Need Help/Advice ASAP - New RN 1st week no support

Hi everyone, I'm a new RN in a residency program with a preceptor and was very excited and much to my dismay, my preceptor is absent most of the time and not available for questions. I try and tell her I'm unfamiliar with various functions such as the process of how to check the the orders against the computer, when and how to perform this function, what are the steps she uses on this floor, etc. - no answers - she disappears and at the end of the day I get you "did a good job". Well - on day 2 - I get hauled in by the clinical educator and I'm told that she is complaining that I'm inept, because I don't know how to do a 12 hour chart check, that I don't know how to reconcile the medications with the chart, the physcian orders on the chart with the computer and I'm falling behind! - DUH! I told her that I wasn't familiar with the process on day 1!

So much for a RN residency being about teaching the new graduate the "ropes" at this facility lol - Please can someone break down the steps that is normally done and give any advice as to how to normally manage their day on a med-surg floor. I want to be efficient as possible and learn as much as possible, because it's obvious that I'm not going to acquire this knowledge from the preceptor that I'm assigned too.

Thank you so much I'm desperate for the information as I go back this Wed, and I want to be ready to have a much better day than yesterday!! I will succeed one way or the other!

That sounds horrible. I am in my 4th week of precepting and I still don't know all that stuff. If you are on your 2nd or 3rd shift, there is no way on earth you can know how to do that stuff.

Every hospital is a little different; the basic process is the same, but you need to learn from someone on the floor. What you need to do is go to the clinical educator or your manager and voice your concern about your preceptor. This is not "ratting out" your preceptor, but she is clearly not helping to orient you to your new setting.

You think its bad now, what about when they cut you free from your preceptor and assume she taught you everything? Deal with this now before it gets out of hand.

Good luck, and it does get better :)

Wow-I was going through the exact same thing! I went to my manager and asked for another preceptor which made all the difference! Also, ask to just shadow a nurse all day and watch how they do everything and write it all down. I would try those two things. Also don't be afraid to say you haven't been taught so you can't do it yet by yourself on anything that you don't know. Don't be afraid to stand up for yourself! I was afraid of making waves or creating hard feelings by asking for another preceptor but I knew I wasn't going to last if I didn't. My manager and clinical educator were both very supportive because they didn't want to lose me. Good luck!

Thanks everyone for the replies - not sure if it will work being the preceptor went to the Clinical educator saying the negative things about me lol and she's been there forever and is a charge nurse - when I spoke to the preceptor after the fact - she said that I was fortunate because anyone else would not be as kind.........so yeah not sure just how positive this will turn out..........so I am trying to do as much as I can and learn as much hopefully glean some information to assist me if possible, sigh.