I have been a nurse for 3 years 2 on a med/surg tele unit and 1 on a medical IMC unit so I have a good base background in nursing practice, my interest is in critical care and it is truely what I want to be doing but my orientation so far is making me miserable. I work at a well known level 1 trauma teaching hospital so I am expecting a wonderful orientation..I couldnt be more wrong! My first day my preceptor gave me 2 ICU patients and told me to do my thing with no direction while asking me multiple times if I was ready to cry yet. When I ask her about drips I've never seen and ventilators or anything i need explained to me I get an attitude. I have explained to her that I have never worked in an ICU so this is a whole new world to me. Today I had 2 patients one was a mess and gushing fluid from their abdomen, receiving tons of blood products on an insulin gtt using the portland protocol and having their fluids adjusted according to their abdominal output among other many other things going on. I was running back and forth like a crazy woman while she sat out at the nurses station, I did get everything done for my patients and at the end of the day she told me I need to be faster this is my 5th day working in an ICU. I asked her for suggestions on how to be faster or more effective she said she wouldnt have done anything different I am just not fast enough...I guess I will be slower when I am looking things up all of the time because she will not answer my questions. I dont feel like I am learning anything ,my preceptor is so miserable and unapproachable. Am I being unreasonable wanting a preceptor who can teach me how to organize my time as an ICU nurse as well as guide me through all of the new things I will have to learn to be a safe and effective nurse. How should I handle this, I dont want to make enemies as a new person to the unit but at the same time I need to learn how to do things correctly and have someone who is willing to teach me. Any suggestions on how to handle this would be greatly appreciated.
