Working with a Preceptor

Preceptor
1. Will work with you before you are on your own
2. May differ in personality
3. Doing this to train you and help you
4. Will offer suggestions and guidance
5. Will eventually step back and see what you can do!

Assessment

Observe how your preceptor manages situations
1. Learn from them!
2. How do they talk to patients?
3. How do they work with others?
4. What do you like?
5. What do you not like?
6. You decide what kind of nurse you want to be!

Therapeutic Management

Please do
1. Respect
  1. Stay confident, but humble
  2. Friendly, yet professional
2. Express any concerns or fears
3. Be active and engaged in the learning
  1. Listen
  2. Ask questions!
4. Use this experience to practice time management
5. Safe practice
  1. If unsure, ask for help!
  2. No question is a dumb question!
  3. Communication is key
6. Don’t feel like you are paired well?
  1. Let the educator or manager know!
  2. Not everyone works well together
  3. Express what you need to learn

Nursing Concepts

Communication
1. Open communication helps you learn and prevents error
Teamwork & Collaboration
1. Learn how to work with eachother
2. Observe how others do
Professionalism
1. Remain professional and respectful

Patient Education

Introduce self as preceptee in training

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Transcript

Hey guys! Welcome to the lesson where we will talk about working with a preceptor. Let’s start by talking about preceptors.

When you begin as a new nurse, you will be given a preceptor. It may be on your unit or another depending on the training system of your organization. For example, the unit that I work on is the dedicated learning unit, so we precept most of the new nurses first before they go to their units. Your preceptor will offer suggestions and guide you in your new role. As you become acclimated, they will eventually step back and be there for questions and assistance. Remember, personalities differ, so be aware of how you communicate and react to their suggestions.

When you begin working with your preceptor, observe them! How do they talk to their patients? How do they work with others? What do you like? Are there things that you would do differently? Use these observations to help learn and decide what kind of nurse you want to be!

Let’s talk about things that you should do while working with a preceptor. First of all, respect them. Stay confident, yet humble. You will be a great nurse, and you can do this! Remember, we none of us know EVERYTHING, so always be willing to listen. Be friendly, yet professional. Bonds with your fellow nurses will be strong ones as you will be working together in many different situations. Don’t alienate yourself! Express any concerns or fears that you have to your preceptor. Remember, they have been through what you are going through and they might have tips and tricks to help you. Be active and engaged in learning. Listen and ask questions. Use this time to practice managing your time. Make sure that you are practicing safe nursing. If you’re ever unsure, ask for help! That is what your preceptor is for! No question is a dumb question. Communication is key to learning and succeeding during your preceptorship. Next, let’s explore what to do if you feel like your preceptorship isn’t going well.

So, say you begin your preceptorship and you just don’t feel like you are paired with the right person. Maybe you find that they’re not teaching you enough or they won’t answer any questions. It’s okay! Not everyone works well together! Let the educator or the manager know so that they can pair you with someone else. Express what you need to help you learn.

The priority nursing concepts for working with a preceptor are communication, teamwork and collaboration, and professionalism.

Alright, let’s review the key points. Your preceptor will train you and guide you as a new nurse. They will act as a resource for you for any questions that you have. Make sure you observe your preceptor’s communication techniques with other nurses, doctors, and patients along with their behaviors. This will help you learn how to handle situations when you are on your own. Engage in the experience! Listen and ask questions. Communication is key! Remain confident, yet humble. Be friendly, yet professional. Always provide safe practice, and ask if you are unsure about anything!

Okay, guys, I hope you enjoy your preceptorships! Now go out and be your best self today, and as always, happy nursing!