New Nurse Precepting a New Grad Nurse

Swellz · Jun 17, 2019

Did you tell your director you were nervous about it? What was their response? If you don't feel like you're ready, maybe you're not. I know I wasn't ready at 6 months experience.

allnurses Guide · Jun 17, 2019

The only good thing about a newbie precepting, instead of a crusty old bat like me, is you still remember all the questions and things that are new to you. I take a lot for granted, and can feel surprised when someone doesn't know something that seems intuitive to me. You are in the position of "this is how they told me it gets done" instead of "do this".

Plus, the grad's questions may help you learn more too.

Just trying to put a positive spin on it, I would not have wanted to precept at 6 months either. You can say no, unless precepting is a condition of employment.

llg, PhD, RN · Jun 17, 2019

Are you the only person who is going to be responsible for this new grad's orientation? Or will be one of a couple people working with her?

I think that makes a huge difference. I don't think there is anything wrong with introducing an inexperience nurse to precepting ... but I doubt that at 6 months, you are ready to be the only person working with the orientee. Ask your boss about that ... and ask what resources, support and training you will get in order for you to be a good preceptor.

(And if someone with 4 years of experience feels too incompetent to help precept a new employee, I would question why I was paying her a full professional salary.)

Guest219794 · Jun 18, 2019

8 hours ago, AllyAnnie2115 said:
Okay, guys. I've officially been a nurse for 6 months. My director just asked me to precept a new grad nurse (um, what?!?!). Anyone else have a similar situation/advice? Tips? I keep seeing articles about nurses who've been working for 4 years who feel they're too new to train someone, so I'm pretty nervous!

Replace the word "nurse" with most other professions- carpenter, firefighter, school bus driver, police officer....... Which of these would you be comfortable seeing trained by a peer with 6 months experience?

I the nursing world world you are, by definition, an advanced beginner. Would you want your pilot trained by an advanced beginner, or a seasoned veteran?

I am guessing that you are working in an environment in which the unacceptable has been normalized. And, maybe your best bet is to go with the flow, and be a good team player. But, realize that this is not a good situation. It probably takes more than 6 months experience to be a mentor at Walmart.

Only you can judge what your best course of action is given your goals, your location, etc. Taking on that role might truly be your best option. But, if you can avoid it, I would recommend you do. Regardless, good luck, and welcome to nursing.

JKL33 · Jun 18, 2019

There is no excuse for this.

It doesn't have anything to do with what might (very rarely) be a good opportunity for a newer nurse.

This is about patients.

Well, and about nursing. I have no publishable words for those who believe that this is appropriate training *or* an appropriate way to treat someone who is also a beginner....even if it is just a bedside role. F[orget] that.

Closed Account 12345 · Jun 18, 2019

I would say you're honored that she thought of you, and look forward to precepting once you've gained your own experience, but you are not comfortable training another new nurse with only a few months of independent experience under your belt.

Thereare many situations, routine and emergent, normal and complicated, that you have yet to encounter. You are still learning your organization's policies, resources, interdisciplinary communication and expectations, clinical judgment, competence with clinical skills, time management, etc. You deserve time to focus on those things, and the new grad certainly deserves time to work closely with an experienced resource nurse who can help start her career on the right foot. You might be an outstanding new grad, but you are still a new grad!

Even if you already said yes because you felt put on the spot, I'd contact her and say you've thought about the situation and have changed your mind because you're concerned about your ability to practice safely while precepting this early in your career.

Learning to set healthy boundaries for yourself at work is essential and will serve you well for years to come!

Quota, BSN, RN · Jun 18, 2019

I’m pretty curious what’s going to happen on my unit in August. We’re set to have 6 new grads starting then, not sure who they’re going to get to precept them all without using some of us new grads. I’m guessing they will be starting some of them on night shift, maybe rotating them between days and nights. I’ll just be hitting the 6 month mark at that point and agree it’d be a poor choice having me precept at that point for more than some random days as coverage.

My own preceptor was a newish grad, a little over a year experience, but that 6-8 more months makes a big difference.

organichombre, ADN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · Jun 18, 2019

Boy do I see this a lot now! I'm a clinical instructor at 2, 500+ bed hospitals one a trauma 1. Our nursing school pumps out the graduates and the hospitals absorb them like a sponge. Fortunately, most facilities here give new RN's 3 months of orientation before being on their own. So, we have nurses with ~9 mo of experience precepting. Have you looked at the average age of nurses on the floor these days??? mid to late 20's with the "crust old codgers" few and far between. Precepting, like many other activities, happens in degrees. Precepting a new grad to the floor, showing them the routine for routine patients, instructing them on protocols, teaching them the team mentality is what management is looking for. When you precept you should be taking the patients that are deemed stable, possible discharges, etc. Don't let them push anything more on you until you have more scars and can fight with the best of 'em.

chulada77, ADN, BSN, MSN, APRN · Jun 18, 2019

Tell your new grad nurse what you wish someone had shown or told you.

MunoRN, RN · Jun 18, 2019

There are plenty of veteran nurses who would be a much worse preceptor than a nurse with 6 months of experience, so I wouldn't discount the idea.

There also advantages to having a preceptor that's more in-tune with the transition from new grad to independent nurse.

And while it's not always the case, typical the person who is technically the assigned preceptor is far from the only nurse training the new-grad, it's a team effort.

JKL33 · Jun 19, 2019

4 hours ago, MunoRN said:
There also advantages to having a preceptor that's more in-tune with the transition from new grad to independent nurse.

Yes. But we are all primarily there for patients. This whole thing is about patients, not whether or not someone off of orientation for 3 months could ever theoretically help train someone even newer.

4 hours ago, MunoRN said:
And while it's not always the case, typical the person who is technically the assigned preceptor is far from the only nurse training the new-grad, it's a team effort.

Often others must answer questions/give directions in an impromptu manner because the nurse who is supposed to be precepting is too busy with a full+ load of patients, not because there are so many people who have free time to help said new grad.