Staff Nurses Who Refuse To Precept Or Teach?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Of course I understand that not everyone wants to be a teacher or professor but a few of my coworkers lately have down right refused to precept or even be a resource to newer or less experienced nurses.

The education department had placed a sign up sheet for preceptor training courses and one of my colleagues very adamantly professed her disdain for teaching or precepting and that it "just wasn't in her to teach".

ok fine, but IMO it sounded a bit condescending and selfish of one to refuse to share nursing knowledge. She does everything to get out of precepting or cross training nurses. Seems unprofessional to me.

I was giving bedside report to a MICU RN who recently transferred to the SICU and the patient was a postop neurosurgery case with an EVD and ICP monitoring. I gave her an overview of what the drain was, how to manage it and transduce for IC pressures. I then told her to refer to Ms. Senior RN who is real good with neuro for any questions after I left. I then spoke to Ms. Senior RN and told her that I endorsed an EVD/ICP monitoring to Ms. New SICU RN and perhaps she could guide her throughout the shift on the neuro patient, she then promptly rolled her eyes and asked why I had to refer the new SICU RN to her?? (Mind you she is one of the most knowledgeable nurses in our ICU but I've never seen her precepting and she doesn't offer up knowledge freely either)

Like really? After almost 12 years of nursing this issue still grinds my gears. We should all be willing to help/guide one another. Sure sometimes I'm not in the mood to teach, or my orientee is not a fast learner or another RN asks for my help when I'm super busy, but either way I roll up my sleeves and get it done because if the shoe was on the other foot (like it has been many times) I would want someones help to guide-teach-assist me.

I don't mean to make this medicine vs nursing but physicians are expected to teach and mentor from the time they graduate medical school they are thrust into mentoring those behind them.

IMO nursing lags behind with this. Is it because we lack pride in our profession?, or feel like victims that we cannot and often do not embody a leadership mentality?

Perhaps its it's just part of the nurses eating their young/lateral violence that is far too prevalent in our profession.

On my unit its the same RNs who precept everyone while others flat out refuse and go years without precepting. I love to teach and came to this job with experience and for that reason I've literally been precepting since I came off orientation/probation myself (yes crazy I know) because many nurses just refuse to teach on my unit.

Heck when I was new to this facility myself a few years back my assigned preceptor (who didn't realize I was sitting nearby) flat out refused to orient anyone (she later apologized saying it was nothing personal when she realized I was in an earshot of her comment)

All nurses should have pride in their work/profession enough to want to share their wealth of knowledge at some level. You may not pursue a masters in nursing education or a PhD but you can still be a resource for you unit and colleagues, that's at least the minimum that should be required of you.

*sigh* just venting.

Specializes in Trauma and Acute Care Surgery.

That behavior is typically seen in those with, "Queen Bee Syndrome." The, "Queen Bee" believes he/she has worked so hard to get to where he/she is currently, and thinks that those "below" him/her should "suffer" just as much as they have to gain knowledge and advance themselves. Very unfortunate to see established nurses not want to guide student nurses or newer nurses. Everyone was a beginner once, this snooty behavior is not acceptable or professional.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
That behavior is typically seen in those with, "Queen Bee Syndrome." The, "Queen Bee" believes he/she has worked so hard to get to where he/she is currently, and thinks that those "below" him/her should "suffer" just as much as they have to gain knowledge and advance themselves. Very unfortunate to see established nurses not want to guide student nurses or newer nurses. Everyone was a beginner once, this snooty behavior is not acceptable or professional.

What a load of malarky!

That behavior is typically seen in those with, "Queen Bee Syndrome." The, "Queen Bee" believes he/she has worked so hard to get to where he/she is currently, and thinks that those "below" him/her should "suffer" just as much as they have to gain knowledge and advance themselves. Very unfortunate to see established nurses not want to guide student nurses or newer nurses. Everyone was a beginner once, this snooty behavior is not acceptable or professional.

We'll be glad to have you in the trenches once you get your nursing degree! How long do you plan to stay and help orient new grads?

Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
That behavior is typically seen in those with, "Queen Bee Syndrome." The, "Queen Bee" believes he/she has worked so hard to get to where he/she is currently, and thinks that those "below" him/her should "suffer" just as much as they have to gain knowledge and advance themselves. Very unfortunate to see established nurses not want to guide student nurses or newer nurses. Everyone was a beginner once, this snooty behavior is not acceptable or professional.

What a load of moldy heifer dung!

When I worked in the hospital, I had students follow me from time to time. The instructor that came with them really irked us because she felt she was a better nurse than all of us on the floor and questioned everything we did. Not in an educational way for the students but in a rude way not in front of the students. We wanted to ask that her students come back but she stay home! Lol! Back to the point, any of us nurses who stood up for ourselves and our decisions, the instructor suddenly would stop letting her students follow us. It was ridiculous and junior high like. I heard she is not an instructor anymore...

Specializes in ED.
Oh my what a Pandora's box I have opened.

Then I wonder what if no one on a unit wants to precept and this I ask speaking from experience.

Two years ago every nurse the manager approached refused to precept so she had to mandate someone... oh boy what do you think of that then?

Well I'm thankful for those who precepted me way back when, whether they felt like it or not at least they were professional enough not to let it show and exercise patience and I'm sure with me under their wing it wasn't that bad at all (as that I was released from orientation early as a new grad working trauma, yes I am bragging)

It's just precepting it isn't the end of your nursing career, I'm sure most of you aren't approached to precept a new nurse every 6 weeks like my current job (our turnover is horrendous) and goodness $1/hr extra for precepting, what a joke!

Oh there are several nurses in my ED that love to precept. Because they are incredibly lazy and make their preceptees do literally everything on their own, while they sit around and play on their phones. These new nurses come off of orientation drowning, and don't last long. If management is so into hiring brand spankin new nurses in the ER, they should train them, because I don't have the time.

Specializes in Med-Surg/Neuro/Oncology floor nursing..

I dislike teaching so much and I will go out of my way to avoid having a student/trainee if I can. Now if someone has a question or needs help with something of course I will help them. But just because I dont like teaching doesn't mean I am selfish or don't take pride in what I do. I have been there done that and nothing is more frustrating than taking your time to teach someone for weeks only to have them quit the day after their orientation ends. What an incredible waste of time.

So after a while I became resentful of having to be a preceptor and that just isn't fair to the trainee. I also couldn't stand being thrown under the bus every time the person I was teaching made a mistake.."well I was taught different" or "so and so didn't teach me that." Its a real shame because I used to enjoy teaching but I became very crispy very fast and I simply can't do it anymore.

Those that say since someone taught us all at one point so we should suck it up and return the favor..that argument is flawed. What if the person that was my preceptor volunteered to teach because they like teaching or if they were getting paid extra to do so?

Hi all,

I have mixed feelings about precepting lately. My thoughts seem to be in line with what others have said. I have been precepting new hires almost continuously for 2 years at my current job, and enjoyed doing it at my other jobs as well.

Lately i have been feeling burnt out. As someone else mentioned, the constant flow of new hires is related to poor staffing and general conditions. My hospital recently started a float pool, which means new nurses spend 8 weeks in our ICU. 8 weeks is also the time that is given to a permanent hire. For the float team, some are motivated to learn the skill set and others are not. Most of the permanent hires feel that 8 weeks is not enough, but of course this is not negotiable in my current unit. This has led to a lot of staff turnover and new hires.

My co workers refuse to precept so it is almost always put on me. There is no bonus, we do not get appropriate assignments to teach, and often when I have a preceptee they pull our non RN support staff simply based on the number of bodies we have. This means my preceptee runs the show while i answer the phones.

Another gripe is that I work 12 hour shifts while the new hires are only allowed to work 8. As you all know the workflow is different in an 8 hr shift opposed to a 12. I often feel like I have to pick up the pieces after the preceptee leaves for the day. I have very high standards when it comes to nursing care and many of my preceptees think differently. It is frustrating to play catch up for the last part of my shift.

So anyway, I politely requested to not take any oriented for awhile. I am not sure if this request will be honored but we shall see.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Hi all,

I have mixed feelings about precepting lately. My thoughts seem to be in line with what others have said. I have been precepting new hires almost continuously for 2 years at my current job, and enjoyed doing it at my other jobs as well.

Lately i have been feeling burnt out. As someone else mentioned, the constant flow of new hires is related to poor staffing and general conditions. My hospital recently started a float pool, which means new nurses spend 8 weeks in our ICU. 8 weeks is also the time that is given to a permanent hire. For the float team, some are motivated to learn the skill set and others are not. Most of the permanent hires feel that 8 weeks is not enough, but of course this is not negotiable in my current unit. This has led to a lot of staff turnover and new hires.

My co workers refuse to precept so it is almost always put on me. There is no bonus, we do not get appropriate assignments to teach, and often when I have a preceptee they pull our non RN support staff simply based on the number of bodies we have. This means my preceptee runs the show while i answer the phones.

Another gripe is that I work 12 hour shifts while the new hires are only allowed to work 8. As you all know the workflow is different in an 8 hr shift opposed to a 12. I often feel like I have to pick up the pieces after the preceptee leaves for the day. I have very high standards when it comes to nursing care and many of my preceptees think differently. It is frustrating to play catch up for the last part of my shift.

So anyway, I politely requested to not take any oriented for awhile. I am not sure if this request will be honored but we shall see.

I hear you! Anyone who precepts often (or continuously) gets burned out on it from time to time. I hope your request is honored.

I think that some nurses like to hoard and not share knowledge. I don't fully agree with the argument that, "someone taught you, so you should teach in turn." Not all nurses were mentored after graduating from nursing school/obtaining their license, and some had to put forth a huge amount of effort without a mentor to learn enough to be able to practice knowledgeably/competently. However, I believe nurses have a duty to share information that will help new nurses practice safely - patient safety must always be the primary concern.

Acquiring knowledge and experience can demand a lot of one in terms of time, money, and other personal sacrifices, and a nurse may perceive their ability to be a competitive employee (whether true or not) as dependent on maintaining what they consider to be a leverage in knowledge/skills. I don't think this is ideal, but I think it is very human, especially today, when employers often prefer to hire and retain new, inexperienced nurses, over experienced, more highly paid nurses. I think some nurses feel their jobs are threatened in the short term or long term by precepting new nurses, and I don't think that's altogether an unreasonable notion.

+ Add a Comment