I am 58 years old and last March became a direct commission officer in the US Army. I am both a new soldier and a new nurse. I finished nursing school less than a year before joining the Army. One reason I joined the Army as a new nurse is because I had heard from a number of trustworthy sources that the clinical training in the Army Nurse Corps was excellent.

However, I am having some difficulties in the orientation process at my base’s medical center. I am orienting on a med/surg floor where “preceptors” of new nurses have typically a one-day training session on how to precept. Their new nurse will take on two patients to start and in the beginning the preceptor supervises everything the newby does. Then, as the new nurse becomes more adept at her/his tasks, more patients are taken on (up to 5 on my floor) and less supervision is needed. This is the best case scenario.

Unfortunately, my intended preceptor gave me about two weeks of undivided attention, then became ill and was out on sick call for several weeks, had leave time, and then followed that with a course at another far away base. This left me with a succession of preceptors, about 10 over the course of a month, roughly.

This was a recipe for failure for me. I became so anxious every time I got new preceptor, I realized I was worrying more about how I did and very little about what I did. Consequently, my learning curve came to a screeching halt. My leadership wondered why I wasn’t “learning as quickly as the rest of his lieutenants.” But it was evident to me that lack of continuity was hurting me badly. I observed that the first day with a new preceptor was extremely difficult for me: I would be asked to do something and watched closely. When I did not do it the way that preceptor did it (and yes, there are many ways to skin a cat as a nurse), she/he would think I was doing it incorrectly, would correct me, and then would become doubtful about whether or not I knew how to do anything correctly. What followed of course, was even closer supervision, more corrections, less confidence of the preceptor in me and me in myself.

Finally, it became obvious and I was able to communicate to the powers that be that this system of musical preceptors was just not working for me, and a very kind nurse stepped forward in my defense and offered to take me on for the rest of my term as an orientee.

This has been wonderful, and all involved seem to agree that I have progressed well, though I was kicked back to just one patient. Now, however, my preceptor is having surgery and is looking at an indeterminate recovery period, and my leadership has decided to give my teaching over to someone who will not be available on an ongoing basis. So once again, I will be tossed around, even though HIS leadership promised that they all want this to be a good experience for me and will do all they can to make it so.

Last year I did a little informal search of the literature for my own sake and found some interesting artlcles about what kinds of things an older adult (55 and over) learner needs to make for a good educational experience. I wish I had kept a bibliography. I am wondering if there is somewhere you can refer me to to find some material I can pass onto my Major to inform him of how important it is to understand how older people learn differently from “the rest of his younger lieutenants.” Can you offer any help here?I gues I don’t understand HIS learning style either, but at least O am trying!!

Many, many thanks.

2LT Catherine Bellanca