Ok so I'm a new grad two weeks into training. I administer a lot of BP meds so I also do a lot of manual BP checks,every time I'm trying to take a blood pressure the correct way like they taught us in school (feel the radial pulse first then inflate the cuff,wait 30 seconds and then go 30mmHg more of what was the radial pulse cut off number) I get yelled at by my preceptor and then she questioned me if I also listen to the pulse with the stethoscope? Duh,of course I do,you kidding me,just because I want to get the feeling of the radial pulse doesnt mean I dont know the rest of the steps on how to measure blood pressure,then another time she asked my why am asculating the breath sounds in eight places (that the max I should asculate would be 4) Ok but this is what I was taught in nursing school,and I'm sure that a good reason behind this rationale,then she said that it takes me too long to assess the lungs (hello I'm new I'm not an expert in crackles,wheezes,so I want to make sure that what I'm hearing is right,after all I will be charting on this patient)Also my preceptor told me I shouldnt be carrying a drug book with me and took it away from me. I dont know,I'm surprised I'm getting yelled for doing the right assesments!:crying2: I cant afford to take shortcuts,I dont have experience yet
Perhaps, but this new nurse will forget about that slight rather quickly if she follows the advice of the people in this thread and gets canned. There is a new grad very close by who probably cannot wait to work with this preceptor.
She's already butting heads with the person who will evaluate her performance, I don't know why advising her to keep doing it is a good idea. I understand she is new, but after 4 or so semesters of clinicals she should have a better idea about how to interact with a preceptor.
As far as the drug book goes, I am not backing down on that one. No nurse I have ever seen carries their full sized nursing school drug book around with them. Others mentioned books on PDA/Iphone or pocket sized books. Fine, but those are not what the OP is carrying around.
Of course nurses refer to drug books and other references constantly, but they aren't carrying around full sized Davis books.
Perhaps, but this new nurse will forget about that slight rather quickly if she follows the advice of the people in this thread and gets canned. There is a new grad very close by who probably cannot wait to work with this preceptor.
She's already butting heads with the person who will evaluate her performance, I don't know why advising her to keep doing it is a good idea. I understand she is new, but after 4 or so semesters of clinicals she should have a better idea about how to interact with a preceptor.
As far as the drug book goes, I am not backing down on that one. No nurse I have ever seen carries their full sized nursing school drug book around with them. Others mentioned books on PDA/Iphone or pocket sized books. Fine, but those are not what the OP is carrying around.
Of course nurses refer to drug books and other references constantly, but they aren't carrying around full sized Davis books.
I don't exactly see how she is "butting heads" with the person she is being evaluated by. It sounds to me like her preceptor is pretty condescending and the type of person who will more than likely never be pleased by anything. Are you insinuating that she is dense because she didn't know how to do an IM injection or had questions about how to do things? I've never put an IV in a patient and I'm about to graduate from nursing school - does that make me dense? I've merely never had the opportunity to insert one in a patient. It's better to ask questions and follow the proper technique of how you were trained than to assume otherwise. Each person has their own style and each institution has their own policy on how things are to be done - it can't be assumed that a new nurse 2 weeks into her training would know all of the policies by heart.
Have a little heart here. Just because she is new does not mean she is dense. Your comment was pretty disrespectful.
Ya know, you'll be posting asking for advice or a little feather smoothing yourself real soon. No? Oh that's right, you will be God's gift to your preceptors, sorry I forgot. Well then, I guess we won't be seeing you around Allnurses much. Don't let the screen door hit ya on your way out.
Do your best to get along with your preceptor and keep that relationship working for you. If you don't agree with the way she wants you to do things, just go along with her (unless it compromises patient care in some significant way). You'll have plenty of freedom to develop your own way of practicing once you're done with orientation. Until then, learn as much as you can from her and try to keep the relationship on a positive level. Also, if your style is very different from hers, observe other nurses when you get a chance and see how they do things. But...don't openly seek out advice from someone other than your preceptor. Some are very sensitive and offended by that. I, personally, would not be offended, but a lot of people are.
You have to realize that the real world is different from nursing school. Nursing school is the way to do things in the perfect hospital world with the perfect patient. It's important to do good quality work, but it's also important to be flexible and adapt to the situation at hand. Your preceptor may end up teaching you good ways to be both thorough and efficient, if you'll let her.
Having said all that, if she's demeaning you, that's not cool either and you shouldn't just suck it up and say nothing.
ETA: As far as the drug book goes, I'd rather see a nurse coming at me with a drug reference book than not knowing what the heck she's giving me and why. Our "ships" have an electronic reference on them and I often look up drugs right at the bedside when the patient wants more info about them. I wouldn't carry the book just because it's bulky and I have enough crap in my pockets, but I wouldn't let peer pressure stop me from carrying it if I felt I needed it.
I don't exactly see how she is "butting heads" with the person she is being evaluated by.
Then you are reading things a lot different than I am. Would you agree that she is getting yelled at? Why do you think that is? I think she's getting yelled at for pushing back against her preceptor because the op insists she is doing "the correct thing."
In my world, that is butting heads.
If the op is mislead enough by the advice supporting her current behavior, allnurses will simply have created another "I got fired and I didn't deserve it" thread. Personally, I would rather have a job than get comforting strokes on a message board.
Then you are reading things a lot different than I am. Would you agree that she is getting yelled at? Why do you think that is? I think she's getting yelled at for pushing back against her preceptor because the op insists she is doing "the correct thing."
In my world, that is butting heads.
If the op is mislead enough by the advice supporting her current behavior, allnurses will simply have created another "I got fired and I didn't deserve it" thread. Personally, I would rather have a job than get comforting strokes on a message board.
When is it ever acceptable to yell at someone you work with?
Seriously, I don't want to continue this dialogue - I think it's fair to say that we have a different perspective on how people should be treated in the workplace. Obviously a new nurse has no ground to stand on and needs to go with the flow to get through the orientation and probationary period. That doesn't make lateral violence or bullying OK - as an issue within nursing they are pretty prevalent - if you don't believe me, look it up.
If the op is mislead enough by the advice supporting her current behavior, allnurses will simply have created another "I got fired and I didn't deserve it" thread. Personally, I would rather have a job than get comforting strokes on a message board.
Did you bother reading the entire thread. What I see is a lot of experienced nurses NOT wholeheartedly agreeing with the OP, while providing practical ways for the OP to deal with the preceptor. (In particular, take a look at a couple of the posts that I gave kudos on, although there are others.)
Somehow, they managed to do that without calling the OP dense and nit-picking everything she has done. Now that I think of it, that's probably why you thought they were just giving useless "comforting strokes." Anything less than name-calling and nit-picking is deemed "comfort talk" by you.
Specializes in Trauma, ER, ICU, CCU, PACU, GI, Cardiology, OR.
Blackheartednurse, Evidently, your preceptor has issues herself, let me begin by saying to you that I been a RN BSN MSN now for 35+ years and I still carry my mini pocket drug-book. Furthermore, just hang in there remember you are not there to win some friends, and I'm sure your in your way out to the next preceptor, just do as she tells you then when you become an RN you do it as you see fit. Moreover, I wish your preceptor was working for me, trust me she would be singing a different tune, I have ZERO TOLERANCE for that attitude. Lastly, just keep calm with her and trust me before you know it's time to say goodbye, also try to get under her skin by being very polite like "Yes Mam, Oh! my apologies, you're correct" etc. keep in mind you get more bees with honey!, best of luck to you in all your future endeavors~
Ok so I'm a new grad two weeks into training. I administer a lot of BP meds so I also do a lot of manual BP checks,every time I'm trying to take a blood pressure the correct way like they taught us in school (feel the radial pulse first then inflate the cuff,wait 30 seconds and then go 30mmHg more of what was the radial pulse cut off number) I get yelled at by my preceptor and then she questioned me if I also listen to the pulse with the stethoscope? Duh,of course I do,you kidding me,just because I want to get the feeling of the radial pulse doesnt mean I dont know the rest of the steps on how to measure blood pressure,then another time she asked my why am asculating the breath sounds in eight places (that the max I should asculate would be 4) Ok but this is what I was taught in nursing school,and I'm sure that a good reason behind this rationale,then she said that it takes me too long to assess the lungs (hello I'm new I'm not an expert in crackles,wheezes,so I want to make sure that what I'm hearing is right,after all I will be charting on this patient)Also my preceptor told me I shouldnt be carrying a drug book with me and took it away from me. I dont know,I'm surprised I'm getting yelled for doing the right assesments!:crying2: I cant afford to take shortcuts,I dont have experience yet
i dont remember being taught to wait 30 seconds...seems physiologically counterproductive....
the drug book---i probably would not have allowed her to take it, and if she succeded (sp) i would have demanded it back. the lung fields, i would think the initial assessment might be good to do all 8, but following a neg initial assessment the less would do.....good luck
To the OP: you are a new nurse and you and your preceptor don't seem to be meshing. In order to continue, I would say "I appreciate your advice, thanks" and go one about business.
As to the drug book, I've been a nurse 18 years and in my iPhone I have not one but three drug books. Would you like me to prescribe what I THINK is the right drug/dose?
Enough said!
I know many nurses that have a drug book in some form or another with them at all times.
And....when you post on the internet, you do sometimes have to have a tough shell: we have posters from many backgrounds and levels of experience and you just gotta take advice with a grain of salt, sort things out and go with what works for you.
She took your drug book away from you? Are you flippin' serious? GO GET IT BACK. You're a grown-up and by God if you want to carry around FIVE drug books you go right ahead. :mad::mad::mad:
Perhaps, but this new nurse will forget about that slight rather quickly if she follows the advice of the people in this thread and gets canned. There is a new grad very close by who probably cannot wait to work with this preceptor.
She's already butting heads with the person who will evaluate her performance, I don't know why advising her to keep doing it is a good idea. I understand she is new, but after 4 or so semesters of clinicals she should have a better idea about how to interact with a preceptor.
As far as the drug book goes, I am not backing down on that one. No nurse I have ever seen carries their full sized nursing school drug book around with them. Others mentioned books on PDA/Iphone or pocket sized books. Fine, but those are not what the OP is carrying around.
Of course nurses refer to drug books and other references constantly, but they aren't carrying around full sized Davis books.
And who gave you the impression that it was a full size Davis books?
I still thinking calling the OP dense was very low of you. Hve some respect...
:crying2: I cant afford to take shortcuts,I dont have experience yet
for that attitude. Lastly, just keep calm with her and trust me before you know it's time to say goodbye, also try to get under her skin by being very polite like "Yes Mam, Oh! my apologies, you're correct" etc. keep in mind you get more bees with honey!, best of luck to you in all your future endeavors~
:mad:
Blackheartednurse
1,216 Posts
I have a feeling you are an unemployed new grad:p