precepting nursing students?

NRSNFL · May 29, 2006

I have been in L&D for a little over a year now and when a request went up for preceptors for the summer nurse externs, I signed up and was turned down:uhoh3:
So when we were told at staff meeting last week that we are getting 17 new grads between now and July I spoke up and asked who would be their preceptors. Only some of us have gone to coach class (I was not asked).
I was frank and told my NM that while I could have handled an extern with my years of experience in Med/Surg etc. and could cover all the basics of all kinds of nursing care with students I was absolutely not interested in trying to train new employees. I still have to hit the P&P's at least once a week for myself.
Her response was that everyone would be expected to pick up a new employee for a day or two here or there when assigned preceptors might not be available.
What a load of crap. Not just a new grad to teach, but a new grad with whom you are unfamiliar and you don't know what their experience is.
In my 12 hour shift, how will I have enough time to plumb the depths of what I can expect from a new grad? And pick up a full pt load of high risk antepartum/labors too?

Raging-

I'm confused you signed up to teach in L&D and got turned down but when they said to everyone that they would have to pitch in you didn't want to? Please clarify do you or don't you want to teach. The way it sounds now is, you signed up to teach and were not chosen and you also were not chosen to go to coach class and then you pitched a fit to your NM for saying everyone would have to help out when they arrived. I'm very confused.

PANurseRN1 · May 29, 2006

I still maintain that it was inappropriate for that student to be breathing down the nurse's neck while she was trying to chart. And passing up the opportunity to learn how to obtain EKGs? Really bad. Properly obtaining an EKG is not a mindless task; it can be crucial to pt. treatment. It's not something you're proficient on after one attempt.

I reread the OP and still came away with the opinion that this particular student was just flat out lazy or felt that certain tasks were beneath her.

Right now I have been refusing students. I am just getting my bearings in a new specialty and do not want/need the added stress of a student. When I feel more comfortable, I'll be happy to have a student. But I also have the right to refuse a student if it's not a good day. It's better for the student not to be paired up with someone who isn't in a teaching mindframe. I still remember a horrible staff nurse who made my life miserable as a student...that was 23y ago. Yeah, she was an excellent clinical nurse, but as a teacher she was hateful, intimidating and condescending. What's funny is many years later I wound up taking care of her husband in the hospital. I saw her and immediately felt like that ill-at-ease student I was so many years ago, but she couldn't have been nicer and thanked me for taking such good care of her husband. Go figure.

scrmblr · May 29, 2006

I am frequently in the position to work with nursing students: during their clinical rotations, for their preceptorships, and then as new graduate nurses for their orientation period. I consider this assignment as an honor, and welcome every opportunity to share nursing experiences with these folks. I provide the preceptorships and orientations as part of my position as my unit's "educator", as well as providing staff members with other education pieces. Does this mean that I know it all? By all means no. Does this mean that it is always a comfortable experience? No. But, I do believe that as nurses we are called upon to teach all the time: patients, families, stna's, the general public, etc.. So why then, is it so hard to take on a student? Here is someone, another soul, whose life and livlihood we have the chance to impact in positive ways. Someone, who one day soon, will be taking care of someone's family member, and today I have the opportunity to show them how to do it! What better way to do our part to ensure there's quality nursing care out there. Sure my day could be a little less hectic, a little more organized, or I could do a lot less talking and explaining without them. But this will pass. The rewards and fuzzy feel good feelings of sharing of oneself and our profession will last a very long time (hopefully until I get my next student!)

Now I'm feeling a little guilty:innerconf I will stand by my refusal to take students. I am still the one asking LOTS of questions and a student deserves to have someone with (most) if not all of the answers:)

PANurseRN1 · May 29, 2006

DO NOT FEEL GUILTY! You need to take care of yourself, first. You are new to the profession. Allow yourself to become comfortable with your job before you take on the additional responsibilities of precepting students.

Being new is stressful enough. Don't give yourself additional stress. Don't let anyone here or elsewhere guilt-trip you into doing something you don't feel prepared to do. Remember, when you take on a student, you're also taking on the responsibility for what they do. Don't do it if you're not ready for it.

If it's any consolation, a while back there was a long-time nurse who said that after many years of precepting she no longer felt she could continue to handle the responsibility. You should have seen some of the nasty replies she got for that. Is it any wonder why nurses think twice about precepting?

CaneRN07 · May 29, 2006

I think you took the wrong approach from the beginning. The student may have not wanted to do too much without you, especially knowing that they are working under your license and he/she may just have wanted your reassurance. I encourage you to think back to when you were a student how would you have felt if you had yourself as a preceptor, also what's so bad to having her watch you write out papers, nursing is not all ekg's and blood work, the student is correct she isn't going to be a tech she is studying to be a nurse you should have just let her sit there and observe, was she really distracting you that much. Nurses have such short memories, you once were in that position....don't forget where you came from:redlight: :banghead:

PANurseRN1 · May 29, 2006

I think the OP more than amply described the student. Nowhere did I see her describe her as being "scared." Also, the OP clearly stated that as a new nurse, she did not feel ready to precept a student. That should be respected, in fact, admired. At least she's able and willing to ackowledge this; I've seen many new nurses forge ahead with things with no thought.

I also note that you are not yet a nurse, so you cannot possibly comment on how it feels for a nurse to accept the responsibility for a student. You haven't had to experience that yet; your only experience with nursing is as a student. There is a big difference. The OP has the advantage of her experiences both as a student and now a licensed nurse. Until you have had to bear that same responsiblity, you should temper your criticism.

luvinRN · Oct 26, 2010

Thanks for EVERY word you wrote, exactly how i feel, I cant wait to be a nurse and be the greatest preceptor ever! Ive had great preceptors but ive also had some sour grapes