Bounced Around and Frustrated

"...as I am navigating through orientation, I am becoming frustrated."

Q: 

Dear Masked Maven,  

I am so excited to be starting my nursing career in the OR; however, as I am navigating through orientation, I am becoming frustrated. I am never with the same preceptor. Just when I get the hang of how one person does something, I have to start over with someone new. It is confusing to me. What makes it worse is I am constantly having to re-explain where I am in orientation and what I am currently working on every day. When I do things how I was shown by one preceptor, I find I am being corrected by the new person I am assigned to because they do things differently. How can I navigate this and get through orientation? 

Sincerely, 

Bounced Around and Frustrated 

A: 

Dear Bounced Around and Frustrated,

Your frustration is understandable.

It would be helpful to have a conversation with your unit educator or manager about your frustration and how it is affecting your orientation. Be open and honest with them about your experience. Be willing to offer the names of individuals who you feel have been a good match for you. This can provide some guidance as they work to lessen your frustration. Unfortunately, due to staffing and cases, you may be bounced around some. Remember that even if they cannot provide the consistency of the same preceptor during your orientation, there are still ways to navigate the situation to keep moving forward.

I always have found it best to become a great communicator in these instances. Clearly communicating with your preceptors about where you are at and what you are working on is very important. The great thing about adult learners is that you are all unique in your preferred learning styles. They need to understand what is working for you (and what is not). Let your preceptor know up front that you have a specific routine that you are trying to stick with. You can provide them with ways you prefer to learn (such as “I prefer hands-on learning and need to physically do the tasks to retain the knowledge”). By doing this, you help the preceptor understand how to best support you in the learning process. Also, communicating that you are open to their feedback and eager to learn from them sets the tone that you want them to help you grow.

Make sure that, in addition to your preceptors being aware of your challenges, the educator and leaders also are aware. Understanding how your learning is going allows them to adjust the learning plan to accommodate those challenges.

While being bounced around has frustrations, there also are some good things you can take from the experience. When you work with different nurses, you get a chance to see different time management and workflow styles. You can take something from each individual you work with and add it to your routine. There are still things that I do today that remind me of my preceptors and how they did things because I still do them the same way to this day.

At the end of the day, keep the lines of communication open. You will get there—it just takes time.

All the best,

Masked Maven

AORN Resources

• New Nurses: Your Road Map for Professional Success - AORN Periop Today
• 3 Precepting Tips for Priority Onboarding - AORN Periop Life
• AORN Position Statement on Orientation of the Registered Nurse and Surgical Technologist to the Perioperative Setting

If you have a question for the Masked Maven, you can submit it at https://forms.office.com/r/CdtjMpm9nB.