Student clinicals

I've only done two clinicals so far. The first was at RPAH (think the channel nine TV show) and the second and Concord. Strangely, despite RPAH reputation for brilliant medical staff and fantastic, cut throat procedures etc... it was pretty bland. Possibly because I was on a elective surgical ward (oldies with their new hips and knees etc) but the staff weren't interested in students at. all.

Concord I was on a respiratory ward so I got to see real sick people and work with them as opposed to just oldies coming in to hospital for surgery. We had five TB patients that week, plenty of MRSA, VRE, NGs, PICCs & CVCs, trachies, CPAP & BiPAP, respiratory failure... Twas much more exciting and the nurses were slightly (albeit if only slightly) more accommodating to students.

The theory is vital, but unless it's paired with practical application and practice it makes no sense and doesn't feel real. One of the advantages of hospital training is that we were given a full patient load and full responsibility (according to our experience, of course) after less than three months.

While that just isn't feasible now - both from professional perspectives and because patient acuity is so much higher now - it not only meant we knew really early on whether or not we liked actual nuring, it also meant we got a great grasp on the fundamentals before taking on more advanced cases.

To those of you who feel unsupported by the RNs on your placements I would like to remind you that teaching and supporting students isn't part of their job, it isn't soemthing they're paid for or given extra time to do, and must be done in conjunction with all the other work that needs doing.

I enjoy teaching, but last year my ward had five weeks where there were no students of any kind - constantly explaining, teaching, supporting and encouraging is exhausting. When we have to balance the needs of the students with competing patient, family , team and colleague needs, it's not surprising that sometimes the students will not be prioritised.

I'm not saying you guys aren't important - clearly you're vital - but I do ask that you view your placements from the staff's perspective as well as in terms of what you need from the placement.

Doing Cert III in Aged care, we only do 1 week clinical placement... it scares the hell out of me!!!!

But everyone has to start somewhere. It's the old thing of "can't get a job without experience, but can't can't experience without a job"

Actually, I interpret the ACNM's code of professional conduct to incorporate this in Conduct Statement 10
"Nurses practise nursing reflectively and ethically"
4. Nurses contribute to the professional development of students and colleagues.
However, it is always nice to be placed with a preceptor... they do know how to teach what we need to know!

I am in Brisbane and am based at the Mater Hospital South Brisbane. The students in my group have not come across nurses and midwives who are nothing but accepting of students, always willing to give us a chance to participate.