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!!
OP good for you for standing your ground! The teamleader needs to be spoken to regarding her inadequate communication skills. In nursing (and working in general) communication needs to be clear. She should have called you and Asked if you felt ready to be on your own, not just assumed you would be fine with working the floor during your orientation. It's her leadership that needs the improvement here.
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!
If I had a dollar for all the times someone said this:)
I wouldn't have gone either. We weren't supposed to be counting orientees as staff, but if they had a valid license admin. always did. That's just how it is. :shrug:
OldNurseEducator
290 Posts
Yes..and please let us know how it is going! I'm very proud of you!