So I just started my first job as a nurse this past week. I will be working night shift, so I did one week of days to meet everyone and I had the sweetest and most helpful nurses, and I learned so much. Last night I was put with the nurse who will be orienting me for the next three months on nights, and I am very upset. He was constantly running away from me, acting like I wasn't there, ignoring my questions, and doing everything himself without letting me do anything. For two hours I sat in a chair in dead silence and watched him eat his lunch. I feel like I am not learning anything, and he does not care to teach me at all. I do not know what to do, because the manager loves him, and she will not take too kindly to me complaining about him, and also I don't want him to be upset with me. I just want to learn an become a competent nurse! What should I do?
These are all really good tips, definitely give it another shift just to really guage what is going on. If he is like this again now you are prepared for it and you can try some of the things suggested like spending free moments looking at the chart, asking Qs etc. If there is idol time dont mimic his boredome, just intentionally seek out more learning. Because if u end up going to mgr you need to demonstrate that you are learning on your own while he is ignoring you.
If he continues this way then it has to be taken higher up. I think what he is doing is worse than other bad cases where preceptors are harsh or blunt, at least that would be acknowledging the relationship. To ostracize is totally messed up!
So give it another day just to be sure, but one more 12 hr day of blatant ignoring then u have to take it to mgr.
Give him another shift, if this happens again, you may need to assert yourself. Usually I am very "sit back, watch the environment, learn the floor norms" BUT I had a bad orientation experience once that went on for several weeks. In the end I had myself to blame for not saying something sooner. You are also a new grad and you will be on your own soon enough, you need a good orientation. If you were given a competencies sheet or check-off list, have this out with you and gently ask to go over it with him. Explain that you'd like to do a few items from the list that night. In my experience, it helps to "chunk" these tasks rather than ask to do the whole laundry list at once. That's a lot of fatigue for you and your preceptor. Look at your assignment. Who has stuff you need to learn to do? And then stick by his side as he does tasks. When you feel comfortable, suggest you do the task as he watches. One thing is for sure, I was not left to sit at anytime during my orientation. That does not benefit you or your new colleagues. I had a non-nursing job once where my mentor was very kind but did not show me how to do anything. In my inexperience, I didn't ask. I started my new position without some sorely needed skills, and it showed. It does not help to just watch, you need to do as well. If you have to bring this up to Admin, you must do it in a tactful way.
Do not sit and watch him eat, use use your time wisely, suggest you read your patients' admission histories, review medications and treatments. Make brain sheets in order to organize and plan the patients' care. Check out the supply room, make a mock treasure hunt and try to locate supplies quickly, check the crash cart, read online policy & procedures, read patient discharge and diagnostic test instructions. These are just a few of the many things you can do to become more knowledgeable about the patient population and how the unit functions.
And read the Policy and Procedure Manuals, read all of the Manuals. Practice testing the crash cart. Learn phone numbers.
You can keep yourself busy but ultimately you need to be trained on how to function on the unit. This can only be taught by the person orienting you to the unit. (a person who knows what they are doing). It sucks that you are being treated this way. He is playing games with you and I wonder if he likes you because I often see this done when the trainer and orientee don't click.
pixierose, BSN, RN I love that you referred to the preceptor as being trapped. I don't know why that painted such a funny picture in my mind, but it did.
The guy definitely has to make more of an effort to run away from the OP when chowing down.
You've been with him how many shifts? From reading it seems like 1-2?? Maybe he's getting a feel for you. Trying to see if you're going to stand out, be proactive, take initiative? I wouldn't be so quick to have such strong feelings that you aren't learning anything and all you said based off 1-2 shifts. Especially on a 3 month orientation. If I misread and it's been a longer than that, first and foremost I would speak to him directly before going to anyone. Next time you're watching him eat "for 2 hours???" is a perfect time to clear the air. If he isn't receptive to that, then I would look into talking to your educator and the other solid advice you have been given.
Agree.
OP, I think you need to be a little more proactive; note proactive does not mean aggressive or confrontational. The question you should be asking is "how to break the ice?" Personally I'd be keeping up with this guy's every step. If I happened to be able to hand him something he needed or do a quick task along the way, even better (help transfer a patient, push an IV pole to his side of the bed when you can see he's gonna need it...simple, simple things). It shows you're paying attention and also...not going away. :) I'm not talking about doing this for days on end, but that's what I would've done that first night. When he is eating for two hours is a perfect time to make a little conversation and ask how he'd like to start off these first few shifts. I don't disagree with familiarizing yourself with policies and getting a feel for the unit's layout, etc., but doing those things instead of addressing the problem you've reported is going to practically guarantee this will get worse and not better. And, will mean that you will not have made a good faith effort to address this.
Although his behavior (as reported) is not ideal and not right, it is incumbent on each of us to make a move towards bettering a situation like this when we find ourselves in it.
I love orienting for the sheer joy it brings me to see new nurses gain confidence. I really enjoy helping them synthesize knowledge and watching them have those lightbulb moments, it's good to be a part of that. But I am never, never impressed with anyone whose basic idea is that my job as a mentor is to "produce" their success. OP, I am NOT saying that's your mindset, but there are a few things in your post that are concerning. You don't want to give off that impression even inadvertently. If you sat and watched someone for 2 hours, regardless of what their role was versus what your role was, you are not in a good position to ask admin for help with this!! You need to "get crackin'!'" -- mostly because that is what's best for YOU, but also so that you will have good faith effort to show should you need to discuss this with your director. My hunch is this situation will improve with these suggestions. ^
This feels like Deja Vu.... I wonder if I'll say the same exact advice I'd given in the past. I truly am not suggesting that the OP starts using the search button since his or her experience is always going to be unique. To make my point short! Do yourself a favor, do something and ask for a new preceptor!.
The one you have right now, I can imagine, is all talk or maybe burnt out or maybe lazy or just someone who goes to work just so he gets paid and maybe just maybe this guy is one of those big a$$ kissers and your co-workers can't just do anything about it anymore.
I wish you're with me. I'll make sure that you will be a better new nurse now to become a great nurse someday.
More importantly, sometimes you have to give up on people, not because you don't care. But because they don't!
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Do all the above suggested by Ben, go ahead----- and get a target painted on your back OP. I would cool my jets and give the guy a bit more time. Show some initiative and do what is suggested above in other posts, before running and complaining to management. Some of us had much worse preceptorships and yet found a way to get through and actually get to know our preceptors and find a common ground within to work and work it out. I strongly suggest your trying THIS first OP!
And Ben, I get your enthusiasm, but this is not the best advice for the new nurse who has no idea the culture of the unit. It may absolutely make the situation much worse.
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
This feels like Deja Vu.... I wonder if I'll say the same exact advice I'd given in the past. I truly am not suggesting that the OP starts using the search button since his or her experience is always going to be unique. To make my point short! Do yourself a favor, do something and ask for a new preceptor!.
The one you have right now, I can imagine, is all talk or maybe burnt out or maybe lazy or just someone who goes to work just so he gets paid and maybe just maybe this guy is one of those big a$$ kissers and your co-workers can't just do anything about it anymore.
I wish you're with me. I'll make sure that you will be a better new nurse now to become a great nurse someday.
More importantly, sometimes you have to give up on people, not because you don't care. But because they don't!
You got all that from 1 shift this new grad had with a preceptor??? That's a lot of assumptions made on this one preceptor based off a brand spanking new nurses 1 days perception. This is pretty much the worst advice I can think of based off the posters first day with this person. :sarcastic:
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kaylee.
330 Posts
These are all really good tips, definitely give it another shift just to really guage what is going on. If he is like this again now you are prepared for it and you can try some of the things suggested like spending free moments looking at the chart, asking Qs etc. If there is idol time dont mimic his boredome, just intentionally seek out more learning. Because if u end up going to mgr you need to demonstrate that you are learning on your own while he is ignoring you.
If he continues this way then it has to be taken higher up. I think what he is doing is worse than other bad cases where preceptors are harsh or blunt, at least that would be acknowledging the relationship. To ostracize is totally messed up!
So give it another day just to be sure, but one more 12 hr day of blatant ignoring then u have to take it to mgr.