Problem with preceptor and night shift.

[CallieAnne]

I'm on orientation in the surgical ICU. Most of the nurses who work the night shift on my unit are not very friendly, and seem to have little to no patience. I feel like I'm learning nothing. I want to know that I can take care of someone, and I just get drilled with patho questions by my preceptor. She also will not let me document. I documented all of my internship in nursing school, and now I have a preceptor after I've already graduated telling me word for word what to write. I work for 2 days in a couple of weeks on the day shift. I'm considering asking to be moved to the day shift thereafter. The people I work with now are not fun. They never laugh and seldom smile. I just feel like I'm going nowhere fast and it's frustrating to me. I don't learn when I'm drilled on questions. I won't learn in depth on anything until I have taken care of someone with that specific condition. I learn by doing. I have met a majority of the day nursing staff, and they are all fun and seem like they like their job much more than the night shift. Would it be bad of me to ask to be moved to orient on days?

sorry for the spill haha, but any advice I would appreciate.

[Indy, LPN, LVN]

I don't know the specific politics of your unit, so it's difficult to give concrete advice. Some questions though... are you a new nurse altogether, or has your preceptor had some outstandingly bad experiences with orientees? Is your preceptor someone with a verbal learning style? Have you addressed with your preceptor that you really do learn by doing hands-on care better than by verbal exam?

You could ask when does he/she plan to have you do the charting, and when is it planned that you will do the actual care? You could suggest homework. By that I mean, have your preceptor assign you some reading based on what types of patients you have had lately, and you answer questions once a week. I think a compromise is possible.

Not to go way off subject, but my boss loves to talk patho, and she'll question you sometimes until you admit defeat so to speak. She loves to hear "I don't know, tell me about it" so she can educate us, and often has no idea if she's intimidating someone until they tell her to "hush up and let me work." Good luck with your orientation!

[TLCinCICU]

I would chafe just as much with that preceptor. And as a preceptor, part of our duty is to allow/encourage you to chart and point out areas where you might not address required charting (like "comfort goal", which Joint Commission seems to want to make the equivalent of a Biblical commandment).