New RN's: Is it normal to help your preceptor with all their patients tasks

Scottishtape · Jan 1, 2017

Of course it's normal. Not only that, but it's expected.

The more exposure you have to patient care, the better prepared you'll be when you're finished with your orientation/practicum/etc.

When I'm on the floor and have finished my tasks for the patients I've been assigned, I hit up all of the nurses on the floor to see if they need help.

By doing that, I've been exposed to SO much more than had I just stuck with the ones assigned to me.

Not only that, but there are some really awesome nurses floating around that love to teach. I find those nurses and stick to them like glue to soak up any knowledge they have.

Good luck!

Wuzzie · Jan 1, 2017

I'm confused aren't they YOUR patients as well?

roser13, ASN, RN · Jan 1, 2017

Of course you help! That's how you learn, by observing how your preceptor manages her time, her tasks, her patients. Not that you will necessarily choose to do everything your preceptor's way. Everyone makes their own routines. But it does help to observe others and pick & choose what will work for you.

NewRN'16, ADN, RN · Jan 1, 2017

Of course it's normal. Not only that, but it's expected.
The more exposure you have to patient care, the better prepared you'll be when you're finished with your orientation/practicum/etc.
When I'm on the floor and have finished my tasks for the patients I've been assigned, I hit up all of the nurses on the floor to see if they need help.
By doing that, I've been exposed to SO much more than had I just stuck with the ones assigned to me.
Not only that, but there are some really awesome nurses floating around that love to teach. I find those nurses and stick to them like glue to soak up any knowledge they have.
Good luck!

Hi Scottishtape, thank you for your reply. I absolutely LOVE the exposure, I just don't understand why am I being officially assigned patients , if in a sense I administer meds and perform all tasks with my preceptor on all the other patients. I feel like "my" patients are only different in a sense that I assess them and I chart on them. I am not complaining, as I love working with my preceptor (she is absolutely wonderful!) I just wanted to know if that was normal.

Thank you so much for your input!

NewRN'16, ADN, RN · Jan 1, 2017

I'm confused aren't they YOUR patients as well?

I am only assigned a number of patients per day, not all patients. I only assess and chart on my assignments. Not sure I understand what you mean by "my patients"? I tend to all during my shift, since I'm with my preceptor though

NewRN'16, ADN, RN · Jan 1, 2017

Of course you help! That's how you learn, by observing how your preceptor manages her time, her tasks, her patients. Not that you will necessarily choose to do everything your preceptor's way. Everyone makes their own routines. But it does help to observe others and pick & choose what will work for you.

Okay, thank you. I don't mind helping, I'm trying to learn as much as I can! I was just a bit confused what they meant by "my patients". I know that I am completely responsible with assessments, tasks, charting , etc but I didn't know if they wanted me to concentrate on them only? Of course I could have asked my preceptor, I just didn't want her to get the wrong impression, she is really awesome and we get along great. :smug:

Libby1987 · Jan 1, 2017

If you only cared for your small assignment, you wouldn't be well prepared for going out on your own. If you were assigned total responsibility for a full load, including assessing and charting on all, you would be completely over faced and would miss out on a lot of learning opportunities.

What your preceptor is doing is giving you both what you can handle as well as layering on more tasks for you to assimilate without dumping all of the responsibility on you.

NicuGal, MSN, RN · Jan 1, 2017

You are assigned those patients but you are really assigned to her whole load. We do this on occasion when we are very busy, the preceptor will have an assignment of 4 kids, but gives you 2 as your own, and if you are done with yours you help her. Now, if you had 4 patients and you were expected to help with another 4 or so even if you couldn't keep up with the 4 you were assigned, then I'd question that .

Wuzzie · Jan 1, 2017

I am only assigned a number of patients per day not all patients. I only assess and chart on my assignments. Not sure I understand what you mean by "my patients"? I tend to all during my shift, since I'm with my preceptor though[/quote']
I've never had a preceptor who had a separate assigment nor have I ever precepted with an entire assigment of my own PLUS precepting a new nurse with her own assigment. That doesn't make sense to me unless it's one assigment split into two as explained earlier. I wouldn't have time to precept AND care for a full load of my own patients. So basically whenever I've been oriented my preceptor and I were assigned the same patients together.

TriciaJ, RN · Jan 1, 2017

Hi Scottishtape, thank you for your reply. I absolutely LOVE the exposure, I just don't understand why am I being officially assigned patients , if in a sense I administer meds and perform all tasks with my preceptor on all the other patients. I feel like "my" patients are only different in a sense that I assess them and I chart on them. I am not complaining, as I love working with my preceptor (she is absolutely wonderful!) I just wanted to know if that was normal.
Thank you so much for your input!

It's not going to be much of a preceptorship if you only ever work with 2 patients. (Good luck finding a job like that!) You start with 2 patients and random tasks on additional patients. Eventually you work your way up to being able to manage a full patient load.

One thing I learned as a preceptor: you assign your orientee a certain number of patients and they never seem to progress beyond that number. I used to assign them ALL my patients. The first day they shadow me, then they start assuming more and more of the responsibilities as we tag-team the patient load. Toward the end, I'm shadowing them and trouble-shooting. But the time they're supposed to be up and running, they're up and running.

It's actually extra work for your preceptor to be including you in additional duties. Be glad you have someone who is willing to go the extra mile for your orientation.

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · Jan 1, 2017

What's considered a full assignment on your unit? Typically on my unit 3 patients was a full assignment, so at first you would shadow or work hand in hand with your preceptor exclusively, then you would take one patient of your own while still working with the preceptor for his or her two, then two patients, until taking the full assignment by yourself at the end of the orientation and just having the preceptor oversee things and available as a reference.