Staffed during orientation????

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I will try to make this short and sweet!

I started new job in ER and I am currently in my last week of orientation with my preceptor. I was given schedule 4 weeks ago that only listed days my preceptor scheduled to work. I was told to get my hours each week on days preceptor was on schedule. Well she was scheduled this week for today, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. I am having to take my child to doc today because he has fractured ankle per MRI so I had planned to work tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday. 36 hours is fulltime hours each week.

Well, teamleader calls me this AM and asked why I was not at work, I explained above to her and she said that I was going to be staffed today and should have shown up! What? I am considered to be orientee untill Sunday. She pressured me to come in, but I explained that I have already scheduled my child a doctor's appt for today. She was not happy, but seriously someone should have made all of this clear to me when I received my copy of schedule for my 4 week orientation. To top it all off, I sent text to my preceptor to find out deal and she is home with 103 degree temp. I don't feel as though I should be cheated out of any of my orientation, but now because of this misunderstanding I am afraid I will lose my job before I even get started!!

Should I have gone on in to work or did I do right thing by standing my ground and demand that I get my full orientation time with my preceptor? Not to mention fact that if I had gotten there and needed help the team leader that called so ****** off would NOT have lifted finger to help me out!!

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That doesnt sound like a place Id want to work. When I first started my job we were really low staffed, my boss texted me pretty much everyday to come into work, and I didnt want to say NO because I wanted to be dependable, (I was working 56 hrs a week, and going to school full time) Then it became EXPECTED of me to come in... bad approach on my part.. It was like if she texted me to cover a shift and i said no, i felt like i needed an explanation, like "oh i have a DR apt" or something, even though I was just tired and didnt want to go in!

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Well it wasn't that I didn't want to go in to work; I just feel as though I shouldn't be expected to be staffed during my orientation period. Not only that, my child has fractured ankle that needs to be addressed by MD and HE comes first!! Both of my children always have and always will!! I feel as though it is unfair of team leader to assume that she can just staff me and not give me my FULL orientation time. O and another thing is that I will be working nights and the only orientation I have received has been on day shift!?! :confused:

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A lot of jobs think that job should be your LIFEE. As for many of us, it isnt. Children always come first! Its also not right to not have your full orientation time, but it happened to me! They had me POURNING MEDS and on the floor by myself after one half day of training and one half day of orientation, I was scared to death Id screw something up. I probably should have spoke up and said Im not ready to just jump into in, but I didnt. :rolleyes:

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Don't think about it anymore OP. You did what a normal person would do. Don't bring it up all, "I'm so sorry...blah, blah" once you go back to work either. Don't set yourself up as someone to kick around. If it is brought up, just simply state, that you scheduled according to instructions you were given. Smile and say, I'm always happy to help you guys out if I am available, did you short staff?

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Don't think about it anymore OP. You did what a normal person would do. Don't bring it up all, "I'm so sorry...blah, blah" once you go back to work either. Don't set yourself up as someone to kick around. If it is brought up, just simply state, that you scheduled according to instructions you were given. Smile and say, I'm always happy to help you guys out if I am available, did you short staff?

Good post! :up:

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Oops, too late! I have already sent e-mail to nurse manager asking her to call me so I can explain my side of story! My preceptor will probably be out sick tomorrow too, so do I go in if she is not going to be there? My understanding was that I am to be with HER during my entire orientation period and that's not up until this Sunday!

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Oops, too late! I have already sent e-mail to nurse manager asking her to call me so I can explain my side of story! My preceptor will probably be out sick tomorrow too, so do I go in if she is not going to be there? My understanding was that I am to be with HER during my entire orientation period and that's not up until this Sunday!

They should find someone else to precept you for that day.

BTW, just curious...do you feel like you're ready to be considered staff? Your manager thinks you're ready. :confused:

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No I don't!! This is an entirely new area of nursing for me. Even though I have had years of med-surg experience, ER is a whole different ball of wax!! I feel very pressured and inadequate as a nurse. I have been nurse for 6 years and never felt quite this insecure. In my mind I feel if I tell them I am not ready, they will think I am stupid! I am not, just not feeling at all confident at this point!! :(

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No I don't!! This is an entirely new area of nursing for me. Even though I have had years of med-surg experience, ER is a whole different ball of wax!! I feel very pressured and inadequate as a nurse. I have been nurse for 6 years and never felt quite this insecure. In my mind I feel if I tell them I am not ready, they will think I am stupid! I am not, just not feeling at all confident at this point!! :(

Then talk to your manager and the two of you come up with a plan to give you more confidence and more orientation time! You shouldn't be feeling that way. My guess is, however, that you a probably a better nurse than you give yourself credit for. Or he is just a jerk and wants you out there to make staffing easier for him. In either instance, you need to have have a sit down with the manager! And let us know what took place. Good luck! I applaud you for learning a whole new side of nursing! I admire you!:nurse::)

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Thanks and being almost 40 and doing it is definitely a challenge! My preceptor says I am doing great, but like I said before, I am just NOT feeling it!! Hopefully it will get better soon. My nurse manager did reluctantly agree to give me two nights next week with a preceptor! WOW, I am surprised I got that long! Guess after that it will be sink or swim!

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Im sure you will be swimming soon enough=)

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