Losing respect for nursing students

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I've always been one that enjoyed having students. Im not one to eat the young. We were all there once. But I feel like I'm losing respect for some of the new students coming out. I guess I'm old school but we did not sit when we were students and we did not stand at the desk and gossip. You did not see a nurse or a doctor standing and a student sitting. Uniforms that look disastrous and hair hanging down. They are at times loud and unruly. Is the respect for our profession gone? Or is it just me?

I don't think this is a generational issue. I think it's about the boundaries, standards, rules, and expectations of the individual nursing program.

I would agree with you. My program is a mix of first-degreers and second-degreers, but without a doubt, if there are any issues about behavior/appearance on the unit, the clinical coordinators and faculty are not shy to say something about it. And neither should the nurses be shy to say something to the administration either. It is a bad reflection on the nursing program.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology, Med-Surg.

Most of the students I've worked with have been eager to learn and respectful. But I agree with OP, I'm starting to see more of what she describes.

It amazes me what students try to get away with, and it still amazes me what some instructors will tolerate
. One of my educator friends says that she fears how the students evaluate her has too much weight on whether she gets a contract the next semester.

I think the actions of the students speaks more for the program than the generation in total.

School these days are more about the money than they used to be and tolerate too much stuff in the name of getting that tuition.

So do them and the profession a service and get them up off their butts because reality is going to be a rude awakening.

Yes, then we're expected to precept these types of people.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Some of you nurses are too hard on the students. You have to realized that they are just that, students.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

It's so funny to come across this thread. I was thinking the same thing. We have a lot of students at the hospital I work at. And one day every single one of them was in the room next to the nursing station chit chatting. I usually don't get a student because I'm a float nurse but I was floored. I hardly ever see them in rooms. One particular school the students are always hovering around the nurses station and not doing anything.

When I was in school if we were caught sitting we would get in trouble. I guess things are different now.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am 'justavolunteer' who is probably older than many of the nurses, so I grew up in a totally different time. Generally, the students here have the instructor continually roaming on the unit. They can't goof off when that happens. On the other hand, I did see a young RN once show up in scrub bottoms & a tank top (bare midriff) on a weekend. I think the house director got one look & that was the end of that. I also see some CNA's who aren't polite to RN's & vice-versa. Respect or lack of can occur in any age group.

My personal approach is that if a nurse needs a seat, she gets the seat & I stand or find a spot out of the way. It has nothing to do with relative ages & everything to do with respect. If you volunteer for awhile on a pt. floor & can't get 'respect for nurses', you probably never will!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in geriatrics.

It's this generation. Some are great....others think they're entitled. A recent hire had to be told that she can't push a med cart and talk on her cell phone or text in report. Seriously?!? By three of us, on separate occasions.

Just pathetic, and unfortunately, behaviours such as this are more common these days.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

So I am a traditional student in an ADN nursing program and some of these things mortify me. In my program we are taught at the beginning what is appropriate, that we are guests at the hospital and we are there to learn and assist the nurses if we can. Our uniforms must be clean and appropriate looking, no nails or jewelry, and small amounts of makeup. If we do not follow this, we fail a clinical. If we cannot explain our drug's mechanism of action or the most important side effects we can fail the clinical, and you better know what the corresponding lab value is, or have a new BP/Pulse rate for an antihypertensive. We used to be allowed to take the charts to the break room for clinical prep if we left a note in its place, unfortunately a student took a chart from a DOCTOR while he was looking at it, so now we have to sit at the nurses station. I can completely understand that, and trust me she sees the error now. During clinical we cannot be in the break room unless we need to double check a lab value range or something like that, but you better not be sitting down taking your time. If our patient is busy or sleeping we are expected to answer any and all call lights, and to stock the med carts. If an instructor sees someone standing around outside a room, they will check the nearest cart, if it is full they will come ask to see our charting to make sure that it is done. If it is then she will find something for us to do. Do not get me wrong we do have students from all generations that push, but it is very clear that if you push for certain things you will be sent home. Maybe you can list everything in a syllabus, I am sure that most of the clinical instructors discuss what is appropriate, but if it is in writing it is easier to dismiss the student and then have it ready if they were to go to the dean or another nursing advisor.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-surg, home care.

I just starting taking pre req so it would be sometime before I am a nursing student but if I had a preceptor that allowed me to do something other than observe, I would definitely do it! I am not interesting in nursing to just around and gossip I would want to learn all that I could so that by the time I became a nurse, I'd be as competent as I could be. Then again I am in my 30's with my own family an already established career (I would be a second degree student) so that might have something to do with it? If I were much younger and had very little "real world" experience I would think I would be more immature.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psychiatric, Med-Surg, Operating Room.

I think it's a combination of various factors. As graduate of a ABSN program, I can tell you that the annoying behaviors described in the OP's post were not a part of my program. Most of my clinical instructors told us that if we had to sit to either use a room that wasn't being occupied or give up our seats if a staff member needed them. We were also reminded that we were a representation of our program & that in order to keep good relations with the hospital/clinical site our behavior would influence those decisions. If students are texting on the unit or participating in other non-beneficial activities I would bring it up to the clinical instructor. If the clinical instructor did not do anything I would go to my nurse manager. People need to be held accountable for their actions (or lack thereof). If the students can not adhere to the professional standards of the clinical site then they (nor their school) should be invited back.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in RN.

Could be an isolated incident, but I don't think so. Just look at our cultural changes over the past 20 years even. Respect by the young has eroded to the point of them being just plain offensive. For the younger generation reading this, I understand that you personally may not be guilty of this, but your generation is, sorry. I like young people, but I hate their mindset! One of my challenges as an RN was learning to delegate for example, and that is partially due to growing up and having to do things (responsibilities), vs asking someone else (society) to hand me something (entitlement).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency.

Just this week, we finished up with a group of first semester students. I'm the first to admit that I don't like students (especially first semester) because they are often more of a hindrance, than help to me. That said, I don't let on to this fact, nor do I treat them poorly. I help them out, answer questions, etc.

My biggest gripes about them though? Vitals. If you're in charge of AM vitals (as in not allowing my tech to get them), then you need to document them when you do them. Not 45 minutes later. I've had this problem with two of the last four groups we've had (different schools), and speaking to the instructor and the students seems to do nothing. Gah.

We had one girl in the most recent group who is also a tech. She would sit at the main nurses station to look up info the night before, as well as the day of. That drove me nuts. And her scrubs were impossibly tight - so much so that she split her pants on the first day, when she bent over to start a bed bath. Her choice of top wasn't much better.

The lack of professionalism amazes me.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'm glad to have students w/ us. At my hospital, we're having last-semester ADN students. They're very polite, respectful, eager, earnest students; most of them are probably 20's or 30's in age, some maybe in their 40's, and I think a lot are either second-degree or second-career. One of them was noticing things that I myself didn't, and helped the Pt that day, and helped me learn, too. I've never seen any unprofessional behavior from any of them.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment