New grad no preceptor.

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I recently graduated in May of 2019. I started my job in June working in the ED, which has been my dream job for as long as I've wanted to be a nurse. I was told in my interview that I would have a preceptor and would be on orientation for at least 13 weeks once I was licensed. I worked as a tech for 2 weeks until I got my license and have been working as an RN for 4 weeks now. During this time I have never had a preceptor. I have to find someone to help me every time I need assistance or have a quick question. No one has followed me or watched me do anything unless I've asked them to. I am currently taking a full patient load and am feeling very overwhelmed. The other nurses have an expectation that I should be doing things faster and get frustrated with me when I'm not carrying the load with the speed that they do. There is one nurse in particular that is extremely ugly to me to the point that if I know I'm going to have to work a shift with her I can't sleep the night before. I'm just curious as to what other people's experience with being a new grad and having a preceptor was like. Maybe my understanding of what having a preceptor/mentor isn't clear. I'm not sure if this is the normal new grad experience or if I didn't retain enough knowledge in school. I'm just really stressed and struggling. Any advice or comments would be helpful.. Thanks in advance!

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Have you spoken to your manager?

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Specializes in ER OR LTC Code Blue Trauma Dog.
7 minutes ago, NewGrad613 said:

I was told in my interview that I would have a preceptor and would be on orientation for at least 13 weeks once I was licensed.

Approach the individual who told you that information and have them fix and make good on it.

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1 minute ago, Wuzzie said:

Have you spoken to your manager?

My manager is in and out and sees me working. She's very close with the rest of the nurses on the unit and I guess I'm just afraid to actually talk to her about it because I'm an outsidser at this point and I don't want to be labeled as the complainer. I'm just some how feeling like I'm doing something wrong.

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Specializes in NICU.

Oh nooo. There is no way a brand new grad should be working independently in an ER. Either someone dropped a heck of a ball or the manager straight out lied to you in your interview. Either way, speak to your manager ASAP and don't worry about being called a "complainer" -- if she and your coworkers can't grasp that you have no business working on your own without a proper orientation with precepting, then this is not a safe environment for you and your license to be in.

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You need to talk to her and if not her then HR and I rarely recommend going to HR. This is untenable. Nobody should start working without orientation and certainly not a new grad much less a new grad in the ED! There are really very few situations where one’s license could be at risk. Your current situation is verging on that. Trust me, if something happens they are going to throw you under the bus.

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Specializes in ER OR LTC Code Blue Trauma Dog.
49 minutes ago, NewGrad613 said:

The other nurses have an expectation that I should be doing things faster and get frustrated with me when I'm not carrying the load with the speed that they do.

Then instead of them becoming all snooty and frustrated, they need to offer you some direction and guidance don't they.

They have no right to complain if they aren't doing this. Whenever I seen another staff member sinking in the ER, you're suppose to go and rescue them. We always had one another's backs hell or high water. New grads, students, doctors, paramedics or whatever it didn't matter. Working in an ER takes leadership and a lot of teamwork with one another. I'm old school and have no idea what they are teaching everyone these days, but I am troubled to hear this sort of situation occurring to you.

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Specializes in PICU.

Have you also spoken with the Educator? Do they know what days you are coming in? What about your education classes.

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Specializes in CVICU, MICU, Burn ICU.

I am astounded. This is just wrong. Are you willing to share what state you are in? (just curious).

You do need to speak to your manager and STAT. Forget about the complaining thing.... you need to speak up, and if you need to leave this situation then do so. I'm a veteran nurse, didn't have a great orientation, but I don't condone that now. This is the day of nurse residencies and things done right, with regards to orienting new nurses -- as it should be.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Talk to your manager. Tomorrow. Make an appointment if you need to. Tell her "I am a new grad. I was told when I was hired that I would have 3 months of orientation with a preceptor. This hasn't happened, and I feel very overwhelmed and over my head. I need to be assigned to a specific nurse whom I can work with closely and who can orient me appropriately."

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26 minutes ago, RNNPICU said:

Have you also spoken with the Educator? Do they know what days you are coming in? What about your education classes.

As far as know there is not a designated educator. I had hospital orientation and there were some topics discussed that were related specifically to nursing but individuals from different departments came and "taught" their portion of the classes. Other than the 4 days of initial education and orientation I have not had any other educational classes that have been provided by the hospital. I had educational computer based learning assessments that I had to complete independently and this wasn't provided by an educator it was part of my new hire orientation. It included things like protocol for specific events.

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39 minutes ago, WestCoastSunRN said:

I am astounded. This is just wrong. Are you willing to share what state you are in? (just curious).

You do need to speak to your manager and STAT. Forget about the complaining thing.... you need to speak up, and if you need to leave this situation then do so. I'm a veteran nurse, didn't have a great orientation, but I don't condone that now. This is the day of nurse residencies and things done right, with regards to orienting new nurses -- as it should be.

I am currently in NM. I have considered quitting and applying somewhere else. It feels unprofessional to do so and I'm afraid that it will look like bad work ethic on my resume... But I'm starting to realize that if I lose my license it won't matter what my resume looks like.

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