RN Gen Z vs RN Gen X

Nurses General Nursing

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I pretty much have almost 10 years hospital experience as an xray tech and been exposed in the hospital setting. I was assigned with a preceptor almost the age of my daughter. She has almost a year experience as a RN and she was assigned to precept me. She approaches it like I am a RN student. 

I decided to take 2 patients out of the 6 patients that she has so I can learn and figure it out on my own. I told her that I would holler at her in case I get into a pickle. I did my job doing my med pass and I started charting. Then she was running behind and asked me if I can do hers. So since I'm a team player I said OK. 

On the next med pass, she went on break and asked me if I can do her med pass again. And I said OK. She hasn't really taught me really quite extra ordinary except the obvious things that I already have learned in RN school. Which makes it redundant to me. 

So change of shift came and I asked her if I can do the SBAR to the oncoming RN so I can get the hang of it again. She refused and didn't even give me a chance. And not only that, she kinda embarrassed me in front of the oncoming RN as well. So I completely shut down on her and just didn't acknowledge her when she asked me if I can do a hand off on our computer charting. In other words, I felt I was her secretary. 

Am I over reacting to this or is it my feeling that she has no clue how to be a preceptor?Thank y'all for the comments. 

 

On 10/14/2021 at 4:31 PM, amoLucia said:

MM - welcome to AN as you newly post. I suggest to newbies here that y'all consider anonymous screen names.  Esp if the post might be controversial. Everybody & anybody reads these posts (seriously). Best to be safe under the radar.  

you are absolutely right!

1 Votes
Specializes in ER, Occupational Health.
Just now, XXX ZZZ said:

 

you are absolutely right!

Don't forget to change your pic.  

1 Votes

I am trying to figure it out LOL

Thanks for all the posts, appreciate taking time to read. At the end of it, there was no animosity shown to my preceptor. It was not just a perfect fit. If something is not working, you just find another way. That being said, everyone has a different approach to things. Some of you guys may think that I handled subjectively. No biggie....but until you're in that situation, it is easy to say I should have done this and that. 

Again, I appreciate the comments. Nevertheless I am still RN.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Just now, XXX ZZZ said:

Thanks for all the posts, appreciate taking time to read. At the end of it, there was no animosity shown to my preceptor. It was not just a perfect fit. If something is not working, you just find another way. That being said, everyone has a different approach to things. Some of you guys may think that I handled subjectively. No biggie....but until you're in that situation, it is easy to say I should have done this and that. 

Again, I appreciate the comments. Nevertheless I am still RN.

It may be easy for us to say what "should have happened/could have happened". Maybe, many of us HAVE been in your situation and spoke from experience.

You asked publicly for opinions and you got them. You don't have to agree with them but I would take them under advisement as a wise move.

Best of luck to you.

6 Votes
Specializes in Peds.

I started in nursing very young,like 22.  I am 39 now. I appear as if I am in my late 20’s-early 30’s. Lots of nurses in my area became nurses in their 30’s and 40’s.  For some odd reason, some older nurses with less experience try to bully me because they think I don’t have as much experience .  Lots of them tell me to do things I know are wrong from experience. 

2 Votes
Specializes in oncology.
On 10/15/2021 at 7:19 PM, XXX ZZZ said:

No biggie....but until you're in that situation, it is easy to say I should have done this and that. 

We have all been in that situation. Yours is nothing special. 

 

I think  Davey Do was spot on:

Quote

Okay, I sense a lot of, using your vocab, Michael, "feeling" going on here.

As nurses, we are taught to be objective. "She approaches me like I'm an RN student" is not objective reporting- it is a subjective interpretation.

"she kinda embarrassed me in front of the oncoming RN as well" is another example of a subjective interpretation, without factual information, which is, again, not objective reporting.

"I felt like I was her secretary" is a form of blaming others for feeling the way we do. We are each responsible for how we choose to feel; another does not have the power to make us feel any certain way.

Granted, this preceptor was not nurturing and supportive, but we are nurses who are required to provide services to the patients under our care. The goal was successfully met.

It has been said that we learn as much, if not more, from our bad teachers as well as our good teachers. If we allow others to have power and/or control over us and our feelings, we will never experience the illuminating revelation that we are our own best learners, doers, and teachers.

It's all about perception and attitude.

Go in peace, and the best to you, Michael!

5

On 10/15/2021 at 7:19 PM, XXX ZZZ said:

Again, I appreciate the comments. Nevertheless I am still RN

 On paper you are an RN. Let's see it now in action. Learn to respect and get along with your co-workers. You are no longer in a field that takes 'one person on at a time'. you will have multiple patients and will need the help of others,  

2 Votes
Specializes in retired LTC.
On ‎10‎/‎15‎/‎2021 at 6:50 PM, Golden_RN said:

..... My advice to you is to put your feelings about your preceptor aside, jump through all the hoops you have to jump through, soak up everything you can from your preceptors and other experienced nurses on your floor.  I would definitely NOT shut down your preceptor's requests to do computer charting - that's part of your job.  You're going to look like you're not a team player and this will get reported to management.

My bolding.

And guess who'll be doing the reporting ?!?!?!! That's part of what she's supp to do.

Specializes in CCRN, ATCN certified.

OP, not at all trying to pile on. I am sure that your preceptor was not, by any means, perfect. However, based on your own words and justification of your behavior (saying you “shut down” and refused to acknowledge her, but then saying you have no animosity) it seems like you aren’t 1. Interested in any opinions that differ from your own and 2. this is likely what caused a lot of your issues with her. You may have worked in a hospital but unless it was as an RN, that matters very little. I would venture to guess, based on the tone of your responses (and I could be wrong here, text is hardly the best way to figure out such things) you may not be the easiest person to precept. You mention her “poor bedside manner”, which is subjective and purely your opinion, but refuse to acknowledge your own faults in the situation. It seems as though you came in, thinking you didn’t need to be precepted, and were then unhappy with your experience. Perhaps the issue is, in part, due to your own attitudes and perception, which are things you can certainly work on trying to change…if you desire to. Seeing fault in ourselves is not easy for any of us, but I would urge you to read your own words and look at them as objectively as you can. Best wishes, truly. 

Welcome to the culture of nursing!! Keep in mind that she could have been a little insecure too about precepting someone older. Davy Do gave some sound advice above. We can learn something new from EVERYONE, even those we dislike!

Specializes in oncology.
1 hour ago, 2BS Nurse said:

We can learn something new from EVERYONE, even those we dislike!

He's gone...didn't like what he heard....

Specializes in PICU, Pediatrics, Trauma.
On 10/15/2021 at 6:50 PM, Golden_RN said:

Having years of experience in the hospital is great, but it is NOT experience as an RN.  It doesn't mean you're truly ready to be on your own w/out oversight yet or "figuring things out of your own."

Your preceptor is only a year out of school herself, so I'd give her a break if she's not a model preceptor yet.  It is very hard to do your own job and oversee someone else, especially as a newer nurse herself.

My advice to you is to put your feelings about your preceptor aside, jump through all the hoops you have to jump through, soak up everything you can from your preceptors and other experienced nurses on your floor.  I would definitely NOT shut down your preceptor's requests to do computer charting - that's part of your job.  You're going to look like you're not a team player and this will get reported to management.

Fully agree.  You’ll learn things everyday and from many people.  Nursing school prepares you to BEGIN learning how to care for patients and should give you a foundation for safely using critical thinking, prioritization etc. in the day to day.  It is your responsibility to increase/enhance your knowledge and judgement and develop yourself as an RN from there.

Having said that, it is important to have guidance and instruction from others as you go.  I understand your disappointment with your preceptor and that from your perspective, you were not supported well or taught much from her.  Try to stay positive.  There will be many others down the road to learn from that you will click with.

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