Reimbusrement for precepting a new nurse

[tabster224]

I was wondering what everyone's company pays for precepting new nurses. My company has asked me to precept new nurses. My reimbursement is as follows: If I do the visits and she tags along, I get the visit pay, plus if I spend 4 hours with her, I get $72 (buy only if I am doing the visits). If she does the visit and I am supervising her, I get their visit equivalent. For example, we went out the other day, did 4 visits (2 were in the same home, a couple we have on service), and she gets paid for the visits themselves. I get the visit equivalent for 4 hours which is 3 visits. So she made more money than I did for those visits. These were my normal visits, so had I done them as I had planned I would have been paid for the 4 visits. I don't think as a preceptor I should get less money than the one I am precepting or am I just being money hungry? My boss said she thought I was making out OK for not having to do anything by supervise. I say it is not worth my time to make less money than the person I am precepting, or than I could make doing those visits on my own. Usually you only do the visits the first couple days then the new nurse does the visits for the rest of the time you are precepting.

Also their visit equivelent is (instead of paying you hourly, they pay this way for meetings, inservices and case conferences), from 0.5-1.5 hours is 1 visit, 1.75-3 hours is 2 visits, 3.25-4 hours is 3 visits, 4.25-5 hours is 3.5 visits and so on. I don't agree with this as case conferences usually last 1.5 hours. I am curious how other agencies pay precepting and meetings, ect. Thanks for the info in advance.

[RNRutRO]

When I precepted with another nurse, I was paid an hourly rate. The nurse was paid her regular visit rate, and she was responsible for the charting, athough, we did a few charts together. I usually did the work, wound care, labs, etc. unless she was teaching me something then I watched (it had been a long time since I had dealt with a wound vac). I think that's the way it works around here.

Once I was doing an "insulin run" at a facility, and to get orientation on the patients, facility, and general routine, I did this on my own time. I felt it was to my advantage to go on the hour and a half ride with her, since I was doing her visits for a couple of days and this would make it easier on me.

Where I work, we all sorta chip in and help out. If someone needs some extra cash, we just tell the other nurses, and usually someone has some visits to give away .

I agree that you shouldn't make less than the nurse you are preceptor for. I would think that she would be the one that gets an hourly rate. How long is this preceptor position. I believe here you have to have at least a year med-surg before you can even do HH. So, it's not like you have someone new out of school.

Sometimes the boss needs to see it in black and white what each nurse is making. Maybe yours is just not aware that the other nurse is making more money.

Good luck.

[tabster224]

Thanks for the reply. She asked me if I thought I was being cheated and I told her I had to go home sit down and look at things, and I would let her know. I am going to go back to her and show her the numbers. Originally I was told I would get visit pay for the visits, and if I spent 4 hours (whether in one day or several days) I would get the $72 also. Then all of a sudden I was told today, that if she does the visits, she gets the visit rate, I get the the visit equivelent (which depending on how many patients we see, is less money). I didn't mind doing it if I was getting paid as she first stated (and BTW, I did tell her when I first started that I wanted the rates in writing, and she just didn't have the time then, and says well there is nothing really set in stone by the company, it is a branch by branch decision). Anyway, if they don't change that, I will not be precepting, it takes a lot of time out of my day that I could be doing my own visits.

[caliotter3]

For shift work, not visits, the orientee goes to the case while the "preceptor" is on shift for anywhere from one to four hours usually. May be up to eight hours in special cases. The person doing the orienting is paid their usual hourly rate, or a "training" rate by the cheapskate employer. The cheapskate employer will also require the person to go on their own time and not get paid at all. Guess which agencies I prefer to work for?

[berube]

we get $25 for the whole day as a preceptor,,is it no wonder why no one wants to do it?!!!

[RNRutRO]

$25 on top of your visits or salary? Or $25 period? That's poo!

I think I would flat out refuse if it's the latter.

[berube]

sorry i should of been more clear,,,$25 additional for the day (on top of visit pay)

[RNRutRO]

Oh, that's not bad. I would use that money to take the person to lunch to ask questions about the jobs, who helps with what in the office, and just to get to know the nurse.

Although, I don't really like having someone ride with me (I don't get any extra $$ out of the day) I will do it. I always try to take the nurse to lunch, or coffee at the end of the day. My treat. I personally couldn't work with other nurses that didn't have a "team" approach and work together. So, I think the $25 bonus is worth it.

[KateRN1]

Sorry, I'm just sitting here trying to fathom what it would have been like to have actually had a preceptor.

[annaedRN, RN]

I work for a non -profit...which I love. But I am the preceptor...and I get nada, zip, zilch, zero...NOTHING extra. While I dont mind it too much.. it makes my days really long, and after awhile I get really worn out. But the good thing is that it really helps with staff retainment...we have very low turnover by having a new nurse with a preceptor for a few weeks.

I have had 3 new staff with me in the last month and 2 more to go in the next few weeks..I am thinking of asking I have can have a day off with pay when it's over...since there is NO reimbursement...if not, I just might have to use a sick day....

[tabster224]

I can't imagine precepting for nothing extra. It is your time, takes longer to do visits, and is time consuming on the preceptor part. They should give you a bonus. You could usually do more visits in the same amount of time you spend with a new nurse, therefore you would make more money. I just think that they should give something extra, plus the nurse is doing my visits, where if I did the visit myself, I would get paid a visit rate and most likely get home earlier, my time is valuable to me. Granted with preceptors it does make retaining the nurses easier, but should you burn out or make your veteran nurses feel slighted? Employers need to realize, that precepting is not just a walk in the park and it helps to retain nurses. My employer made it sound like I should feel lucky to get anything at all, since all I had to do was "stand there and watch her do the visit".