Note from a new nurse to all the preceptors out there

Nurses Relations

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As someone who remembers what it is like to be new, I would like to share some of my thoughts to all the preceptors and experienced nurses out there.

Being new sucks. None of us like having to bother you every five minutes to ask a question. Yeah, we get it. We have questions about things that you think are "common sense" or "should just figure out ourselves." And it can be annoying at times. I assure you, we are not asking you questions to purposely take up your time or "get on your nerves." We just want to learn so we can do right by our patients once we are on our own.

Someone has to know how to do your job when you retire. All of us new graduates have heard about a billion times how inadequate nursing programs are at preparing new nurses. We all know that you were on the floor all by yourselves when you graduated because you spent five 8-hour days in clinicals each week and that your program lasted three years. Those types of comments and discussions are usually unproductive and inappropriate because they often occur in the work place in front of the new graduate and are not directed at those who can do anything about it. If you honestly feel that today's nursing education is inadequate, it may be appropriate to find out why and speak with those who can actually do something about it, such as the nursing schools themselves, or politicians who allow frivolous medical lawsuits to occur.

Schools are now wary of allowing nurses to complete invasive procedures in the clinical setting because of lawsuits. I didn't push my first IV medication until my last year of school. I graduated without every inserting an NG Tube, starting an IV, or pushing any narcotics or vasoactives.

No, it is not good. Yes, it is dangerous. But I assure you, we feel worse about it that you do. We are the ones who have to feel incompetent. When I graduated, I was terrified. I was terrified during the first year of my job and still am at times. It is the most horrible feeling in the world.

That is why we new nurses try to learn as much as we can. We realize it is our duty to learn and become as competent as possible because that is what is morally right and is what we need to do to take care of our patients. When you demoralize us new graduates by snapping at us, gossiping about us, and sabotaging us (on purpose or not), you are not only doing a disservice to us, but a disservice to our patients. When you make people feel like failures, you demoralize them, making it harder for them to learn and perform their jobs well.

That is why I am asking, if you are a preceptor who finds yourself being annoyed with your preceptee, or feels as though they cannot do anything right, to kindly step aside and let someone else take your role as a teacher. Just because you have been a nurse for a long time and do well at your job, doesn't mean you are a good teacher.

Amen to that. I can see comments flooding in on how new grads act like they know it all (this has been addressed many a time on this site.) I sincerely doubt the majority of new grads feel entitled and like they know better than the preceptor. Unfortunately, there are a few disrespectful (and dangerous) new grads that give the rest of us a bad name.

We new grads want so badly to soak up from you experienced nurses any knowledge we can. That is how we learn and become safe, trustworthy nurses (on the job experience with guidance from staff.) I felt terrible every time I had to ask an experienced nurse for help with a task I've never done or for answering a few questions. I felt bad because I knew he/she had his/her own work to do, and my questions interrupted what they were doing and get them behind. But I'd rather interrupt someone than try to "wing it" on my own.

P.S. My post is not meant for ALL experienced nurses. Just the ones who outwardly show their exasperation. I remember trying to get my work done when a nurse newer than I asked me for help. In my head I'm thinking, " Oh no, I still have a bazillion things to do. I don't have time." But I certainly did not show the frustration on the newer nurse asking for my help. I remained calm and professional, knowing very well she felt bad having to come to me in the first place. I wasn't about to add stress or guilt on her because she did what she was supposed to do. She didn't know how to do something, so she asked someone who did know how. And yes, I got a little behind in my work. But I don't blame that on the nurse asking questions. I blame that on unrealistic nurse to patient ratios.

Specializes in Public Health, L&D, NICU.

I take it from your post that you are having a hard time, and I'm so sorry to hear that. I volunteered to take on precepting students and new hires when I was at the hospital for that very reason. I got tired of watching some of the other nurses treat them like a cancerous tumor they were dragging around for a few weeks. I loved precepting newbies. For a few weeks, I remembered what it was like when I was young, fresh, and not so cynical. :roflmao: If it's bad enough, especially if you think it will impact your learning and thus patient care, you might want to go to management. It can be handled tactfully. "I feel like Linda really doesn't want to do this. And I hate to bother her. Is there someone else who might be happier to have me with them? Linda is a great nurse, but she doesn't really like it when I ask questions. I'm not trying to get her in trouble, I just want to make sure I learn everything correctly and that everyone is happy."

I agree 100%.

When I was a new BSN grad my preceptor told me that she didn't really think that I was prepared well. She would sometimes make disparaging comments about my school. I tried to explain that we didn't really learn skills, that we were more classroom based but I don't think she really believed that.

Once I caught on to the physical skills, I think I made leaps and bounds in my knowledge and now we get along very well.

I agree with you that you should never show outward exasperation. I know exactly what it is like to be approached by a newer person for help when you are behind. I admit that it stresses me out even more to have to spend time helping this person get up to par, but regardless of how I feel, I make absolute sure to treat that person with respect and kindness. I too blame it on unrealistic nurse to patient ratios. I used to work in basically a mixed unit; med surg/tele/step-down and we were given up to 5 to 7 patients regardless of whose blood pressure was tanking, what your combative demented patient was doing to put his safety at risk, how many heparin drips you have, your vent/trach patient....you get the idea. Management forgets that it is important to keep our patients alive and safe in favor of pleasing the higher-ups. Yes, it sucks, but new graduates and new employees are not appropriate targets of frustration. It seems that instead of taking action and doing things such as pushing for patient maximum laws, reducing frivolous lawsuits, or raising concerns with management, some (not all) nurses are simply taking out their frustrations on newer nurses. It really doesn't solve anything.

Yes, I did have a very hard time at my first job. I would go into the dirty details, but it would take too long. The gist of it is that I was berated during orientation by one of my preceptors. She said very nasty things about me to other people and within earshot of me. It turned into a domino effect and other uncool things happened to me as a result. I was humiliated and was in serious doubt of my own abilities. I eventually picked myself up and became the type of nurse that other people went to for help. It was a hard thing to get over and overcome and I don't believe that other people should be put through that sort of thing. I think I could have learned a lot more if I wasn't surrounded by so much negativity.

I'm glad you and your preceptor get along well now. It is always so awesome to find out that you actually like someone and to discover that they are a good person.

I feel like some seasoned nurses have a negative opinion of new grads because of a few bad apples they've encountered. Unfortunately, the bad apples tend to be far more noticeable than the shiny red ones sitting next to them. Thankfully, most experienced nurses I've encountered are nice and willing to help out no matter how "stupid" my questions may be :).

I'm shocked at how much some schools/hospitals limit what students can do! I got to start IVs as soon as my second semester validations, hang blood, draw from PICC lines, push narcotics and so much more in my ADN program.

It comes down to time and money. Working nurses don't receive any additional pay when they have a student or new hire. If the student is on their final placement, we receive a whopping sixty odd cents an hour to be their mentor, do the assessments and documentation,etc.

So our workload and stress levels rise. We wind up doing the paperwork at home. Flash forward an the new grad returns. We now have to finish their hands on training in addition to our own duties. On some units it is a never ending cycle. The colleges and universities are constantly writing and asking for more preceptorship. Yet, when we have a student who needs remedial education and document it, we are accused of not being positive enough.

We are damned if we do and damned if we don't.

Thank you for this....I've been there as a new nurse. Was even called stupid by a preceptor because I had a question. I know nurses are stressed when handling newbies and their own workload. They just need to remember that they were new once too....:yes:

Specializes in Hospice.

Just thought you would like to know, that I did this very thing. For the last two weeks I have had a new nurse to precept, I wasn't upset with the questions, I would rather you ask than not ask. I love to teach and usually train all the new nurses. But this one, I don't know if it was me, her, or what? I just can't seem to get through to her. I understand time management is a learned process, but you can't be putting your first assessment in the computer at 5pm. I have tried to light a fire, offer suggestions, I am frustrated so I went to my NCM and explained that the nurse needs more orientation time and that maybe she would benefit from a different nurse.

I guess we'll see how it turns out.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Thank you for this....I've been there as a new nurse. Was even called stupid by a preceptor because I had a question. I know nurses are stressed when handling newbies and their own workload. They just need to remember that they were new once too....:yes:
If that nurse called you stupid she has no business precepting anyone.
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