New Grads, enough complaints about preceptors.

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You must yourself become resourceful. Obtain permission from your preceptor and necessary parties and mingle to learn.

Your preceptor may not always be the best of teachers.And mingling affords you the opportunity of meeting a better teacher and learning more, whilst gaining the respect of your preceptor.

Get to mingling- unless mandated, you're not tied to your preceptor's apron strings.

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Specializes in LDRP, Wound Care, SANE, CLNC.

I just finished my last day in practicum. I had the best preceptor! She was there if I needed anything but I was let to do my own thing. The entire staff was there to help me and I got to do things that she didn't as long as I asked. She even arranged for me to go to surgery one day. It was great. I agree with your post though, we as students need to be independent.

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One thing I learned from my mentor is that there are no bad or good teachers. Why? Because if you disagree with either of them, you just have to be the opposite of what they are. If you think one teacher is bad, then do the right things that that person should be doing. If you think that person is good, then by all means emulate that person!

One thing that separates adult and children learners is that the adult learner learns selectively and actively learns by acquiring more experience and knowledge.

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Specializes in med/surg/tele/neuro/rehab/corrections.

Great thread Katie5. I hope to hear more on it. :)

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My preceptor was great. She did understand that I was still only a student and I needed to practice a lot of skills. I hope to be a good preceptor when I have the experience. Hope to be an RN next month after I pass this NCLEX.

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Very true, why complain about the preceptors? If they are not doing such a good job teaching you, then you inquire the information from someone else. Stay on top of the game, and learn from other resources. Don't expect to be "spoon fed"..

Im not a nurse at the moment, but i agree that nursing is a very demanding job. What sets nursing apart from other careers is that nursing requires one to be a critical thinker. If you make a mistake, it can put someone's life at major risk.

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Specializes in Neurosurgical, Orthopedic, Wound Care.

While I agree that there are other routes to dealing with the need to "vent" about work, and as a new grad myself that has had excellent preceptors, my understanding as that this thread is asking new grads not to vent about a common experience, precepting. I have seen many threads regarding preceptors and nurses venting about students, patients, family's, etc. Venting sometimes helps let off a little steam every now and then. Being in the position of student, then transitioning to new grad can be emotionally very difficult with the constant barrage of criticism. Granted we are learning and it is usually warranted but spending that much time hearing it often takes its toll. Often times the thread discusses ways of coping and approaching to situation from others that have experienced it. I visit this site every day and have found a wealth of information and most of this is become somebody else has been there, my questions are often answered before I ever even need to post. I would love to hear the experiences, BOTH SIDES of both preceptors and new grads. I like to feel that I am not alone, and I like to hear what I should and should not do as a new grad. Please don't limit who can and cannot vent.

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No Dalmatia, this is not a thread about restricting who does or does not vent, no.

On the contrary this is a thread about being proactive about your education.It's about learning new skills.

During "preceptorhood" you have a leeway because you don't have all the patient load yet,so you can mingle round and survey.Watching how other nurses on the floor do different things and your enthusiasm may be noticed and other nurses take you under their wings and show you more stuff or efficient ways of doing things.Plus it gives you a chance to mingle with the other nurses.

But all this should be done with every respect to your preceptor.

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No Dalmatia, this is not a thread about restricting who does or does not vent, no.

On the contrary this is a thread about being proactive about your education.It's about learning new skills.

During "preceptorhood" you have a leeway because you don't have all the patient load yet,so you can mingle round and survey.Watching how other nurses on the floor do different things and your enthusiasm may be noticed and other nurses take you under their wings and show you more stuff or efficient ways of doing things.Plus it gives you a chance to mingle with the other nurses.

But all this should be done with every respect to your preceptor.

I beg to differ on the patient load comment. I was in my 3rd week of preceptorship and had the same pt load as the rest of the nurses, so I wasn't standing back and observing other nurses' way of doing things. I was busting my butt running back and forth taking care of my patients! I have been precepted by 3 different nurses on my unit and they all brought something to the table in terms of teaching me. I also have to say it's been a little confusing learning protocol when the three different nurses all had different ways or thoughts on doing things (such as IV push, wasting narcotics, etc.). Happily my preceptorship has been mainly a postive one. I am looking forward to going from a half nurse to a full one in a couple weeks :nurse:!

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Specializes in ED.

Agree every new grad must be proactive, but that doesnt mean that every preceptor is a good preceptor. There are preceptors who worry more about their license than actually teaching their preceptee

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I for one get really tired of new grads w/ an attitude. Sometimes, you walk in as a nurse and totally unknown to you, you've got a fellow following you. You may or may not be in a mood to teach that day -- maybe you're sort of feeling under the weather, or tired from the day before. Now you've got double the duty and double the worry while getting paid really next to nothing to train a person. Our management also is nasty enough to get on us as preceptors WHILE we're trying to teach, so it really isn't all that motivating.

I also dislike the new grads who are on our med surg floor, but seem to have an attitude like, "Who me? Work here? No way -- I'm going right to the ICU -- wouldndt' get caught dead working med surg." As if our job is somehow easier . ..

I think if every preceptee would just THANK their preceptors for training them basically for no extra pay - it would go a long way.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/ ER/ homecare.
I for one get really tired of new grads w/ an attitude. Sometimes, you walk in as a nurse and totally unknown to you, you've got a fellow following you. You may or may not be in a mood to teach that day -- maybe you're sort of feeling under the weather, or tired from the day before. Now you've got double the duty and double the worry while getting paid really next to nothing to train a person. Our management also is nasty enough to get on us as preceptors WHILE we're trying to teach, so it really isn't all that motivating.

I also dislike the new grads who are on our med surg floor, but seem to have an attitude like, "Who me? Work here? No way -- I'm going right to the ICU -- wouldndt' get caught dead working med surg." As if our job is somehow easier . ..

I think if every preceptee would just THANK their preceptors for training them basically for no extra pay - it would go a long way.

If you dont like doing it, do new grads a favor and DON'T do it...please. It is scary enough being a new grad without a preceptor giving you an attitude "just because" , or talking down to you like you are a piece of garbage(which I have experienced). Everyone is a human being and should be treated with respect.

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