My preceptor is writing her novel during my orientation... at WORK!

[CS1234]

.... you read that correctly.

i recently transferred to the icus after three years med-surgical experience. i have been on orientation for approximately a month now and the precptor i have is absolutely experienced in icu nursing after spending 20+ years in a trauma i level hopsital. while the hopsital in which i work is definately not that acute, we still have critically ill patients.

this weekend i worked three twelves with the same patients all three days. these patients were assigned by my preceptor (who also doubled as the charge nurse all weekend long). these two patients were what we call "pcu status" patients, meaning, they should be in pcu, but pcu is full. so, these two patients are in the icu. pretty much glorified medical surgical patients with nothing acute...no ventilators, no titration of drips, no arterial lines, swans, no "get-the-crash-cart-ready" etc. these cases were nothing that i have not received in medical surgical nursing.

my preceptor, checked e-mail, texted, and worked on her novel all weekend long. she checks in with me occasionally and asks if everything is "okay", which is nice of her....

i have asked her for higher acuity patients in the past, and expressed that i am afraid to come off of orientation not having but one vent patient etc. instead i get pcu status patients. and when i ask "what happens if i am not ready at the end of orinetation to come off" she replies, "you'll just be on it longer". not acceptable! i hope she is joking, but i overhear her making jokes to her coworkers "im not doing anything, [this writer] is here, she's doing the work". she obviously feels that i am more then capable to handle these pcu patients or else she wouldnt leave me alone with them for hours upon hours while she is in another area of the unit working on her novel. she even told me on saturday that she was going to sit by c (our team mate) because her patient was looking pretty critical and she thought c would need some help. she stranded me on my orientation and went to assist with the critical patient that i should have!!!!!!! arg!

i feel as though i am given the easiest assignment on the floor so that she doesnt have to do work/teach me. and thats not fair to me. i have a lot to learn about icu nursing.

so here are my questions... i have already adressed with her that i want the hardest patient and the first admission every day and i continue to get non-acute, non vented, non titrating drip etc patients. should i reiterate that before i go to our nurse manager? should i request a new preceptor?

what is interesting is that on the med-surg floor that i came from, i was a preceptor. and i would never give my orientee an easy patient to get out of having to do work. but do i want to make a cannon-ball splash in my new department by demanding a good preceptorship? do i allow my orientation experience to suffer and keep quiet?

[llg, PhD, RN]

I would try to get a new preceptor and some more complex patients -- but I don't think it's necessary to make a big stink about it yet. Try to use some political common sense and get what you need without making enemies. Be diplomatic.

When is the last time you had a "sit down" with anyone to review your orientation progress? What is the normal progression for orientees on this unit? What kind of feedback are you getting about your performance? etc. These are key pieces of information. Don't do anything in an accusatory way, simply schedule a meeting with the appropriate person (unit educator or whoever is responsible for overseeing your orientation) and discuss your progress. Emphasize that you feel you are ready for the more complex patients and express an eagerness to begin working with them.

Treat the whole situation in a positive way -- as a request to move forward with your orientation -- not as an attack on your preceptor or criticism of the experienced unit staff. That's how you make it a win-win situation and get what you want without making enemies.

[erroridiot]

Well, it could be worse. I've had sleeping preceptors and even one communicating with aliens (and invited me to join her). These preceptors were the darlings of the unit managers! Be careful who you speak to about the problem.

Wish I knew then what I know now.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

really? she's been a m/s nurse for three years, and been in the unit for a month now. i don't think she's asking for "the sickest" patients, but rather, just some experience with something a little more challenging. her preceptor has already said that if she's not ready, they will have to extend her orientation. well, she's never going to be ready unless they give her more challenges and at least allow her to have one pt that's on a vent or a drip or whatever the higher acuity pts in icu are doing (sorry, it's not my area). i think at least one higher acuity pt along with a more stable m/s pt isn't too much to ask. after all, she's supposed to be working with the preceptor, so it's not like she's all alone.

the op said she wanted the sickest patient and the first admit every day. i pointed out that it might not be possible to give her that, and she may not be ready. after a month she may be ready to take the sickest ob patient but she said she was orienting to icu. i've been a preceptor in icu for 27 years. as an experienced icu nurse i am thinking she might not be ready. our orientation is 4-6 months for experienced nurses, and even with icu experience it can be 3-4 months.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

i find it fascinating how many people who don't work in icu know better than me what sort of patients a med surg nurse should be taking after a month in icu.

[Orange Tree]

Well, it could be worse. I've had sleeping preceptors and even one communicating with aliens (and invited me to join her). These preceptors were the darlings of the unit managers! Be careful who you speak to about the problem.

Wish I knew then what I know now.

Wow...the novel-writing already had me rolling, but after seeing the alien communication I might just keep laughing forever.

[erroridiot]

It is possible that the "alien" was the unit manager. You never know.

Back to the original post:

This preceptor is totally out of touch with reality. This is probably not news to you and is not any help to you at all at this time when jobs are difficult to obtain. In the future, I hope that you can look back on this and see it for what it is. The struggle to get out of situations like this is tough. I hope you will see a light at the end of this tunnel. Go toward the light.

Hope this helps.