Multiple Preceptors in the first two weeks!

[hopefull1]

I am a new grad LVN who felt very blessed to have landed a 7p-7a Med/Surg/Tele job.

But, during my first two weeks my experience has been chaotic to say the least. I was told when hired I would orient for 6 weeks with one preceptor so they could keep track of what I had mastered and still had to learn. My manager asked me if I would like days instead of nights because she thought I could handle it. I agreed because I've never worked nights anyway and at my age don't know if I could get used to it. (I'm middle aged). It has ended up that I've had four different preceptors in two weeks because due to low census the one I'm supposed to be with gets floated off every day that I'm scheduled to work with her. I end up getting dumped onto whom ever happens to be the most senior on the unit. A couple of times they were not happy about it. With that on top of the total chaos from short staffing I'm worried this is not going to work out. I even tried switching to nights for the slower pace and supposedly a preceptor that didnt get called off or float..she floated the first night I was scheduled, and was called off the second...so I went back to days and am trying to get what I can out of it. I figured if its the same situation on nights, why suffer with the sleep adjustment. Is this the norm for new grads on my type of unit? Managment is even encouraging the preceptors to give us new admits when they are short handed on the unit. Any advise?

[Nurse ABC]

Wow! Our unit has a rule that our preceptors are not to be pulled. One time it did happen anyway and my preceptor took me with her and just continued to teach me on that floor. I did have a few different preceptors due to vacations though. It's hard because no one knows what you've learned or need to learn yet. The upside is you get to see how different people do things. I would go talk to your unit manager and say although you appreciate everyone trying to help you learn, you feel your orientation is suffering due to the lack of consistency and that your feeling overwhelmed and if there is some way to ensure you get to precept with only one or two people. Also, it's hard to learn all the ropes if your constantly stuck in rooms doing admissions! Maybe your unit manager doesn't know what's going on. I would speak up. There may be nothing they can do about it and if that's the case try to hang in there and just let each preceptor know what you need to work on each day. If you get to the end of your orientation and still don't feel comfortable then by all means ask for more time. Good luck!

[nurse1952fun]

I worked in peds and the rule was the preceptor couldn't be pulled or cancelled. She would wait until the boss left and then leave hours early and leave me with NO preceptor. It is just another way nurses eat our young as the saying goes.