Yes, you read the title correctly. Although at some point a few months ago I mentioned my love of teaching and hopes to become an educator some day, I did not anticipate it would happen 4 months after working alone in a specialty of nursing I am new to.
I began working in palliative care May 2023 and finished orientation in August 2023. I am now someone's preceptor after just four months of working alone. It's the blind leading the blind and I feel we are both going through the motions and learning together.
This is not the experience I want this nurse to have. She should be paired with someone who has years of knowledge in this field to share.
Not only was transitioning from ambulatory/outpatient a huge learning curve for me but now I'm tasked with precepting someone who will be practicing on her own. She is also part of the RN residency program which means I'll be her preceptor for about 6 months and then she'll be assigned to someone else for the remaining six months (or so I was told).
I spoke with my manager when I heard about this. I was told I was chosen because I've been doing "great" thus far. However, I reiterated the fact that I've only been a nurse for three years and have only been working there OFF ORIENTATION to be specific for four months.
I feel this is being forced onto me as nobody else wants to take on this responsibility for 6 months to a year. It's making me want to quit even faster as I'm already feeling burnt out because of this job.
The understaffing, struggling to get a break, everyone complaining the nurses don't do anything, etc etc . If this is what it's like in an "acute" palliative care setting, I don't want to work in the acute bedside.
It's extremely stressful and I can see why so many nurses do not want to work bedside. It's a lot of work for very little reward and recognition. What should I do?
I'm so sorry you're being put in this position, OP. It's certainly not ideal and in times past it would have been considered inappropriate, but unfortunately this is the reality we're all facing in the current derelict state of healthcare. Perhaps try to reframe precepting as more of a collaboration between you and your preceptee in that you're both learning on the job together. It may even help you further develop your skills in your specialty even faster, give you the ability to bond with new colleagues, and as others have pointed out it might end up being a positive experience. You've been a nurse for 3 years so you know how to be a nurse which is the foundation necessary to succeed in any specialty!
But if it's something you really have reservations about doing it may be time to start thinking about your next gig, as defeating as that may feel. Being in bedside for 6 years myself the burnout is real.
Specializes in Maternal Newborn and Denials Management.
I think precepting would be a great opportunity for you and your preceptee. 1) you will have help with your patient load. 2) You both can brainstorm together. 3) If you don't know how to do something your charge nurse, unit educator or manager could be resources. 4) It will give someone brand new a chance to see what it is really like to be new in the profession-good and bad. I loved precepting and got to do this for 5 years on Mother/Baby until my degree (ADN) was not good enough even though I was certified a certified maternal newborn nurse. All preceptor's had to have a BSN unless you worked at night-no BSN nurse available that worked at night.
Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.
cgw5364 said:
All preceptor's had to have a BSN unless you worked at night-no BSN nurse available that worked at night.
That's such a load of crap. Another example of someone behind a desk with no real knowledge of the job coming up with a "brilliant idea". I'm sorry that happened to you, they're missing out on having someone passionate about precepting new nurses in that position.
FAB_RN, BSN
11 Posts
I'm so sorry you're being put in this position, OP. It's certainly not ideal and in times past it would have been considered inappropriate, but unfortunately this is the reality we're all facing in the current derelict state of healthcare. Perhaps try to reframe precepting as more of a collaboration between you and your preceptee in that you're both learning on the job together. It may even help you further develop your skills in your specialty even faster, give you the ability to bond with new colleagues, and as others have pointed out it might end up being a positive experience. You've been a nurse for 3 years so you know how to be a nurse which is the foundation necessary to succeed in any specialty!
But if it's something you really have reservations about doing it may be time to start thinking about your next gig, as defeating as that may feel. Being in bedside for 6 years myself the burnout is real.