Nurse Extrenship Gone Wrong

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Specializes in Ortho and Tele med/surg.

I applied for a nursing externship at a local community hospital and I just had my last day yesterday. I tried to think about the experience, but end up crying. Most of it was awful. I'm extremely grateful for the experience though because I was clueless about nursing. I was so caught up into nursing school and everything they taught me.

I'm extremely disappointed that the people in charge of the program gave me a preceptor who only has been a nurse for two years. She has a strange personality. She doesn't know how to talk people. I would be doing a physical assessment with her and she would listen to pt's lungs and everything else and just walk out of the room while I'm trying to complete my part of the physical assessment.

She would use me as a nursing assistant all the time. Never me taught anything about the meds. I complained to the people in charge and she would try to show me more, but always went back to her old ways again. I finally got frustrated and took matters into my own hands. I switched preceptors towards the end and had a wonderful experience.

Did anyone sign up for an externship and had similar experiences?

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Specializes in PACU.

I had a couple experiences like that during my clinicals when I was in nursing school. I think sometimes hospitals have a hard time willing to find people to take on students. It seems like a lot of people who get students end up annoyed or bothered. I had one nurse who complained about me because i was asking too many questions! It seems like they would rather have me asking questions than doing something I am unsure of and making a mistake! Anyway, I was very discouraged by a lot of the nurses that I encountered. However, when I got to my preceptorship i had a group of FABULOUS nurses who let me ask whatever I wanted, encouraged me that I didn't have to know and be good at everything, and just really supported me. I know have a job where I did my preceptorship and I love it! So there are good nurses out there :) When you are looking for a job ask about the environment and how the nurses treat new grads. It makes a HUGE difference!!! I know it is frustrating though! Hang in there! :)

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I can truly sympathize with you, as mine hasn't been good either.

Luckily I broke my toe and didn't have to go back this week.

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