trouble with my preceptor..help sigh/sob)

rn/writer, RN · Sep 6, 2005

Well...first i hop ths is the appropriat place to post. Anyway, i dnt knw whats the best thng to do in my situation. I am a trainee (no experience, just got my license)at ths hospital. My preceptor has been absent since the fourth day of my training..the day when she was reprimanded bec of me (some unidentified nurse saw me preparing meds on my own tho my preceptor does check bef i give to pts). I am on my 8th day nd since then i have had 3 different preceptors who dont knw what to expect of me and who have diffrnt ways of doing thngs. It makes adjusting quite difficult esp. when i dnt knw who to expect on the day of duty itself. The staff nurses would say, "Oh, sorry. She is absent again. Um, maybe nurse x can handle you. Oh, wait. She has a trainee already? Um, try nurse y. She is in the other ward." I feel like a squatter and yet it is my original preceptor who will evaluate me in the end. hw will she accurately knw my strengths/weaknesses when i dnt knw when she will show up. Yet i am scared she wil show up and may give me a hard time since she was reprimanded bec of me. What should i do? Should i talk to my staff educators? Extend training with anothr preceptor? Stick it out? It would be hard to work with someone where tension exists. Help pretty pls!

By all means, speak to your nurse educator. Focus on what you want and need, not the problems you have encountered. In other words, say something like, "Until I have a little more experience, I would like to work with only one or two people," instead of complaining about being passed around as you have been. I'm not saying you shouldn't complain. Just do it here so you can look positive on the job. If you put your requests in negative terms by focusing on what has gone wrong, it could make you look like a malcontent and bring about a defensive reaction. If you ask for what you need without attaching criticism, the other person is more likely to hear you and consider your requests.

If your preceptor is not going to be back for awhile and especially if you feel there might be hard feelings between you, this is something to be up front about with whomever is in charge of your orientation. You can say, "I don't know what to expect," and ask for suggestions. Find out if it is an option for you to switch to someone else permanently. What happened was your preceptor's choice. If this violated P&P, she should have known that and acted accordingly. That may not stop her from resenting you by association, but it should help you to know in your own heart where the responsibility lies and refuse to carry a load that isn't yours.

I wish you well with the rest of your orientation.

hrtprncss · Sep 6, 2005

This should not happen any more than it has. Maybe she did call off on the same week when it was her turn to float when she came back, though what we usually do is send the orientee with the preceptor whenever they float to another unit because it would be a part of their orientation also, to be expected to float after orientation is over. You do follow your preceptor's schedule right....And you should speak to ur main preceptor and the charge nurse to ensure you that you would get the same preceptor the next day, even if there are multiple new orientee around. hope that helps.

AMARTIN1 · Sep 6, 2005

Well...first i hop ths is the appropriat place to post. Anyway, i dnt knw whats the best thng to do in my situation. I am a trainee (no experience, just got my license)at ths hospital. My preceptor has been absent since the fourth day of my training..the day when she was reprimanded bec of me (some unidentified nurse saw me preparing meds on my own tho my preceptor does check bef i give to pts). I am on my 8th day nd since then i have had 3 different preceptors who dont knw what to expect of me and who have diffrnt ways of doing thngs. It makes adjusting quite difficult esp. when i dnt knw who to expect on the day of duty itself. The staff nurses would say, "Oh, sorry. She is absent again. Um, maybe nurse x can handle you. Oh, wait. She has a trainee already? Um, try nurse y. She is in the other ward." I feel like a squatter and yet it is my original preceptor who will evaluate me in the end. hw will she accurately knw my strengths/weaknesses when i dnt knw when she will show up. Yet i am scared she wil show up and may give me a hard time since she was reprimanded bec of me. What should i do? Should i talk to my staff educators? Extend training with anothr preceptor? Stick it out? It would be hard to work with someone where tension exists. Help pretty pls!

You are a new trainee there at the hospital and it is their job to get you the training that you need. We have had a couple of people in your same situation that had multiple preceptors and brought it up to our educators. The hospital needs you and you deserve to learn and give safe,quality care to patients. You don't deserve to be shifted around and it is your license on the line if trouble occurs. If you talk to your educators and get nowhere I would reconsider this job. Do not let your education and license be thrown away and as for your preceptor, if she makes you feel uncomfortable or out of place, report it. You should not have to train in a hostile environment. The education department has a commitment to you in exchange for your commitment to your hospital. If it is not working for you tell someone before you get in too deep. Good luck with everything and i hope it all works out. I am in an internship right now and my preceptor and educator are wonderful. If we have problems or issues they encourage us to speak up about it. God bless....AMARTIN1

SarasotaRN2b · Sep 6, 2005

As another poster suggested, talk with your nurse educator. This is a very shoddy way of treating a new trainee. I know that at our hospital, we have the same preceptor the whole twelve weeks.

purplecotton · Sep 6, 2005

I thank you all for your help. Really:). You all respond fast and i appreciate it very much... im on my way to the hospital so wish me luck!

perfectbluebuildings, BSN, RN · Sep 6, 2005

How did your meeting go? I agree you had some rough treatment. I hope the nurse educator was receptive to your requests and can help you out. How much more time do you have on your orientation?

purplecotton · Sep 7, 2005

Of all the days in the world, she showed up whn i was about to talk to the staff ed! I opted not to talk to the staff eds. nd giv ths another try tho there was tension and uncomfortabl silence between us. Since i wasn't feeling well in the first place she said i could show up tomorrow nd extend training. I guess ths is a sign that we should try to make ths relationship work. I nevr really wanted to bring ths up to the staff eds bec if i were in her shoes i wouldnt want to be perceived as a bad prceptr. I just hope nd pray that we can work together happily and efficiently. Afterall, we all work as a team. I have duty 6 hrs from now nd im a bit anxious bec i dont knw how thngs will turn out. I just want to learn peacefully nd i dnt want to be burdensome to her! She isnt the type who i could do small talk with or joke around with so it will be tough. Should things really not improve, last resort is really to go to the staff eds.

Our training/clinical immersion lasts 160 hrs. I have approx...11 days left (the first 2 orientation days were included in the 160 hrs nd each day we train for 8 hrs) nd i feel like there is soooo much left to learn! I am in the med surg ward. Yeah, i still feel incompetent and slow even in the most trivial tasks but id rather look "stupid" than pretend i knw how to do the procedures nd hav the pt suffer for it. Yup. Everyday is an effort for me...sigh. :rolleyes:

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2005

Ideally a preceptor should be consistent. But, in some instances there is benefit time that person does have to take etc. If there is a problem with this preceptor and she isnt going to be back with you consistently very soon your nurse educator needs to reassign you.

My orientee has had a couple different preceptors different days this summer due to my need and ability to take benefit time. It doesnt do any hard to see how others manage their time, prioritize and generally orgnize their work. Look at it as a learning experience.

purplecotton · Sep 7, 2005

I'm leaving for the hospital in 30 mins. I've never posted ths much at anytime before hehe. Anyway, just checking for nymore advise nd suggestions as i take this to heart. I get nervous nd anxious very easily nd relationship problems are, for me, the worst distractions which is not good esp when presence of mind is so important in nursing! Nd if the problem is close by...eep. Yeah, there is always a lesson to learn in everythng so the fact that i nevr felt stable in this whole preceptor thng will help keep me on my toes. Yes, on a positive note, i observed other possible techniques nd ways of doing things. The downside is id like to start doing them before im on my own. When i have a diff preceptr, they usually just let me observe bec no trust has been established yet nd i have to get a feel of what they expect of me to do. But now that my original preceptr is back, lets see hw thngs go...pray for the best pls! I appreciate your concerns. :)

AMARTIN1 · Sep 7, 2005

Ideally a preceptor should be consistent. But, in some instances there is benefit time that person does have to take etc. If there is a problem with this preceptor and she isnt going to be back with you consistently very soon your nurse educator needs to reassign you.
My orientee has had a couple different preceptors different days this summer due to my need and ability to take benefit time. It doesnt do any hard to see how others manage their time, prioritize and generally orgnize their work. Look at it as a learning experience.

Good point!!! I seem to have forgotten how much I have learned from other experienced nurses on my floor, and keep in mind that they will be your future family if you stay.

nurseinlimbo · Sep 8, 2005

I had something similar happen to me. I was placed with a preceptor who had never had a student before. She was a perfectionist who had only recently returned to nursing after having her kids. She was always hanging over my shoulder when I prepared a medication or IV bag, and this makes me very nervous. I have performance anxiety anyway and this person would not allow me to do any problem solving by myself. Once chastised me for giving Tylenol to a child with a fever, when it was the correct thing to do. Also, her rotation was mostly nights on a peds floor with 2 patients at Christmas time. We spent one night painting snowmen to hang around the unit. Huge learning opportunity there. She wanted me to stay busy the entire shift, so I brought study materials and read. She was never clear about what she expected until after the fact. I think she would probably have failed me. I requested a transfer and ended up in a rehabilition unit for strokes, amputee and accident rehab. My preceptor there was wonderful. She guided me without making me feel like I was being watched like a hawk. She gave me positives before telling me what I could work on. She treated me like an equal and not like she was 10 notches above me.

From the preceptors point of view, I can see why nurses would be hesitant to take on the extra responsibility, because it doesn't pay more and they are accountable for their student. However, if a nurse does take this responsibility on, they need to be available, accepting and enjoy teaching. Ego should be left at the door.

trouble with my preceptor..help *sigh/sob*)

trouble with my preceptor..help sigh/sob)