Surviving Preceptorship: Tips for Nursing Students

Dont Take It Personal

The best attitude you can take in clinicals is that your preceptors attitude has nothing to do with you, good or bad. When you are already nervous about your first clinical, you often want to make a good first impression and want your preceptor to like you. Remember that your preceptor is also a human being who has personal things going on. Your preceptor might not be a morning person and may be in a better mood once she has had an opportunity to have a cup of coffee or her breakfast after she gets the report and checks on all of her patients. Maybe the unit has already been short-staffed, and teaching simultaneously frustrates the nurse. Perhaps she just did not feel like coming to work today. None of these things have anything to do with you. Remember this as the day goes by and your preceptor is less than pleasant.

As a nursing student, you should still be treated with respect, and your preceptor is expected to be professional in a work setting. Disagreements are normal but if you are ever uncomfortable, discuss with your clinical instructor to discuss further steps.

Set Clear Expectations

A positive way to start the shift is learning routines, boundaries, and how the unit is typically run. This is an excellent time to set expectations for both parties involved. This is a good opportunity to express what skills you would like to learn if the opportunities arise, express skills you still struggle with, and ask questions if needed. Your preceptor might also tell you what they expect, skills they dont feel comfortable teaching, and skills they want to ensure they are present before you initiate.

Try To Be A Helping Hand

As a nursing student, sometimes there is only so much you can do unsupervised during clinicals, but you can still help your nurse with small tasks. Make sure you are shadowing your nurse and learning as much as possible, but also ask if there are small tasks you can help with. Taking vital signs, checking blood glucose levels, changing linens, grabbing patients a snack, etc., can take a bit of strain off your preceptor and give you some one-on-one time with your patients for the day. These small interactions might seem insignificant but will significantly contribute to building your bedside manner in the future. These small tasks also give your preceptor time to grab a snack, use the restroom, or catch their breath. This can lead to a better teaching environment if your preceptor is less stretched.

Be Present and Engaged

Make the most of your time there. Take notes and ask your preceptor questions. There are ample opportunities to learn when shadowing your preceptor. Look up your patients medications to know what they are prescribed for, look up labs and normal lab values and why they might be abnormal, and read through consult notes. Ask for hands-on opportunities that are appropriate for your skill level. Follow your patient to imaging, place IVs and NG tubes, help with bed baths, ambulating, and perform head-to-toe assessments. The more interested and engaged you are in patient care, the more likely your preceptor will include you in teaching skills.

Ask About Other Learning Opportunities

Some days will be when your assigned preceptor does not have it to give, and you will have to get creative. Ask if anything else is occurring in the unit; you can shadow that might be a learning opportunity. There have been times when I have shadowed a dialysis nurse setting up a patients dialysis in the intensive care unit, a surgical procedure in the operating room, a central line placement, a colonoscopy, etc., because my preceptor did not have time to teach that day.

Talk With Your Clinical Instructor

If you have tried everything and you cannot find a way to make things work with your preceptor for the day, talk with your clinical instructor for possible instructors. This is why clinical instructors exist, or schools would send us to clinicals without an instructor. Your instructor might help you get assigned to a new preceptor, or your instructor may be able to grab a computer, get a patient assignment, and have you shadow her for the day. Your instructor should be able to help you brainstorm ways to make the most of your clinical day.

Key Takeaways

Some preceptors will be kind and eager to teach, and others will not. This is not uncommon and is a part of the process. Try to make the most of your learning opportunities to become the best nurse you can be. Remember the experiences you encounter once you become a staff nurse and are assigned your first nursing student. Kindness and patience go a long way, and stopping the cycle of nurses eating their young can start with our generation.

About the Author:

Mercedes Basey-Scott is an oncology nurse with over nine years of experience. She has a Master's Degree in Nursing Administration and is a certified oncology nurse. Mercedes is currently working as an Oral Chemotherapy Nurse Navigator. She is also a freelance medical writer and clinical consultant.

Mercedes is an independent contributor to CEUfast's Nursing Blog Program. Please note that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this blog post are solely of the independent contributor and do not necessarily represent those of CEUfast. This blog post is not medical advice. Always consult with your personal healthcare provider for any health-related questions or concerns.

If you want to learn more about CEUfasts Nursing Blog Program or would like to submit a blog post for consideration, please visit https://ceufast.com/blog/submissions.