On Precepting and the Precepted

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

it's that time of year again. graduation is past, the nclex is over and done with, and brand new rns are starting their very first nursing jobs. a preceptor is a very important part of the orientation process. maybe i've just been reading a lot of the wrong kinds of threads, but i've a few suggestions for newbies about to begin the orientation process.

first, your preceptor is an experienced nurse. in most cases, she or he knows a lot more than you do. insisting upon doing things your own way when the preceptor is trying to teach you something different is not only a bad way to learn anything, it's a good way to get yourself a bad reputation which is one thing you do not want to have on your new job. in the case that you do know more than your preceptor about a certain thing (and every single one of my orientees has taught me something) and what your preceptor is trying to teach you is not unsafe for either the patient or the caregivers, do it their way unless they're unusually open to suggestion. trust me on this -- it's a good idea to wait until you develop a rapport with your preceptor and until they begin to trust your knowlege base, skills and judgement before you start trying to teach your preceptor something.

second, if your schedule is constructed specifically to follow your preceptor's schedule, think before you ask to change it. for things like your sister's wedding (or your own), your wife giving birth or your father dying, by all means change your schedule. but realize that your preceptor is not going to change her schedule to match your needs. so if you change your schedule, you'll be having "guest preceptors" instead of always working with your own preceptor. it's offensive to most of us if you insist on changing your schedule for trivial reasons (my three best friends have every wednesday and thursday off, so i need that, too" or "how am i supposed to have a social life if i'm on nights half the time?") and then complain that you never work with your "real" preceptor. we'll all try to work with you for the big things, but i know i really feel put out when someone complains about working with me instead of their real preceptor when i know they've changed their schedule repeatedly.

third, think really carefully before you badmouth one of the staff to another staff member. i recently worked with a newbie who had just graduated from a christian college. the very first thing she said to me was "all of the male nurses here are immoral." since i had recently seen her conversing with my husband, a nurse, i was immediately offended. it turns out she was talking about two different guys (she hadn't realized that my husband was a nurse) and she was probably right about them -- had it been any of her business -- but she and i got off to a rather strained start. (thank goodness i'm not her "real" preceptor as she continues to make (and announce) judgements about the staff.)

fourth, do your homework. do not expect your preceptors to spoon feed information to you. i'm happy to answer questions if you can't figure something out, to show you where to find information, to stop you before you make a big mistake and to demonstrate skills for you. but if you won't bother to look up anything for yourself, it gets old.

and understand that some of us absolutely love to precept and would pay for the privelege, and others of us absolutely hate to precept and would pay to get out of it. sometimes we flip back and forth between the two extremes, and sometimes within the same shift. some of us are excellent preceptors and some of us are excellent nurses but suck at precepting. and some of us are sometimes having a horrible day because our patients are both (or all) trying to die at the same time or our mother whose alzheimer's is advancing didn't remember our name when we called or our husband just announced that he's leaving us for his much younger yoga instructor.

me, i'm looking forward to the day i start working with my next orientee. i'm hoping that you all have excellent preceptors or orientees, and that you can laugh at my list because after all, some of the examples are pretty out there!

[Dixielee, BSN, RN]

All I can say is, TELL IT LIKE IT IS, SISTER!!!

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

Yeah, I want to be supportive, but I suck at teaching. Can't seem to talk ant think at the same time.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

very good points. I would also add that it takes TIME to feel comfortable. Don't rush yourself.

[husker_rn, RN]

And work there for awhile and become one of the team before you talk about things you think need fixing or a better way to do things. We are open to new suggestions but we need to know you are one of us before we want to hear it.

[SoundofMusic]

And remember, preceptors . . try not to knaw too much on the newbies.

Having been a preceptee, and having been knawed on in a few areas, I will tell you this -- you CAN live through it and grow some new flesh where you were knawed on. The flesh WILL be stronger in that spot and you will move on to be a fantastic nurse!

Then, once you're competetent and confident, you can come back to pull a few tricks on those that precepted you, as I now am.

Heh-heh. Just some small tricks. Nothing serious.

:snickers:

[mpccrn, BSN, RN]

as a preceptor, #4 is a BIG one! take it to heart orientees. it will muster respect and confidence. it's the primary job of the preceptor to set their orientee up for success....help her! :loveya:

[NursKris82]

Thank you so much for this information!! I am an LPN now but will be graduating with my RN in Dec. and want to be a good preceptee and to get the most out of my experience. I will use these points to aide me in the process. Thanks again!

[linzz]

This should be handed out at nursing school graduation.