Six week preceptorship cut to three.....Help

andre · Jun 24, 2005

I just found out from my supervisor that my original 6 week orientation is to be cut to 3 which means that after next week I will be on my own on the floor!
I am freaking out!!! :chair: There is no way that I am going to be ready to take on 7-8 pts by then. I am just now kind of getting comfortable with 3 on a regular basis. I don't know what to do!! Other than run!!! I've done several admissions and d/c and all the other general stuff but I am so slow on the computer and uncertain about things!! Making sure I am charting all the necessary stuff and all.
I have yet to figure out where everything is and the rotation that I am on doesn't have the most helpful of nurses so I am just about beside myself. Still wrestling with the pumps most of the time and trying to figure out how to get myself organized on the floor so I am not running around like a chicken with my head cut off!!
Looking for advice on how to handle the situation. I didn't sign a written contract (shame on me) but was a verbal agreement between the supervisor and myself so I don't have a leg to stand on I don't guess.
The nurse that has been doing my preceptorship with has been awesome and I don't know how she found this out, but she told me yesterday that this wasn't something that was coming down from HR or mandated by them it is I guess being decided by my supervisor. Could they be testing me? What should I or what would you do if in this situation?
I am trying to look at all my options. I am really also a little mad about the whole situation :angryfire I see this as a set up for failure for me or to be so stressed out that I will become one of those hateful nurses that I so despise but now am beginning to understand. I don't know how to handle this at all. Am I being over dramatic? Should I, at three weeks, be ready to be on my own? I work 5 days next week and will begin with 4 pts, but there is just so much still that I don't think about that comes natural to the more seasoned nurses!! Somethings it takes me 3xs as long to do things, especially the computer and I am taking notes on how to access stuff, but it is really frustrating not knowing what I feel are the basics on it.
Sorry this is kind of long. Any and all advice/suggestions welcome!!

Holy carp, Kelly! I can only imagine how stressed you are right now!

Two thoughts come to mind:

1) How much do you want to stay at this hospital?

2) How are other job prospects in your area?

My first instinct is, insist that your orientation continue, or RUN! However, also consider whether you are comfortable enough to go on your own with a REDUCED PATIENT LOAD--say, 3-4 patients--for several weeks, and then gradually build up to a full load....this would give you (hopefully) some time to continue working on charting, computer stuff, prioritizing, etc.

What's your gut instinct telling you?

Andrea

Trauma Columnist · Jun 24, 2005

I would go first to my supervisor and point out (not angry or accusatory) that retention is the ultimate goal and if you have six weeks you are much more likely to stay on her unit with more confidence and better patient care skills. Next, if that doesn't work, I would go up the chain to human resources and find out what the hospital policy is. Personally, in our hospital, new grads get a minimum of 8 weeks to a max of 6 months in some specialized areas.

christvs, DNP, RN, NP · Jun 25, 2005

Hi grinnurse. I agree with the others here; If I were you I would either insist you need the full 6 weeks of orientation or ask to work with only 3-4 patients for several more weeks. I would also ask your supervisor exactly why your orientation was sliced in half all of a sudden. That is not a very good sign if you have only been there two weeks and already they're not keeping their promises to you. Good luck! Remember you are protecting your license and especially the patients under your care! :)

-Christine

tmarie75 · Jun 25, 2005

[color=dimgray]grinnurse, i definiely feel that the hospital is not doing right by you. don't be forced out of orientation if you don't feel ready. it's not good for you or your future patients. i can't imagine being expected to perform as a seasoned nurse in 3 weeks time. i just started my orientation/preceptorship on monday, and worked my first 12 hr. shift yesterday. i felt like it was my first day of nursing school. by the end of the day my head was spinning. it was so busy all day because there is high turnover on my floor. there is a ton of stuff to learn!! a lot of the women are short stays and get d/c within 23 hrs. or less. the paperwork differs for a regular admit and a short stay. i'm still trying to learn where everything is along with how to use the computer to do nursing activities as well. i haven't worked with my permanent preceptor yet because she's on vacation (will meet her next week), but the nurse i worked with yesterday was really great, but she was very busy as well. my orientation is 12 weeks and i still worry about whether or not i'll be ready even then, but i feel more confident with that amount of time to be ready and check off as much skills as i can by the deadline. good luck to you and let us know what happens!!!! :)

grinnurse, RN · Jun 25, 2005

Thanks for posting some replies and ideas for me. I have been doing some thinking and I am definately going to talk to my supervisor about why it is getting cut short. An obvious reason would be that my preceptor is going on medical leave but still there should be someone else that I could hang close with ya know? I don't know why they are doing this at all!!

I half jokingly told her she was on my "list" before she left on Thursday, but really wasn't joking that much.

I think that I am doing ok with the 3 patients and am good to go on to #4 but not if they are going to top it off with other admissions. I am going to find out exactly how the rest of the time is going to work or I will be out of there pretty quickly. I live pretty close to Dallas so med/surge nurses are pretty much in demand considering most of the new grads took the more prestigous (sp) specialty areas-it was more a matter of distance and drive time why I didn't pursue those locations.

I think that it would be fair to also have it in writing with maybe the HR person witnessing. There is no way that I am sacrificing my patients or my license for them................no way in heck!!

tmarie-I feel your pain

Christine-I have also wondered about the hospital after this and not only this but my sign on bonus was supposed to be 5k but all I got was 500$ so gotta fight that fight too!!

trauma-will definately take your advice about the chain of command

Andrea-reality check for me but hope you are enjoying the summer. My gut instinct is telling me to find out what the heck is going on and then make a decision............lots of management/ownership probs right now and love mostly all that I work with but I can't let those feelings have an influence on my decision.

Thanks again and I will keep ya'll posted. Don't work again until Monday so will let ya'll know after that

pricklypear · Jun 25, 2005

I'm just going to chime in and agree with everyone else... don't let them railroad you. There should be some kind of hospital policy on graduate nurse orientation, look it up. I think it's ridiculous to TELL you that your orientation will be cut short. If you do end up leaving this position, don't worry about it looking bad for you. Stating that they refused to give you the standard 6 week new grad orientation is only going to make the hospital/unit look bad, and make you look like a responsible new nurse who is aware of her limitations. NO NEW GRAD should be given less that 6 weeks to get comfortable in a new role.

Good luck:)

live4today, RN · Jun 25, 2005

I agree with everyone else who has given you advice thus far. If I were in your situation as a new grad -- knowing I'm being lied to two weeks into the job...by the nurse manager no less :uhoh3: -- I'd resign. This is too early in your nursing career to deal with. You are getting shafted, so do NOT ignore the signs being given to you. RUN while you've got your nursing license intact and unscarred! :balloons: