I am completing my preceotorship in a very famous Christian Hospital in Southern California. She is a young 30+ blond with not more than 4 years experience. I am atleast 6-7 years older to her. She yells at me, demoralizes me infront of other nurses and uses me most of the time like CNA even though I am in graduate RN program. I am 100% sure that this preceptor will give me bad evaluation.
She always breaks basic rules when she is in hurry and when I confront her, she would get back at me that I am incompetent and she knows better.
What one should do in such situation ? She gave a very bad evaluation about me to my instructor verbally and she would give in writing too. My instructor understands my point of view too but how should I present my feelings to my instructor.
Should I make a list of her unprofessional behaviour and hand it to my instructor ?
Please somebody has similar experience than mine because I think most of the time nurses do not want students and they have been forcibly given by hospital management to precept and they take it out on students and try to destroy our future.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR BOOSTING MY CONFIDENCE AND MORALE.
As suggested by some of you, I made a long list of my preceptor's unprofessional and unethical behaviour and handed it to my instructor for review.
Earlier, my school was looking at me suspiciously but when I gave them long list of my preceptor's habit of breaking basic rules, they were surprised. This is a very reputable teaching hospital and my school also did not have any idea that nurses can do something like this on this hospital's floor.I suggested to the hospital's academic staff that before letting my nasty preceptor precept anybody, they should give her extensive preceptor training so she does not makes some other new grad's preceptorship experience awful.
I completed my preceptorship with another preceptor and she was very understanding,helpful and also with 20 years of experience.
Specializes in Operating Room, Ortho, Neuro, Trauma.
Wow, I had no idea that there were so many SN's with experiences with preceptor's that were so out of control. So when I saw this thread in the newsletter, I had to read it and share my experience. I graduated in May and take NCLEX Friday! My preceptor was a few years older than me and a nurse of almost 2 years. My rotation was on night shift and there I was a senior, just about to graduate, nurse tech experience, some what confident (not over confident or arrogant) and I knew this was the perfect opportunity for me to learn and get the experience I needed.
What I experienced was what kind of nurse I do not want to be and I also decided that I want to be a preceptor for students and give them the kind of experience that they deserve. Here is a great list off my rotation....................
1. I never got to go in a patients room alone (w/o her) she did every assessment in computer before I had a chance to or chart a word until my very last shift.
2. I got an inservice on how to use the pump everytime we hung an IV (I had it by the second or third try and let me learn by doing) but never actually got to do it by myself-I was just an audience.
3. I never got to attempt an IV stick or insert NG tube (so many opportunities but "they are a hard stick" or "they are such a difficult patient, there will be another one come along")
4. The most invasive procedure I did was d/c a foley with her giving me play by play instructions while she was texting her friends on her phone (it was out before she looked up)
5. Yes you heard right......she texted all night long til about 6:30 am in the patients room with this island song with steel drums playing, LOUD. We were not in ICU where the pts. are comatose. While I was pushing meds her phone is blowing up and she is replying and laughing!
6. I once dropped a pill on the floor and we stepped out to go get another one and she said as she took a paper towel wiping the pill off "Now we don't want to have to charge him for another pill and involve pharmacy so we will just clean this one off and he will be fine" I did not go back in that room with her to serve that patient that pill. It was not a pill she had to get out of the pyxis or anything, whatever, it doesn't matter you get a new pill.
7. She rushed through rounds so that she could get on FACEBOOK to play Mafia Wars! She wanted to teach me how to play that instead of how to be a nurse. I heard about her estranged husband and her "special friend" who was the 50 X/night texter.
8. I did get very good at drawing up and administering meds although I think that she would mess with me about what port to use because she would change her mind every other patient or round.
I could go on and on but why bother......I graduated and come Friday when I take NCLEX I make another transition to RN!
I did inform my instructor of what was going on and she showed up there sometimes at the beginning of the shift or the end and would ask for updates and she told her that I was nervous around the patients and needed to be more confident. My instructor saw through her-thank goodness!
So my valuable lesson was that I learned what kind of nurse I don't want to be and I look forward to my new job where I have the opportunity to be a preceptor and I will never forget how hungry for information and experience student nurses are.
Sorry you had the awful experience with your preceptor. That is embarassing and upsetting to other nurses. I graduated from a 3 year diploma school where we learned how to deal with a variety of people early on! Nursing itself is the easiest part of the job, the medical knowledge, nursing skills can be studied and learned or researched and re-learned. Dealing with all different sorts of people is the difficult part. I must tell you that I have seen and taught good preceptors and bad, and good orientees and bad. According to the experts in precepting in nursing, the first thing a preceptor should do is want to be a preceptor, to volunteer. Many facilities will only have preceptors that apply for the position. So, while there is nothing that would excuse the unprofessional behavior of your preceptor, consider the possibility that she had bad experiences with orientees. I also must say, I would not ever have thought to criticise my preceptor! I don't think it appropriate or reasonable to have someone who has little or no experience judge the behavior or personality of the experienced. We all need to show the respect we expect others to show to us. It's not always an even exchange. I'ld prefer to err on the side of giving too much. Anyway, use your nursing communication skills to deal with this behavior. Document informative, brief and concise information and as you said, professionally present this to your instructor. Although you may well be right, I would not suggest you tell your preceptor, superior or co-worker that they are doing something wrong. Think about it, think how you would best receive this information and then plan to privately and kindly present a question to that person. Do not "confront", do not assume you are 100% right, tread lightly and your nursing life will thrive with or without the stress we all must face when working with so many different people. Do not let them get the best of you, and remember to never, never act like that! There are so many good nurses, docs, aids, etc. etc. that you will really be impressed by. Keep the faith.
I just read this old post as i was searching for advice on bad preceptors as I am currently in school and having one. I am exhauseted right now from so much studying but wondering if you are still active on this site and if so, I have a couple of specific questions on how to handle my situation and wonder if you might offer advice. so, I will send this now and await reply. Thanks
I am completing my preceotorship in a very famous Christian Hospital in Southern California. She is a young 30+ blond with not more than 4 years experience. I am atleast 6-7 years older to her. She yells at me, demoralizes me infront of other nurses and uses me most of the time like CNA even though I am in graduate RN program. I am 100% sure that this preceptor will give me bad evaluation. 
chilly2008
14 Posts
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR BOOSTING MY CONFIDENCE AND MORALE.
As suggested by some of you, I made a long list of my preceptor's unprofessional and unethical behaviour and handed it to my instructor for review.
Earlier, my school was looking at me suspiciously but when I gave them long list of my preceptor's habit of breaking basic rules, they were surprised. This is a very reputable teaching hospital and my school also did not have any idea that nurses can do something like this on this hospital's floor.I suggested to the hospital's academic staff that before letting my nasty preceptor precept anybody, they should give her extensive preceptor training so she does not makes some other new grad's preceptorship experience awful.
I completed my preceptorship with another preceptor and she was very understanding,helpful and also with 20 years of experience.