Preceptors-What's the real deal?

gitterbug · Sep 7, 2006

Being a preceptor is hard work. You have to take into account the new nurse's lack of experience, the type of unit, amount of staff, expectations of unit and facility. I was assigned to preceptor, never got an extra cent for it, was never given an extra cent for it on evals, did it for 3 years, decided to NEVER do it again, but sadly, I usually am required to show the new person some type of treatment or procedure no one else is comfortable with, especially dressings, wound care, blood and IV starts, and writing verbal orders. I think preceptors are worked too hard, expected to know too much and are very much under-appreciated.

zahryia, LPN · Sep 7, 2006

We don't have to have a BSN, we have to apply for the positions and be interviewed by education and training. We have to have at least 3 years experience and soon having our RNC (at least in our unit) will be mandated. We get $1 an hour more (yippee). We only orient on 9 hour days...8 hours of work and the last hour we use to go over things, set a plan for the next day. We found that orienting for 12 hours is rough on everyone all around, I don't want to talk after 8 hours and you don't want to hear me anymore LOL. We always have 2 preceptors per person, usually an off shift person teamed with a day shift person so that if the main orientation is on the off shift, they they go to days for rounds, procedures, more orders and meds. If they are orienting on day shift as their main, then they go the off shift they will be working for half the time. We go to classes about how adults learn and to keep up with the latest paperwork. Our orientor will evaluate us midway thru orientation and at the end.

This sounds pretty good.

zahryia, LPN · Sep 7, 2006

Being a preceptor is hard work. You have to take into account the new nurse's lack of experience, the type of unit, amount of staff, expectations of unit and facility. I was assigned to preceptor, never got an extra cent for it, was never given an extra cent for it on evals, did it for 3 years, decided to NEVER do it again, but sadly, I usually am required to show the new person some type of treatment or procedure no one else is comfortable with, especially dressings, wound care, blood and IV starts, and writing verbal orders. I think preceptors are worked too hard, expected to know too much and are very much under-appreciated.

Based on the posts here, I would agree. Unfortunately, it trickle down to the graduate nurse and you now have a vicious cylce of overworked and underappreciated nurses.

mom and nurse · Sep 7, 2006

I'm precepting a new nurse now. To precept you do not need a BSN at our facility. You do not get paid extra. Yes I was trained ahead of time in a "preceptor" class. I share the preceptorship with another nurse who also helps to precept new nurses. One day the new nurse is put with therapy to see what therapy does, one day with the case worker to see what the case worker does, one day with the charge nurse to see what the charge nurse does, etc. She'll even learn from the unit secretary what she does and sit with her a day. New nurses are usually taken through what we call a "rehab residency" and trained on the various types of individuals we deal with in rehab (such as strokes, TBI, ortho, etc) through this CD program. They work with the preceptor for about 3 months (they share one patient load) as they are slowly weaned. Then the preceptor takes on her own patient load again and the new nurse is given her own case load until she builds up to the usual numbe of patients (usually 6 or 7). The new nurse is usually scheduled at the same time as one of her preceptors so that she has a "resource" person to ask questions of (though she can also ask the other nurses).

We have a good system I think. Every facility is different. :wink2:

mandana · Sep 7, 2006

WOW! I liked my preceptor before but now I adore him.

I am 2 weeks into my first job out of school. I think my preceptor gets a few extra bucks for me, but probably not what he should be getting. The first week he just had me observe, which was really helpful. He also really protects me from unpleasantries like grumpy docs and always asks if I'm comfortable with something before expecting me to do it. I'll have six months with him before I'm on my own, but of course, I'll start taking on more and more as I get more comfortable.

vamedic4, EMT-P · Sep 7, 2006

How does one become a preceptor? It depends on the facility. My hospital allows nurses with 1 year of experience become a preceptor.

Do you voluntarily sign up for it? Not really. Once you're identified as preceptor material you're sent to a class that expands your knowledge of adults and adult learning/teaching. Then you pass a test and you're added to the list of floor preceptors.

Do you get extra money in your paycheck? Preceptors at my facility are SUPPOSED to get more money, but they frequently tell me they don't end up seeing any of it.

Do you have to have a BSN? No, you don't. ADN and BSN nurses do the same work. BSN nurses are no more "qualified" to teach than ADN nurses.

Are you evaluated on your preceptor skills? If so, is it ongoing, or at the end of the year? You should be...of course!! But at my facility we have our share of preceptees who frequently complain about their precepted experience with the same nurses... and no one does anything about it. Hmmm...

The answer to the above it no, not really.

And I agree 100,000 percent with catlady...there should be ONE ON ONE preceptor/student relationship. Any more than that is downright dangerous.

vamedic4

Debating working tonight

P_RN, ADN, RN · Sep 7, 2006

They gave the first of us an 8 week course (1 day a week not 40 days) in precepting. In order to stay on or climb the clinical ladder you had to precept. Each stage of the ladder was a 7.5% salary increase. The new nurses got 8 weeks of orientation 6 weeks of one on one and the last 2 using the preceptor as a resource person. In the last 2 weeks the preceptor would have picked up a new nurse and started the cycle over. We didn't always have new nurses so there was a break on occassion. I've done I guess a few dozen some stayed, some didn't. My way is different from the next RNs and her's is different.......

I have had as many as 3 experienced new employees to precept. The got 2-3 weeks or whatever it took to get signed off on procedures.

So I kept my level 4 on the ladder and got a nice salary, but nothing compared to the thrill seeing a new nurse hit the halls.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Sep 8, 2006

At our facility, the supervisor approaches someone and asks if they would like to precept. If that person says yes, then they go to a weeklong training session, then take a short test, then get pinned.

csiln · Sep 8, 2006

How awesome mom and nurse!! I gave up nursing a month ago because I'd already had two jobs with a preceptor for only 5 days at each. I may try again when a bigger hospital in the area starts their 20-wk. orientation.

gradgitated · Sep 9, 2006

I think that it's important to communicate effectively with your preceptor and the instructor who is in charge of your clinical rotation. Talk to your preceptor at your initial meeting....ask about experience, the way she(or he) organizes their workday, job requirements, specific "pet peeves" that facility staff have (VERY IMPORTANT!!!). If you come away from your initial meeting with a bad feeling or have specific concerns, by all means meet with your clinical supervisor to discuss them. Better to look a little silly beforehand than to have a horrible experience with an incompetent or unpleasant preceptor.