Upset/Blah

Charming aren't they? I hope this gets settled and you can complete your program.

Am so very sorry!! Agree finding preceptors is sometimes very difficult.

So..... Today is my first day of class in Women's Health. It's also supposed to be my first day in clinicals. So I wake up nice and early and get dressed, take extra care to look nice and professional, arrive at my clinical site to find that my "preceptor" is not in yet. I go get a cup of coffee and come back and see my "preceptor" I say hello to her and ask her Is it ok that I follow you today? Her immediate answer was no, you can't follow me I have another student following me. Ummmm ok!!!!! Complete Shock, The director of Emergency Medicine spoke to her and she said it was ok. So what gives???? She then goes on to tell me how sorry she is but she will have a student each and everytime she is in the clinic and maybe I will have better luck finding some one else. Really????? You decide this today, when I'm supposed to be starting clinicals? Like sure no problem, it didn't take me almost 2 months of begging to get this set up. All I do is say I want a Preceptor and they magically appear. Sorry guys, just a little bent out of shape. I have to show up tomorrow to the clinic once again and the Head Nurse has promised to intervene and ask the NP on duty if she will be willing to precept me and will do the same with the other NP on friday. Now I'm anxious and nervous that I won't have a preceptor and will not be able to pass my class. My FNP program is closing after my class graduates in Aug 2010, so I don't even have the option of saying, oh well I'll do it next semester.

Thanks for letting me vent. I literally feel like crying and because this is a clinic where I work I have to walk around and act like everything is ok.

What does your program have to say about this? When I precept PA students the program clearly communicates what the student needs to do and what the expectations of the rotation are. My NP precepting is more limited but for the two students that I have precepted (same program) I received goals and expectations for the clinicals. I also received emails from the clinical coordinator about the student and asking if I had any questions. During the rotation I received two phone calls from the coordinator asking how the student was doing and if I had any concerns. Since we are an academic program the program also had to get an affiliation agreement with the University for the student to see patients.

From my point of view this should be the minimum that you expect from the program. It not completely out of the question for a preceptor to flake out. The program should provide you with another preceptor in the same area of study.

David Carpenter, PA-C

At my program, Rush University, the preceptor/facility signs a contract from legal in additional to all the clinical paperwork, just for starters.