Need Tips on Keeping a Preceptor Happy

Nurses New Nurse

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Hello! I'm a new grad at the beginning of a disorganized orientation and concerned about keeping my job due to the lack of planning for my training. Everything seems to be chaos so far.

I would appreciate tips on how to work with a preceptor so I get a good report and keep the job. Any advice appreciated! Thnx.

Be Early, Humble and proactive. Ive seen many students struggle because they can't LISTEN. Remember that you don't know squat yet. take the oportunity to learn as much as you can without crowding your preceptor, they hate having an overzeaslous nurse breathing down their necks constantly, show that you can be independent. Good Luck!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Transplant.

After some of my first precepting experiences, here is how you can keep me happy :-)

1) If you are frustrated that we have a "crazy" assignment, DON'T take it out on me! I'm more than happy to help you (because that is why you have a preceptor), but I'll be really impressed if I see you calmly figuring out how to safely manage the chaos with critical thinking.

2) Critical thinking-please do it!! Attempting to carry out orders just because "that's what's written" when something seems a bit off to you or the patient makes me nervous for when you'll be on your own.

3) Ask questions about what you don't know. Even if you're asking them when it's busy and I seem a little rushed with my answer, I'm ultimately glad to know that you are committed to being safe and will get the answer you need in any situation.

4) Find a way to remember things that I've told you/you've learning. Yes, I know that I just talked about #3, but it's frustrating when someone continues to ask about something (especially something written or easy to find/utilize) that I've explained not once or twice, but literally six times! It may be by using a notebook...but find some way to retain this info.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

there was a lot of great advice there, but one thing i did not see mentioned was learn to take criticism constructively. it would be terrific if all preceptors knew how to give criticism constructively -- but that's a rare and difficult to learn talent. so instead, learn to take in criticism with a "thank you for telling me", and then think about it long and hard to find the kernal (or gigantic heaping blob) of good advice and then act upon it.

ask questions, but then listen to and learn from the answers. i don't mind answering the same question over and over if there's evidence that you've thought through my answer and learned something from it. when the same situation comes up in a somewhat different way and you ask the same question over again, you may learn something different from my answer. but if you're asking the same question over and over and taking nothing away from the answer, there's a problem.

take your breaks. you think more clearly afterward.

if i order you to take a break, take it now. that's often preceptor-speak for "get the hell out of my way so i can fix this situation now and we'll talk about it later."

sometimes it really is about the patient (see above) and not your orientation.

i don't need a "preceptor gift" after you've made it off orientation. but a handwritten note on nice stationary or a pretty card thanking me for all the hard work would make my day, my week -- my year.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

As a long-time nurse educator, I can attest to the fact that the most common New Nurse vs Preceptor problems are usually due to poor communication - which results in the new nurse being blindsided by something that he/she was unaware of.

So - my advice is to make absolutely sure you know all the 'rules' and follow them. These not only include the policies and procedures, but also all of the documents and processes that are used for orientation in your facility. If there is a checklist, make sure you clearly understand the criteria used to determine 'satisfactory'. If there are deadlines or timelines, make sure you know them up front. Ask for (insist on) at least weekly check-ins to review your progress and the plan for accomplishing all the remaining tasks that have to be completed in order to successfully finish orientation. Keep records of these conversations. Make sure that your checklists and any other orientation documentation is current at all times. It's actually better if you keep control of these rather than your preceptor.

NEVER badmouth or criticize your preceptor or any of your co-workers or managers, even if it seems you are just joining into a general gripe session with friendly co-workers. Chances are, that these little conversational gems will get back to the that person and the results will be dreadful for you.

Best of luck to you! Keep us posted on your progress.

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If you find you are not getting feedback, be proactive and ask. It is terrible to get blindsided at the end. When you speak up and ask, the preceptor has less of a leg to stand on when they come up with criticism at the end of the term when there were no complaints from day to day.

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My experience in training is in another field but generally, "yeah, but..." is a horrible phrase. Also, the trainers I know don't always appreciate never ending varieties of, "that reminds me, when I was at band camp/my previous job/in clinicals/as a CNA".

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Esme12 thank you for posting the worksheets. They will be very useful in the field! Thank you everyone for the feedback. It has been great to hear from both sides-those on orientation and also preceptors. I appreciate the perspective from both sides!

I may not be able to survive a preceptor that appears to think I am a moron. But, I have made up my mind that is out of my hands. What I can control is my attitude, my punctuality, my appearance, my preparation, my home study time, my personal effort to learn all that I can while I have clinical time available, for however long it lasts. It will build my confidence for the next job, being able to practice skills in the working environment. My educational clinical time never gave me much opportunity to practice skills. Mostly what I did was study med/surg textbook style. I need all the exposure to the real world of nursing I can get!

Thank you again!

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Esme12 thank you for posting the worksheets. They will be very useful in the field! Thank you everyone for the feedback. It has been great to hear from both sides-those on orientation and also preceptors. I appreciate the perspective from both sides!

I may not be able to survive a preceptor that appears to think I am a moron. But, I have made up my mind that is out of my hands. What I can control is my attitude, my punctuality, my appearance, my preparation, my home study time, my personal effort to learn all that I can while I have clinical time available, for however long it lasts. It will build my confidence for the next job, being able to practice skills in the working environment. My educational clinical time never gave me much opportunity to practice skills. Mostly what I did was study med/surg textbook style. I need all the exposure to the real world of nursing I can get!

Thank you again!

You're welcome....Good Luck!

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