Preceptor

Nursing is a very rewarding job and I love it but it can also be very stressful. This is especially true when you are a new nurse. The responsibility of taking care of someone very sick can keep you up at night. You got all the information in nursing school and now here you are, an RN and sick people need you to take care of them. As an experienced critical care RN I am frequently preceptor to new nurses on our unit. My job is to help them become familiar and comfortable on the unit. They spend 6 or more weeks with me before I hand them over to another nurse on the night shift and then when they are ready they are set free to work alone. During this time we usually become close. The older experienced nurses become friends, the young ones become like foster children. I'm fiercely protective of all of them, the bond is set forever and I really enjoy it.
The first few days of orientation we are getting to know each other. I introduce them to other staff members and try and make them comfortable in the unit. We usually take a few tours around the hospital which is a huge place to try and remember. If they are young inexperienced nurses they are like deer in the head lights at this stage, but with encouragement it doesn't take them long to settle in. I get them familiar with the documentation and get them to master this first. We are very lucky in our unit to have a large staff of attending physicians who love to teach and are very inclusive of new employee's. There is a lot to learn but everyone pitches in and we try to have fun.
As the weeks pass I allow them to take more responsibility for the care of the patients. This can be the reality check trying to learn how to prioritize your time and keep up with the work. Helping them to develop critical care thinking and at the same time showing compassion. It can be overwhelming for some, and they worry about when they will have to function alone. Helping them to learn their resources and who to go to for help. You can not take care of a critically ill patient alone you have to ask for help, sometimes loudly.
Other nurses can sometimes be less than patient. This is especially noticeable if we have to transfer a patient to another unit and I have the new nurse give report. What is it about nurses when we deal with each other during these transfers of patient care? Sometimes we become intimidating and are downright hateful! This same vibe can be there during shift change when we give report to the oncoming staff. Helping my new nurses through these landmines is all part of my job as their preceptor. Turning these negative moments into positives and seeing them develop into my peers...Priceless.

Dora Meulman