Appropriate Action?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am Nursing student with just over a semester until graduation, and I want your opinion on a situation that happened in clinicals.

A first-year student was discharging a patient who happened to be a gun shot wound victim. While he was removing the patient's IV, he was overheard telling the patient to "stop acting like a baby" when the patient complained of pain. He then told the patient that "if he was a big enough man to take a bullet, then he should be able to handle a little tape being pulled off his skin."

In the discharge papers the student prepared for the patient, he wrote down that perhaps in the future, the patient should avoid his current friend set, and stay outta trouble to avoid being shot at again.

This student knew nothing of the circumstances of the shooting; just offered his "helpful" advice.

The patient was, of course, outraged and reported the student to the unit manager. The clinical instructor who is a MSN, NP, was livid. She failed him on the spot and he has been expelled from the nursing program.

Although I thoroughly agree that his actions were wrong, I am wondering if the actions taken by the school were appropriate or not. Whaddya think?

Specializes in Critical Care, Pediatrics, Geriatrics.
I agree with the actions of the school. This patient was a victim of a crime! The nursing student totally disregarded the emotional trauma that the victim may be suffering from, and open the hosp. and school up to litigation.

I wouldn't call passing on unwanted advice and judgement a crime. Inappropriate yes! Grounds for diciplinary action, yes! But let's keep in mind, this is a student...a first year student at that. I really think there is more to the story here. This student probably has a history of odd behavoir and maybe even unsafe behavoir.

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Immediate expulsion tells me this was not a first incident. I'll side with the clinical instructor's judgement over this person's ability to become a nurse.

:yeahthat:

That was inappropriate behavior and documentation. I just wonder, however, if that student nurse knew that patient....outside of the hospital setting.

Even if they were acquainted outside of the hospital setting - then any interaction in a hospital setting should still be held to a professional standard of conduct. period.

Also, what the OP is speaking of is known as "hearsay"... it is 3rd party information and who knows whether the content and tone was embellished, intentionally or not. (that is human nature when relaying a juicy story)

I would venture to guess, as others have suggested, that there is far more to this story.

Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

I must be totally whacked today because I thought it was a little funny! Totally inappropriate to say, but I can see thinking that somewhat. Especially a nurse who has dealt with a lot of these situations. It is worrisome that a student was already thinking this way. Maybe he is just a really tough guy and that is the way he is wired. I am thinking maybe jailer might be a better occupation. I agree there were probably previous behaviors that entered into the equation and this was probably the last straw. I guess I am just not able to take this seriously today because it still kind of tickles me. Nothing I would ever do, but..........

Huh...pretty interesting.

Specializes in Critical Care, Pediatrics, Geriatrics.
I must be totally whacked today because I thought it was a little funny! Totally inappropriate to say, but I can see thinking that somewhat. Especially a nurse who has dealt with a lot of these situations. It is worrisome that a student was already thinking this way. Maybe he is just a really tough guy and that is the way he is wired. I am thinking maybe jailer might be a better occupation. I agree there were probably previous behaviors that entered into the equation and this was probably the last straw. I guess I am just not able to take this seriously today because it still kind of tickles me. Nothing I would ever do, but..........

No your not whack! haha! I found it sad yet comical as well. The student acted completely INAPPROPRIATELY!!!! Not knowing the circumstances of the situation and assuming it was a lifestyle choice, then adding it to the documentation...not good at all.

But if you just think about some of the patients you have had that did wind up in the hospital r/t their own hazardous lifestyle, and then complain and whine....there are some days you would LOVE to say what this student said to CERTAIN pts. I am not saying that this pt falls into that category so don't flame me...I am just saying that it tickles me a bit also. Besides, I am not involved in the matter so I think I can find a little humor in the situation.

:)

I wouldn't call passing on unwanted advice and judgement a crime. Inappropriate yes! Grounds for diciplinary action, yes! But let's keep in mind, this is a student...a first year student at that. I really think there is more to the story here. This student probably has a history of odd behavoir and maybe even unsafe behavoir.

The shooting victim not the nurse..where I live it's illegal to shoot people, may be different where you live.

Specializes in Internal Medicine Unit.
I am Nursing student with just over a semester until graduation, and I want your opinion on a situation that happened in clinicals.

A first-year student was discharging a patient who happened to be a gun shot wound victim. While he was removing the patient's IV, he was overheard telling the patient to "stop acting like a baby" when the patient complained of pain. He then told the patient that "if he was a big enough man to take a bullet, then he should be able to handle a little tape being pulled off his skin."

In the discharge papers the student prepared for the patient, he wrote down that perhaps in the future, the patient should avoid his current friend set, and stay outta trouble to avoid being shot at again.

This student knew nothing of the circumstances of the shooting; just offered his "helpful" advice.

The patient was, of course, outraged and reported the student to the unit manager. The clinical instructor who is a MSN, NP, was livid. She failed him on the spot and he has been expelled from the nursing program.

Although I thoroughly agree that his actions were wrong, I am wondering if the actions taken by the school were appropriate or not. Whaddya think?

I have to question whether or not those discharge orders actually made it to the patient. Our instructors never allowed anything in writing to go anywhere near a chart or a patient without their prior approval. Makes me think that there's more to this story...

Specializes in Urgent Care.
This patient was a victim of a crime!

hmmmm, I dont think that was a criminal act. If so....what would the charge be?

poor care, worse judgement, but I dont think it was a crime.

Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

But if you just think about some of the patients you have had that did wind up in the hospital r/t their own hazardous lifestyle, and then complain and whine....there are some days you would LOVE to say what this student said to CERTAIN pts. I am not saying that this pt falls into that category so don't flame me...I am just saying that it tickles me a bit also. Besides, I am not involved in the matter so I think I can find a little humor in the situation.

:)

So true ...

It goes without saying that the student acted completely inappropriately, and if this incident was one of a series of incidents in which the student displayed a total lack of understanding of the role of a nurse in patient education, then dismissal from the program was probably warranted, IMO. But, as one of our trauma docs is known to say, "trauma tends to be a recurring disease." In some patients, not all.

Maybe this is better suited to an ER thread, but here's a brief list of discharge instructions I would love to give some days:

1) ATVs & ETOH are bad.

2) Stop drinking a fifth of liquor each day - it's bad for you.

3) If you insist on OD-ing on your Klonopin, just take them all, DO NOT crush them & shoot them up w/your heroin.

4) If you go looking for a fight in a bar, you WILL find one.

:smackingf I could go on and on ...

hmmmm, I dont think that was a criminal act. If so....what would the charge be?

poor care, worse judgement, but I dont think it was a crime.

where I live it's illegal to shoot people, may be different where you live.

Specializes in Transplant, homecare, hospice.

Had I done something like this in my job, my would be reprimanded. I believe he should have been reprimanded. You never write anything in someone's chart like that tho. I'm not sure about him being kicked out of nursing school. I think maybe it would have been fair to put him on probation for his behavior....and if he did it again, can him. I think that the school was covering their BEhinds...and I think that they were embarressed...Who knows...maybe they have had problems at this hospital with other students.....and they had to act swiftly.

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