Is This Normal? (Long Post)

I'm a new graduate in Texas too, and the same thing happened to me. I was also sick about it ...and I tried very hard to appease my preceptor before I realized that it just wasn't going to happen.

When I talked to my nursing directer, I left out most of the details and focused on the fact that I was not progressing as well as I thought I could be. I did mention that I felt my preceptor was often too busy to teach me, that our communication styles were very different and that I felt she became easily frustrated with all of my "new graduate" questions and needs. I was very nervous about "complaining" to the director, but I also felt that I had nothing to lose at that point.

Since asking for what I need and being assigned a new preceptor, things are much better and I am learning a LOT more. Now I am quite sure that what I went through with the first preceptor was NOT normal.

Your experience is not typical, and it sounds like your unit is pretty disorganized at least when it comes to orienting new grads.

Even when I was an experienced nurse orienting to a new unit, I was given a few days of simply shadowing my preceptor. This allowed me to learn how the unit runs, who the people are, where everything is, and what the protocols are. After that, I was given a couple of patients of my own, but with my preceptor close by to make sure I was getting the hang of it. Then I would take a full assignment, but again with the preceptor to back me up (at that point she didn't take any of her own patients; her job was to shadow me.) When I was comfortable with that, I'd be given my own assignment, but another nurse would be assigned as a "resource" for me so I had someone to go to with questions. Even as an experienced nurse, it is very difficult to learn the ropes on a new unit; I can't imagine how stressed out you must feel!

It sounds like you're being thrown to the wolves. I would definitely raise my concerns to my manager, if I were you.

As for ACLS, don't worry about not having it right off the bat. As a rule of thumb, it's better to wait until you've been a nurse for about 6 months so you have a feel for what's going on before you get ACLS certified. At this point, all you need to know is BLS and when it's time to call a code. In a code situation, you will not be left alone: there will be about 10 people in your patient's room.

You'll definitely need to learn your EKG rhythms, but if I was your preceptor I would certainly not expect you, as a new grad, to know them right off the bat. This is the kind of thing you can do a little self-study on at home; if I was your preceptor I would take the time to teach you the rhythms too.

Maybe your manager could give you the option of orienting on nights for a little while. At night, there are fewer procedures, doctors, and orders to deal with so you get more time to actually orient before you're thrown into the action.

Your orientation sounds like what I went through in the ICU.

I, too, had a preceptor that I couldnt please no matter waht. She would often leave me alone with two critically ill sick pts who were circling the drain, then would throw me under the bus if I didnt come to her and ask the "right" questions, although, I was asking questions all the time.

She would berate me in front of my co-workers and then get mad when I would ask her to help me turn a pt, after she berated me about following the turn schedule. If I followed the turn schedule and asked for her help turning, she would get upset because it was taking away from her "break time" gossiping with the other RN's in the breakroom.

I was a new grad and had never worked with titrating drips before. I had an incident when at pt was on Cardene and that was the first time I ever worked with that drip. The pt was vomiting and her HR shot up. I was waiting for her to finish vomiting before titrating the drip up to see if her HR would return to baseline. My preceptor comes rushing in the room titrating the drip although the pt was actively vomiting. Then she "goes off" on me for not titrating the drip. She constantly would do this, and then come back and apologize later on.

It just became too much. I went to the DON and asked to be transferred to the ER. I couldnt take anymore. I was sick on my days off, vomiting before I came to work, I absolutely hated going to work. I didnt like my coworkers and I didnt fit in there. I explained everything to the DON and asked to leave because it was not a good fit and the ER was a better fit for me and it is.

I would go to the manager and explain everything you have done here. Also tell the manager that you dont think your preceptor's teaching style and your learning style is compatibe. Give concrete examples and then ask for another preceptor. You might be a target after this, depending on how "cliquish" your unit is.

Good luck!