[mcknis]

Yes keep asking questions, and try to get involved with other pts if you have time as well. Any time you are able to learn something, get in and get involved. Lots to learn, and, NO you don't know it all. Trust me, I am in your shoes right now. We can all learn form one another.

[Nikkis 3]

Thank you, thank you for taking the time to write that post. A student couldn't
ask for a more honest opinion delivered in a respectful and caring manner.
They were very lucky that you took the time to explain to them what they
needed to do or to change in order to correct the situation.

Nikkis 3

[Absolutely13]

This could be a great sticky. I think it would only be fair to recognize the other side of the equation - the fact that students will see things during clinicals that are not by the book.

I am currently a CNA, so I'm not trying to stir up any angst with my fellow caregivers. These are some of the things that I saw constantly during my own clinicals done by Certified Nursing Assistants:

Not drawing curtians, not using bath blankets, almost no oral care, refusal to change a resident until after break, coming back 15 minutes late from lunch, not repositioning every 2 hours for those who need it, doing 60 vitals in a row before informing the RN of abnormal BP's and respirations, there were a handful and HIPAA violations.

I'm hoping it was just this facility; our class was mortified by the level of care. Our clinical instructor never wants to go back there again.

Fair is only fair.

Oh yeah, we could not answer call lights on our own, or anything else without direct supervision; we were not yet certified by the state.

[love_being_an_aide]

I enjoy when we have the nursing students come to our floor to do their med/surg. clinical. The only thing I have to add, besides asking questions, is don't treat the aides disrespectfully. We may not be nurses, but we know a heck of alot about our patients--afterall, we are the ones who work with them on a daily basis.

[mistirose]

Originally Posted by love_being_an_aide

I enjoy when we have the nursing students come to our floor to do their med/surg. clinical. The only thing I have to add, besides asking questions, is don't treat the aides disrespectfully. We may not be nurses, but we know a heck of alot about our patients--afterall, we are the ones who work with them on a daily basis.

Everyone should be treated with respect. I worked as a CNA for many years before going back to school to be a nurse. I graduate in May. Believe me I will not forget the hard work of the aides. It should always be a team effort to benefit the patients. I worked under many lazy nurses. I will not be one of those nurses. In all fairness I worked with some really good ones too. Being a CNA was one of the hardest jobs I ever had. I stuck with it because I loved the interaction with the patients. I loved the stories they told. The elderly have seen so much in thier lifetime. Thank you to all who love your job and remember you are an important part of the team!

[BL7162]

I hear you.......Will post this in my classroom. I do give my students instructions, but better coming from you directly. CNA instructor, Idaho

[Someday_A_Nurse]

I understand part of the original post, but I have a lot of disagreements with it. The big one is asking the clients about their own care. I am doing my CNA clinicals at a nursing home, and we have to check the Care Cards on the inside of their closet doors every day. They change all the time. If we answer a call light to help someone to the toilet, we have to check the care card to see if they're a one-person, two-person, hoyer lift, standing lift, etc. If we asked them, they would say they could do it themselves, which would really be a disaster.

Your suggestion to ask the clients puts the facility as well as us (and our instructors) at great legal risk in this litigious society.

[jaywolves]

Just started my clinicals and I'm glad this has been posted. I would add only one note and that is that every situation is different.

I spent my first night on clinicals in the ER. Following a couple of people I would NOT trust with the care of a stray animal. Not personable, not clean. Not pleasant. In the 5 hours I was there, not once did I see them wash their hands. They brushed over cleaning tasks. It was a slow night and there was plenty of time for focus on the basics.

I felt bad for the Nurses who obviously worked quite hard. They were all brilliant and as much as I was in awe of their knowledge their ability to simply get the job done and get the patients cared for was simply incredible. They were fast, efficient and excellent teachers. Focused on me as much as the patients. It was truly a great experience. I did feel really bad that I am working to hold the same qualification as the two I was there to shadow. Yeah, their job wasn't really something you'd look up to or aspire to become. It was, nonetheless, their job and it really felt and looked like it was being performed half-assed.

When you have students, be conscious of the fact that - like you said - it's MUCH different in the real world than it is in the classroom. Also realize that as students we have NO IDEA what we are supposed to do. We are told simply that we have to perform X-hours of clinicals. We aren't told that we should be taking care of this or that. We are told to check in and we'll be given tasks. So if there's something you expect of us when we are in your care, because we are in your care as much as the patients are, be clear about what your expectations are.

We're fresh meat. We're new to you, the patients (way different than training dummies), the environment of the hospital/care center is VAST in comparison to our one tiny classroom where we use our imaginations to simulate patient responses. It's a lot take in. We will become what you make us. If you and your staff happen to have habits that border on lazy or unclean, our first impression is that it's okay to be lazy and unclean. If you're short with your patients or rude to their families, our first instinct is that the particular behavior is acceptable.

Think of your clinical students like children. You are responsible in some way for the nurses we may one day become.

Give us the tools to be our best - we'll give you our best.

[NatashaFromOregon]

Thanks! I'm starting a CNA class soon and this is really helpful!

[FutureNurse23]

Well I had 2 preceptors the 1st one I had was awful. I watch her chart in my clinicals for about 1 hr and all she had my classmate and I do was hand out cups of ice water and we made one patient's bed. That was the whole four hours of my 1st day of clinicals.
The next day I changed preceptors due to a family matter with my 1st one. The second preceptor I had was excellent in teaching among she did showed my classmate and I everything that was done by the book and how we would do it in the real world. One thing that I can agree with is that I didnt see many bath blankets being used or reassuring that the patients had privacy when they was giving their bedbaths. As far as turning the patients every two hours I didnt really see that neither due to I never remained with one patient more than the other. I was going from room to room. Overvall though I enjoyed my clinicals very well.
I'm sure that many CNA's when training students aren't able to work to their full level though. I know how it is training a person many times you dont have time to do things the correct way or by the book. It can be very time consuming when teaching. So lets give the people who shared their everyday careers with us the up most respect. I'm thankful for my clinicals and the CNA who took the time out to share their skills with me.