Precepting is a hard job! I have no doubt that you're a great teacher and it's an enjoyable experience for the orientees, but they need a preceptor with more experience and that can answer all their questions. It's not fair that they're doing this to you. Like I said, talk with your NM/educators and tell them you aren't comfortable precepting any longer and ask them not to put you in that situation again.

Good luck, let us know how it goes!

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Specializes in Adult Acute Care Medicine.

Oh, I don't know how you are doing it...must be very stressful. My medicine unit requires at least 2 years...i was my preceptors first 'student' and she had been there 3 years. I hope you have a manager that will listen to and then address your very valid concerns.

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Specializes in Med Surg/Tele/ER.
Hello. I have been off of orientation for 3 1/2 months now. I work on a super busy med/surg floor. We have quite a few new grads on my unit and we also have students and externs often. For the past month and a half I have been precepting. Whether it be an extern, a student, or a new grad... I always have some one with me. There are many older nurses who never have to precept. I try to do my best to teach, but very very often I get asked questions that I don't know the answer to. I have to turn to someone else to answer my orientee's questions. I seriously have only been by myself twice in the last month and a half.

The orientees say that I am an excellent teacher and I'm constantly giving them good new-grad pointers. And telling them things not to do. They find it helpful considering I am a new nurse myself. But it is becoming stressful to me. I feel like I'm losing learning opportunities because I let my orientees do IVs, place NGs, pull JPs, do dressing changes. I'm losing precious learning experiences myself.. I don't want to sound selfish.. I like to teach.. But I feel like I'm too fresh off of orientation myself to be taking on this huge role.

Has anyone ever experienced having to precept so early? How did you handle to stress??

Thanks in advance..

Tiger

Same thing here.... it seems like I always have a new nurse or RNA w/me. It is stressful when you are trying to learn yourself. I have decided to talk to someone because it is not fair to either one of us.

I think this should be done by a more experienced nurse. The other night I had 8 very needy pts & a new nurse!:nono: I felt bad because I just did not have time to explain or let him do much.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

It's tough to precept so early. Sometimes we have students on our floor and there are only two RNs, one of which is a new grad and it can't be helped that the new grad gets a student. But for you to get students while experienced nurses don't is wrong in my opinion and you should talk to your charge nurse, educator or manager about this.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Pediatrics, Geriatrics.

At my facility, RNs have to go through a special training program to be a preceptor and I believe its on a volunteer basis. But, I do see very new nurses getting assigned sometimes two students at a time and they have voiced their frustration to no end with management. No changes yet.

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