Preceptor Didn't Do Much Training and Complained Behind My Back Of What I Did Wrong

[ArtfulGem]

To start, I did forget to lock the wheelchair when the resident was in the bathroom. I did and that was my fault. I was with my preceptor and he kept running in and out the room to get supplies that should've been prepped. While he was running to get supplies the resident needed to go to the bathroom NOW and was moving from her wheelchair, which he didn't lock. As a CNA, I should've doubled checked. I went two steps and reached for gloves and he returned and noticed the wheelchair was unlocked. Didn't tell me anything. Here is the issue

The shift ended and I was sitting in the break room waiting for my Lyft. Him and other coworkers were leaving and he didn't notice me but he was talking about me. "How do you forget to lock a wheelchair like its so simple. SWell she forgot to lock (says residents FULL NAME, which is so against HIPPA) like wtf..." and proceed to go on but he coworkers are trying to shut him up but he keeps talking and talking. He finally noticed me and I say "it's ok you can talk about me" and he changed it up saying "Oh no I'm sorry what I MEANT to say was..." I shrugged him off. He was a bad preceptor. He kept leaving me alone and disappearing for almost an hour multiple times (8 hr shift. He was gone for about 5 hrs total) and kept sending me in rooms to do things myself when we were both instructed that this was a day of OBSERVATION so I know the facilities procedures correctly. I'm upset honestly but it's not a big deal. I'm more upset that he was a bad preceptor and couldn't tell me when he noticed it. I would've respected it if he pulled me aside but instead he decided to be a teenager about it. Idk any advice or comments are appreciated.

[Missingyou, CNA]

Typical.

Talk with HR and ask to be placed with another preceptor. If they want to know why. Tell them but, do it in a professional way.

Say something like. We were so busy I was often left on my own to do tasks. It would be more helpful if the first few days I can have someone with me more often during the shift to check my work.

[Orion81RN]

Kudos to you for how you handled it! And ditto to above poster í ½í¸Š Shrug it off, move on, and learn from all your mistakes. Ir sounds like you are. Great job.

Yes, absolutely get another preceptor. Ask for an relatively experienced CNA who LIKES to teach.

You'll be a great CNA. One I would love to work with as you being assigned as my CNA.

I had horrible experiences in both CNA program and nursing. But here I am. Because I shrugged those naysayers off í ½í¸í ½í¸í ½í¸

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

The quicker you learn how to speak up and advocate for yourself, the better.

[nursel56]

There are people like that throughout nursing (and presumably every other working environment with more than one person). You just happened to hear yours in the act of being an unprofessional jackass.

I think also that when a person holding authority or responsibility in a workplace is the source of the trashing, it's even more reprehensible, as that becomes a fruitful ground for a toxic workplace by a ripple effect.

Since the preceptor phase is temporary, I personally would stay away from that person if at all possible. If you're stuck with him for the duration, don't engage with him beyond basic civilities. Don't talk about him to others. It won't make him change, but you can provide less fuel for people to twist your words to suit their own agenda.

It may be tempting to complain that he wastes time and flaunts the HIPAA, in the end that's the employer's problem.

[Hygiene Queen]

I dealt with some nasty behavior from more experienced aides when I was new. Some of it was my own dippy fault, but some of it was just ignorant people enjoying their power. They enjoyed building themselves up by putting others down. They won't let a newbie mistake go because they can't pass up a chance to feel superior.

When they did that to me, it compelled me to work extra hard to be spot on with everything I did. I made sure everything was beyond "good enough", but even better than their own work. This paid off because I became known as a superior aide. If a resident or family was difficult, they sent me because they trusted me to do the job well. I was always chosen to train.

I loved training new aides. It's okay to make a mistake or have me stop you from making a bad one. You are learning. Your trainer is not as smart as he thinks he is as he appears unable to properly teach and doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut.

Say no more about it. Let it go. You caught him talking about you and he knows it. Just go in there and work hard to be even better than they are.

Good luck as I remember those days all to well.