New grad no preceptor.

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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!

10 hours ago, JKL33 said:

NewGrad613. I am going to be straight-foward here, I hope you will hear me out.

You have to stop this mindset pronto. As in, put an end to it. Why in the world, when someone has lied to you and/or not held up their end of the bargain (thereby putting you and all of your patients in an unsafe situation), would you feel that not being able to perform perfectly is doing something wrong? Or that talking to them about it would mean that you are doing something wrong?

What they have done is very wrong, and I also cannot imagine how this went down your first day on the floor. How did you not think it would be perfectly normal and reasonable to simply ask who would be precepting you?

I'm sorry, but with all due respect and kindness, you've gotta do a little soul-searching.

You deserve at least a modicum of respect/consideration as a new nurse and human being.

Being taken advantage of, lied to, ignored and allowed to put yourself and others at risk is not required and should not be tolerated, even by someone who is polite or kind or new or....anything.

FWIW, I am truly sorry to hear of this. Sorry it has happened to you.

How can we help empower you?

You have to get in there tomorrow and let them know you need a preceptor. Or ask when your actual orientation with a preceptor is going to begin. Your only other viable option is to secure another position right away (which I personally would do regardless of anything else).

I think because I teched for a little while before I got my license and I was independently doing that maybe the staff got use to me being on my own. When I passed the NCLEX the staff congratulated me and I still kept being on my own but I was only assigned one patient at a time that I was fully responsible for and I still more or less teched for the other nurses. They assigned me patients that weren't critical so I felt okay when it was just one or two patients at a time, if I needed help I would find some one and ask. As time has passed it just started to be more and more. Now I'm carrying a full patient load and I'm basically drowning. I think they feel like it's okay because they give me patients who they deem not "critical". If a trauma or critical comes in there is a team present and I'm usually gathering items and handing them stuff which is a relief to me at this point but at the same time I know there is going to come a day when I'm in a situation and I am expected to be the "grown-up nurse" and I'm not going to know what to do. My current situation didn't start all at once... it started out slow and has just escalated to the place where I am now.

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A tech is not a nurse. The roles, responsibilities and expectations are entirely different. There are some skills which overlap but that is it.

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I’m so sorry this has been your first experience in the nursing world after graduating! The position this hospital has thrown you (& it’s patients) into is ridiculous. No new grad should be expected to work without an orientation. Period. And then for the nurses to act that way towards you?!! They obviously haven’t heard of the growing movement for nurses to SUPPORT their young.

Before you step foot into the ED for another shift, talk to your manager. If you are not given a preceptor ASAP, talk to HR. Lead and follow up with e-mails to have it in writing. If nothing changes, do not work another shift and find a new job. Protect yourself, your patients and your license!

Post updates please. I really want to see you succeed as a new grad. There are amazing, supportive units out there and I hope you find one!

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Just as an update for everyone I have made an appointment to speak to my manager before my next shift. I will give another update pertaining to the resolution of my issue. I have also started applying for other positions as well. Thank you to everyone for the support and advice.

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9 hours ago, dream'n said:

Is it possible that a preceptor was assigned by your manager and for whatever reason this person has simply ignored you? Could be because they're lazy or don't want to bother. Perhaps the manager isn't aware that this person hasn't been orienting you.

I guess it is possible.. I'm not scheduled with the same person every shift if that's the case there is more than one person that is ignoring their obligations. Which again is entirely possible.

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24 minutes ago, NewGrad613 said:

I think because I teched for a little while before I got my license and I was independently doing that maybe the staff got use to me being on my own. When I passed the NCLEX the staff congratulated me and I still kept being on my own but I was only assigned one patient at a time that I was fully responsible for and I still more or less teched for the other nurses. They assigned me patients that weren't critical so I felt okay when it was just one or two patients at a time, if I needed help I would find some one and ask. As time has passed it just started to be more and more. Now I'm carrying a full patient load and I'm basically drowning.

Seems like they used you to do tech work as a new grad but I'm wondering if your manager passed that off to HR as if it were your orientation when in reality they threw you to the wolves. You still basically never received an orientation from reading the above.

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Specializes in PICU.

OP:

After reading the remainder of this post, you really should consider applying to other new grad residency programs. You need to learn how to be a nurse. This doesn't just come. Ypu need classes on ER nursing along with a preceptor ship.

I understand it is hard to speak up but if you really like this hospital you need to speak up and say something that there is no assigned preceptor.

Or... look for the new grad programs. You DESERVE to succeed as a new nurse.

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Specializes in ER OR LTC Code Blue Trauma Dog.
3 hours ago, NewGrad613 said:

I was only assigned one patient at a time that I was fully responsible for and I still more or less teched for the other nurses. 

Kind of like how actors are typecasted based on a previous role.

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3 hours ago, RNNPICU said:

OP:

After reading the remainder of this post, you really should consider applying to other new grad residency programs. You need to learn how to be a nurse. This doesn't just come. Ypu need classes on ER nursing along with a preceptor ship.

I understand it is hard to speak up but if you really like this hospital you need to speak up and say something that there is no assigned preceptor.

Or... look for the new grad programs. You DESERVE to succeed as a new nurse.

At this point I'm starting to resent the hospital and most of my coworkers. I come home and feel like a failure because I know my patients did not get the best of me. I'm being pulled in 10 different directions and I honestly don't know what is best for the patients at times. It takes me a long time to get help doing things that I dont know how to do when the other nurses are busy. Armed with the information provided from the awesome people here, I agree that my best course of action at this time is to do some research and try to find a good facility with a program that is specifically designed for new grads. I don't think this facility is equipped train new nurses. I also don't want to just learn to get by, I want to learn the proper way to do things. I know I can be an amazing nurse, I just need to find a place that is willing to invest in me and teach me what I need to know. Its been an eye opener to have other nurses confirm that it's not just me and what's happening isn't the norm. As crazy as it sounds... I think I just needed some confirmation that this situation isn't right. I needed to know that the expectation wasn't for me to come out of nursing school and be able to flawlessly transition into the RN role without any additional training or support. I've been made to feel as if I'm not doing enough or pulling my weight as a team member. I'm just relieved to have support and have other people in my same profession tell me to do what my gut instinct has been telling me this whole time.

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3 hours ago, NewGrad613 said:

Armed with the information provided from the awesome people here, I agree that my best course of action at this time is to do some research and try to find a good facility with a program that is specifically designed for new grads.

There you go! ??

Work on developing your "pleasantly assertive" mindset. Don't be one of those who is confused about what it means to be nice. ?

Stand up for yourself. You are worth it.

Best wishes!

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I’m sorry that this is happening to you but this practice is absolutely not safe. No way should a new grad nurse be working alone, especially in the ER! I would talk with your nurse manager/nurse educator about getting a full time preceptor. If that fails, you may have to get HR involved.

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Specializes in Retired.

I wouldn't work in a hospital that was going to hire me as a new grad into the ER. Just a really bad idea, and somehow, a bad idea evolves into a worst idea when no orientation is given. Scary stuff.

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