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

[purplecotton]

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!

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

Purplecotton,, this is where your self confidence has to take over. When they are telling you to come WATCH,, you tell them no id like to DO it and let you watch me. You have to take the initiative to step up and let them know what you need to do to get the experience, and what you have and havent done. STEP UP and take control of your orientation!! You have to SHOW them you have confidence for them to have confidence.

[purplecotton]

I appreciate all the help and as of now she has shown a kinder side! Prayer does help a lot and i am making the extra effort to anticipate what she expects of me to do like if she chooses to be endorsed to 30 mins before our shift time, i would show up 40 mins before (even if means getting up at 4 am...i am not a morning person!). Also, she has heard stories of other trainees who have not performed too well so i guess her expectations were a wee bit too high of me. And you may be right that she is a perfectionist! Thanks again...

[finchertwins, BSN, RN]

purplecotton. I too am a new nurse and had several preceptors. Some of them liked me and some did not. In different ways they all did have something to teach me either the wrong way to do something or the right way. I did learn from each of them. I am guessing that your hospital in the Phillipines has different rules about precepting and how new nurses are oriented. In mine we only train and work in one specific area and don't leave our floor(ward) for 6 months. This allows us the feel competent about one area of nursing at least? I saw where you stated the you felt as if you knew nothing, I doubt that is true it just that you are not in school anymore are these patients are real now and they can sometimes be intimidating and down right stressfull to take care of. Do not worry with time a experience you will look back on this and laugh, then you can help someone by precepting them share your nursing stories with them about how your first few days were.

In the end make sure that you learn the information you need to learn, if your preceptor does not work out then talk with your nurse educator and see what can be done? As one of the first to respond in here said just do it with a possitive approach and not a negative one. I hope everything goes well for you good luck and God bless.