PLEASE HELP!

[booboo92]

Okay, I am new to allnurses and it took a heck of a lot of courage to even write this! I am a nursing student that has started my preceptorship. It has been a disaster. The very first day, my preceptor told me to just take a room. I just stood there not knowing what to do! First, yes, I know to go do an am assessment, but she didn't even introduce herself, muchless introduce me to the unit, how to chart, or anything. She is a very seasoned nurse and her grandchildren are even nurses, so I understand that she obviously knows what she's doing and has been in the field for a long time. But to blow someone off?

I asked her multiple times to please show me how to chart, or how to work with certain IV pumps that only critcal care areas have, and she didn't. She plays on her iPad constantly. It's terrible. The few things I have learned, other nurses have showed me. But on the flip side, the other nurses have me doing their work also, but it's never professional nursing experience that I am supposed to be getting. For example, I will be sitting at the computer charting, or even in my patients' rooms, and they will come and TELL me to go get VS, change their patient's bed linens, etc. I don't have time for my patients because I'm too busy with theirs. Everyday I go, I feel like I want to vomit before I walk in the building. I have spoke to my instructor, and she says that things need to be taken care of and this isn't normal, but that's it. The other day it was the worst it's ever been. All of the nurses huddled into an empty room and stayed for an hour while I was the only person on the unit besides the tech. There's nothing I can apparently do, so how on earth do I get self motivation to go to this place? My family doesn't seem to understand and says to "buck up" about it, but I am having serious trouble. No one else knows about this because I've never had a problem the whole time I've been in school, and I hate to complain to people about this.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

the school has a contract with the facility (hospital? nursing home?) to provide a place for students to learn clinical skills. they are not holding up their side of the agreement. it is perfectly acceptable (and really necessary) for you to report this to your school for action. leaving you as the only person on the unit while they have a staff meeting is inappropriate; if they would normally leave the tech there alone and respond to any emergency if called, then it's not so bad (this is a snf, right?).

nurses often are placed in a position of needing to report something that is wrong; see, you are learning something useful at this placement! we sometimes learn different things than we expect.

i understand that you feel completely adrift out there. hang in, keep doing whatever anyone asks you to do in the hopes of seeing or hearing something useful. you might find that you'll start getting some rhythm to your days there and it will not be wasted time. meanwhile, there is a lot you can do. ask questions: "why do you do ...? how did you learn how to...? what does ... mean?" see if you can come in the night before your shift and go over some patients to care for the next day-- this should be planned,and your assignment given to match the objectives for the placement. if there is a staff development/staff educator, sit down with him/her and ask about making a planned experience. this ad hoc "pick a room" isn't organized.