Preceptor Resistance in Nursing School
Preceptor Resistance in Nursing School
I remember walking into clinical one morning excited to take my own patients, perform assessments, administer meds, start IVs, and everything else that comes with being a nursing student. It had taken me the entire night before to calm my nerves and convince myself (for the one-thousandth time since getting into nursing school) that I was cut out to be a nurse and rock this semester's clinical. Stethoscope in hand, I turned the corner to head to the nurse's station for my assignment, and as soon as my nurse saw me, I heard her say, "Ugh, I do not want a student today," as she walked off and rolled her eyes, all without as much as a hello. We had already been working together for two days and had gotten along pretty well, so I was surprised at her response as I arrived at the unit. But then again, it wasn't the first time something like this had happened to me. We barely had three days on the labor and delivery unit during our maternity rotation because the nurses told our college they did not want to work with students. It was frustrating, to say the least, especially if you're experiencing this kind of push-back in an area you one day hope to specialize in. The sad part is, this isn't an uncommon experience. Many nursing students experience this kind of resistance during clinical throughout their program.
