The reason why Janets Chan became a nurse
is a common story in the medical profession: she wanted to
help people. But there is nothing common about her work as
a nurse and Preceptor. Chan has been working at Kaiser Permenante
for 12 years and been a Preceptor for two. In that time, she
has helped numerous nurses learn to provide excellent patient
care. Her ability to teach, her willingness to encourage,
and her enthusiasm for her profession are only a few reasons
why she is an outstanding Preceptor.
"Janets has been a Preceptor multiple
times and has always shown the nurses everything," said
Jane Folena, Educator at Santa Clara Hospital. "She is
really consistently good. She also takes care of them after
the precepting period is done. She acts as a resource even
after their orientation."
Before she officially became a Preceptor,
Chan already volunteered to help new nurses whenever their
official Preceptor was off duty. "I often acted as Preceptor
when other nurses weren't around," said Chan. "When
I was asked to be a Preceptor, I felt honored. It's fun to
teach people and tell them what you know."
Precepting is not just an isolated event
between a new nurse and their mentor — it can be a succession
of people, each one contributing toward the education of the
next generation. "Being a nurse is a shared job,"
said Chan. "You have to take turns and teach the new
people."
"Marianne Wu was my Preceptor,"
said Chan. "She helped me a lot and was very encouraging.
She taught me step-by-step. She knew my weaknesses when I
started at Kaiser. My skills were fine — I had been a
nurse for ten years in Hong Kong, but communications were
difficult for me. She encouraged me to talk and speak up,
and taught me tricks to make my work easier."
Starting in a new place, like Chan did,
is always a daunting task, but starting a new career is even
more demanding. Kaiser Permanente employees new to nursing
are often frightened of making mistakes in a job that allows
for very little error. Without the guidance of more experienced
staff, new nurses often take longer to become proficient at
their job and can get discouraged by a learning curve that
sometimes seems immense.
"The most important thing
I do is to encourage the preceptee," said Chan. "I
always tell them, 'Don't be scared; ask questions! I'm not
your superior — we are the same. Ten years ago I was
just like you. I am just further along on the path.'
"I tell them that in a couple of
years, they will be more comfortable with the job. They need
that encouragement as much as the teaching aspect."
With the combination of the nursing shortage,
inpatients requiring more attention, and a larger percentage
of new nursing graduates in the workplace, good Preceptors
are becoming vital to the nursing staff. And the guidance
a nurse receives from their Preceptor is lasting — whether
they are new to nursing or just new to Kaiser Permanente.
Remembering being a novice helps make Chan a wonderful preceptor
— she can relate to the new nurses and understand what
they are going through.
"Everybody has a beginning,"
said Chan. "Being a Preceptor can be very draining; it's
easier to work by yourself. But if we don't teach, there won't
be new nurses. We owe our profession — people taught
us, now it's our turn to teach newcomers."
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