Preceptorship

ChipNurse · Oct 29, 2013

You will learn a lot during your preceptorship and you will start feeling like a "real nurse." I would recommend just being yourself. Be personable and respectful. Make sure that you are asking questions when you aren't sure. Keep a notebook of notes for new things you learn. Offer help to others when you have downtime. Make sure to study outside of clinical. Keep in mind that the nurses don't expect you to know everything; nor should you. Also, when xray is at the bedside, RT, dietician, skin nurse, NP, etc watch what they do and ask questions about what they are doing, why they are doing and what you expect to see happen after they do what they do. You will learn a ton from your nurse but also from the other members of the interdisciplinary team. Good luck!

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2013

All preceptors aren't the same, any more than all nursing students or all milkmen. :) So there's no one thing that a preceptor wants to see, except s/he doesn't want to see lazy. :)

ChipNurse has given you some great advice, a lot of which you probably heard from your grandmother. It boils down to: be yourself, be polite, do for others before you do for yourself, and have fun!

Stcroix, ASN, PhD, RN · Oct 30, 2013

Tell your preceptor how you feel, overhwelmed, scared, etc, just like you did us. Just as ChipNurse and GrnTea said, be yourself, be honest and be open to all new experiences. Being scared is 100% normal, you will feel some of that for quite a while and it's ok. Put one foot in front of the other...

rubato, ASN, RN · Oct 30, 2013

I have had a ton of preceptors and here's what they seem to want:

Enthusiastic students who are willing to do or learn anything. This includes emptying the catheter bag, and getting some more water for the patient. But, it can also include the cooler stuff. I have had a lot of preceptors who seemed annoyed to have yet another student, but once they see that you aren't just going to be doing your homework, chatting with your friends and avoiding the dirty work, they seem to like the help.

AngelofSeduction · Oct 31, 2013

thank you guys. i just need to put myself out there and be willing to do whatever and ask for help. i really do not want to be in the background and i gess it's ok if i don't have any questions persay and just observe and listen

Ruby Vee, BSN · Oct 31, 2013

Hi all so i just finish critical care rotation and will be starting my preceptorship in a medsurg/vent floor. I wanted to ask you all for any tips that will help me get through this. I am always nervous in clinical because i feel like i know nothing and the simple little things it seems like i can't do or i take my time to do it. i don't know what to what to expect and i am not usually a talker unless i have a question but i dont want to be in the background and be silent. so do preceptors like talkers? introvert.extrovert? just any tips to build my confidence,communication,and critical thinking skills. I go to molloy college and a lot of people say that it prepares us but i don't feel it.i guess i won't learn to appreciate until i get out. any tips that you used would be greatly appreciated thank you!

Preceptors are people just like students. Some preceptors are introverts, some extroverts. I tend to be rather introverted myself, so I appreciate the student or orientee who can walk right up and introduce himself/herself to me. It makes it easier for me. But I won't hold introversion against you because I get that.

You are going to be seeing plenty of new stuff on your preceptorship, so there will be plenty to ask questions about. Get in the habit of carrying a little notebook or a couple of index cards or something to write down questions you want to ask in case you can't ask them immediately. But there will always be situations -- lunch for example -- where a little social chit chat smoothes the way. So be prepared to talk a bit about yourself -- why you wanted to be a nurse, for example, or what made you choose Malloy College. And be interested in your preceptor . . . does she have kids, pets or parents that she lives with? Where did she go to school and why there? What does she like best/least about working on that unit? If you're the type of person who finds chit chat excrutiating, write down questions on your index cards that might get the conversational ball rolling. I still do that sometimes if I have a student or orientee I'm having trouble bonding with. There's something really interesting about each and every person I've ever precepted that provides a ton of conversational fodder -- you just have to find it.

Good luck with your preceptorship!