Challenges and joys.

square peg, round hole

Precepting new graduate nurses is challenging but also exhilarating. To guide a new nurse to a point of safe, confident, independent patient care requires a different level of critical thinking and relational skills. How do I delegate tasks and responsibility to my preceptee safely? How do I teach in a way that connects well with my preceptee’s learning style? How do I reassure the patient and family that they are safe in the care of these new hands under my watch?

Despite the challenges, it is inspiring to play an integral role in someone’s growth. I experience pride and joy watching my preceptees evolve from nervous trainees to skilled and compassionate novice nurses.

While I am always seeking to build up the new graduate nurse I’m precepting, the ultimate goal is always patient safety. There are rare times when new nurses have not not found the ‘right fit’ in our unit. We are a pediatric ICU unit in a level one trauma hospital. We care for very sick patients, are very fast-paced, and rarely have lulls in our census.

When a preceptee struggles.

I recently had a preceptee who struggled with the basics in caring for even our most stable patients. […]