Preceptor is SO BAD!

[Guest606]

Hi All,

I'm a new graduate nurse who just started in the ICU and on my third shift tomorrow with my preceptor. She's been there for 7 years and everyone was telling me how lucky I am to be precepted by her before I even met her so I was excited.

Come to find out, I feel more disoriented with her than actually oriented. She took her ADDERALL right in the middle of my first shift around noon in front of me, doesn't follow policy or procedures and does things the way she wants, leaves me out of almost everything and doesn't explain anything unless I ask and even when I do ask she just says and I *** you not "this is what the government says to do", tells me I can do whatever I want, didn't introduce me to anyone on the unit, dumped urine down the sink instead of the toilet, didn't sterile glove when changing a central line dressing, doesn't tell me why or what she's doing and is doing everything HERSELF instead of having me lift a finger. When I asked her when I can do medications, assessments, or anything she just said "Yeah I guess you can do this" I just looked at her in disbelief and just went to the bathroom and cried. She is very OCD and needs things done her way and I did notice she is very thorough and does go above and beyond for the patients we had but she's a lunatic! When SHE was giving report to the night nurse during the end of our shift, I just stood there. The night nurse coming on even said "who is this" because I was just standing there like a lost puppy. She gave report, she could tell I was hypertensive and angry with her for leaving me out once again and apologized and promised we will go through everything.

I told my peers/previous classmates about this and they thought I was joking. They said to stick it out since it'll only be the third day and she has a good reputation for a reason. My thought process is I only get one orientation and I'm eager to learn and be the best nurse so I don't want to waste another second with this joke of a preceptor. I'm not amused. I'm not impressed. Should I ask the manager for a new preceptor? Good grief all I wanted was structure, to be included, more focus, just anything at this point!!!

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

35 minutes ago, nursej22 said:

But what if someone pees in the shower? We used to encourage patients to do this after getting an in-dwelling catheter out.

Good question. I don't know the answer to that! I would suspect that the showers are probably colonized with the usual bugs, and consideration should be given to whether the water supply could get contaminated via the drains. I think the "right" answer is always going to be that waste belongs in a toilet (or the hopper in the soiled utility room).

[Emergent, RN]

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT pee in the shower!!! Grave consequences will ensure.

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT pee in the shower!!! Grave consequences will ensure.

[Emergent, RN]

Urine in the shower is drastically more dangerous than bacteria washed from the feet, underarms or buttocks. It's even more dangerous than brushing ones filthy teeth in a sink.

[harvestmoon, RN]

21 hours ago, Emergent said:

You know what's annoying here? There were a lot of thoughtful, constructive answers here, but the OP never returned. It was a waste of time...

I disagree. I am saving this thread for the future and also understanding why we had a "dirty" sink and a "clean" sink in our lab....

[Emergent, RN]

Interesting article on sinks in hospitals, including possible solutions.

http://www.healthcarebusinesstech.com/sinks-germs-hospitals/

[Mkakids]

Why was taking prescription med in front of you so bad? Would have felt the same way if she popped a beta blocker, dilantin, or tylenol? Or were you just upset because it was Adderall?

Many nurses take meds for ADD, believe me - if you need them, and take them as prescribed, you dont get high or anything from them.

[TitaniumPlates]

On 11/3/2019 at 11:15 AM, Jedrnurse said:

I will think about what you said.

I am curious about something though, and not in an attacking kind of way. Why do you all-caps GUIDANCE and LEADERSHIP but not begin any of your sentences with a capital letter? (I tutor English as a second language and this is one of the things we have to focus on with folks getting used to writing.) Is it a 'writing-from-my-phone' kind of thing or a non-conventional stylistic choice?

lol.

PhOne. I was on one. I type quickly and was in between cases, so I didn't edit my grammar.

Imma grammar police person as well. I was attempting --note attempting is now written how it was intended--was not translated with my phone into the posting.

I'm usually at work when everyone is on here opining. It's a pain and I don't have time to edit as precisely as I'd like.

guidance and leadership were meant to be how they are showing up right now.

So yes. It's an "I blame my phone, lack of time, case pending, etc and ad infinitum time sucks" culprit.

[angeley1978, MSN]

I totally disagree with those who are saying "Stick it out". My advice is to get out. As a nurse educator with 27 years of bedside clinical experience, including ICU, I am appalled at the preceptor's behavior. Unless you want to view this as an exercise in learning what not to do, I would advise you to ask for another preceptor or find another place to work.

[RNNPICU, BSN, RN]

1 hour ago, angeley1978 said:

I totally disagree with those who are saying "Stick it out". My advice is to get out. As a nurse educator with 27 years of bedside clinical experience, including ICU, I am appalled at the preceptor's behavior. Unless you want to view this as an exercise in learning what not to do, I would advise you to ask for another preceptor or find another place to work.

I think because the OP was only 2 days in the ICU as a new grad, her view of things might be tainted as well as what her expectations of the first 2 days as a new grad ICU nurse versus what is the reality of what a 2 day brand new ICU nurse can do.

If she had said she had been on the unit three weeks and nothing improved, it might be different than the perspective of 2 days. I have seen how much perspective can change after a few more shifts on the unit and expectations are clarified.

OP has not come back to update or even to address some of the questions others have asked.

[angeley1978, MSN]

Maybe. But I once allowed myself to be talked into staying on a unit in similar circumstances. At the end of a year I wanted to quit nursing altogether. I quit the job instead and learned that there is a big world of nursing out there. I went on to have wonderful mentors and never looked back. I advise my students to find a place to work where they feel supported and appreciated and if the unit they are on isn't that, move on.

[RNNPICU, BSN, RN]

Angeley1978:

You do make a good point, if things continued to deteriorate, then I think it is appropriate to speak up. If the OP has monthly or biweekly check-in with their educator and preceptor or someone similar, something could be brought up at that point. This way the OP could see things from the preceptor's perspective and the preceptor could see things from the OPs perspective.

However... I do agree that there are some toxic places as I have seen on this site.

[tachyallday, BSN]

On 10/31/2019 at 10:14 PM, fauxbadnurse said:

Leave the Adderall out of this! ?

LOL! This cracked me up!^^^

But to the original poster, seriously, who cares? Lots of people take ADHD & other psychotropic medications, Judgy McJudgerson. to improve their quality of life. Seriously, maybe it would work a little better for you to chill out and stop judging her and her practice so hard. Maybe that attitude of 'disdain' as someone perfectly put it, of yours is seeping through & she is picking up what you are inadvertently putting down. And NEWSFLASH: It is exhausting and A LOT OF WORK to precept students & new grads especially in places like the ER & ICU where they have zero clue, and you have to explain everything.