? for Nurses who deal with nursing students

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hello,

I am about to begin my clinicals at the hospital and I was told that some nurses don't like nursing students around. I don't know if this is true but I thought I would ask my question.

What is it that I can do to assure that I don't bother any of the nurses? That is the last thing I would want to do!:o Does anyone have any suggestions or problems you've had in the past that I could make sure NOT to do? I would really appreciate any input :)

If there is already a post about this- could you kindly direct me there?

Thank you !!

Specializes in Pediatrics.
i love having students around. really, i do! then energy and drive to learn is wonderful-----and they keep me on my toes, which is a good thing.

i think you touched on something here. not all nurses, but some, find this problematic. like the nurse who pre-signed her am meds before she gave them....the ones that my student was to give (yes, we did tell her we were givning them!!!)

this is a very good thread, imo. it touches on what the nurses' perception of the students are, and the student's perception of the nurses. some, at least. as an educator, this gives me some insight as to what the staff nurses are thinking when the students are on the floor.

the whole concept of the students 'standing around' is an issue for me. as a staff nurse, i often wondered 'what is their instructor doing, that these students have absolutely nothing to do'. well now i know...she's passing meds with the other students...which seems to take forever!! my problem is that the students will often tell me 'they have nothing else to do'. with a 1-8 or 9 ratio, i can't be a babysitter. i expect that they will know what to do in their 'downtime'. in my short time as an educator, i've seen more wallflowers than i care to mention. i'm not saying they're bad students, but some are just not self-directing. they are waiting to be told what to do. if the pt. is on o2, figure out why. if the pt is on iv fluids, figure out why. not to sound harsh, but if you don't know the answer to a question, i don't want to hear that you have nothing to do. many are nervous, and i understand that. been there, done that. but mine (right now) have a little over a year to get un-nervous. they're afraid to speak to the staff, and they're afraid to take care of their patients.

to the op- my answer to your question (as an educator) is take care of your patient. refer your questions to your instructor, unless it really is very patient-specific. one of my students asked the staff rn a question. pt was scheduled for a test at 9am, and had 9am meds due. she asked the nurse when should she give the meds? the nurse barked at her-loudly (which i thought was inappropriate). i tried to explain that that was an instructor-question.

use common sense. as many have said, if the nurse looks very busy, and is walking briskly throught the halls (and not to get her coffee, lol), chances are he/she may not be able to answer your question right away.

as a staff nurse (which i still am, in my spare time, lol): introduce yourself. get report. a few months ago, i had a student taking care of one of my patients, she never told me, nor asked me for report. i swear, i don't bite. i wouldn't be an educator if i didn't enjoy answering questions and helping students learn.

show some confidence, like you want to be there, and like you care. i personally don't look at too many students as 'know-it-alls'. they are looking to put the pieces together, to solve a mystery. often the instructor will clue them in to something (without telling them outright) and they are just trying to figure out the whole picture. but some rn's will be intimidated by a questioning student.

i think you touched on something here. not all nurses, but some, find this problematic. like the nurse who pre-signed her am meds before she gave them....the ones that my student was to give (yes, we did tell her we were givning them!!!)

this is a very good thread, imo. it touches on what the nurses' perception of the students are, and the student's perception of the nurses. some, at least. as an educator, this gives me some insight as to what the staff nurses are thinking when the students are on the floor.

the whole concept of the students 'standing around' is an issue for me. as a staff nurse, i often wondered 'what is their instructor doing, that these students have absolutely nothing to do'. well now i know...she's passing meds with the other students...which seems to take forever!! my problem is that the students will often tell me 'they have nothing else to do'. with a 1-8 or 9 ratio, i can't be a babysitter. i expect that they will know what to do in their 'downtime'. in my short time as an educator, i've seen more wallflowers than i care to mention. i'm not saying they're bad students, but some are just not self-directing. they are waiting to be told what to do. if the pt. is on o2, figure out why. if the pt is on iv fluids, figure out why. not to sound harsh, but if you don't know the answer to a question, i don't want to hear that you have nothing to do. many are nervous, and i understand that. been there, done that. but mine (right now) have a little over a year to get un-nervous. they're afraid to speak to the staff, and they're afraid to take care of their patients.

to the op- my answer to your question (as an educator) is take care of your patient. refer your questions to your instructor, unless it really is very patient-specific. one of my students asked the staff rn a question. pt was scheduled for a test at 9am, and had 9am meds due. she asked the nurse when should she give the meds? the nurse barked at her-loudly (which i thought was inappropriate). i tried to explain that that was an instructor-question.

use common sense. as many have said, if the nurse looks very busy, and is walking briskly throught the halls (and not to get her coffee, lol), chances are he/she may not be able to answer your question right away.

as a staff nurse (which i still am, in my spare time, lol): introduce yourself. get report. a few months ago, i had a student taking care of one of my patients, she never told me, nor asked me for report. i swear, i don't bite. i wouldn't be an educator if i didn't enjoy answering questions and helping students learn.

show some confidence, like you want to be there, and like you care. i personally don't look at too many students as 'know-it-alls'. they are looking to put the pieces together, to solve a mystery. often the instructor will clue them in to something (without telling them outright) and they are just trying to figure out the whole picture. but some rn's will be intimidated by a questioning student.

i

Specializes in Pediatrics.
please introduce yourself. please be polite. please don't ask questions that can be answered by doing clinical prep (questions like--is my pt on i&o? can my pt have gingerale?) also, please know how to take a manual bp and get the right reading. please actually record the i&o. if you ask where something is and you're told the location, please don't get mad that you weren't personally escorted to the item. if your rn just had a code and sent a pt to the unit, please don't get pissed if after a long am w/no break, she wants to go to lunch and have you, pt, and the 3 other students w/you deal w/putting your pt back to bed instead of quarterbacking the entire transfer. please don't cross things out on the flow sheet that your rn wrote b/c you don't agree w/her assessment. when doing a dsg, document that you did it and label the saline or whatever w/the date and time, esp if your rn has nagged you to do it a couple of times. if you're sitting around charting and alarms/call lights are going off and you don't answer them, don't be surprised if the rns get pissed. also, if the rns need a chart, esp to take off orders, just hand it over instead of saying you'll give it to us when you're done w/it. when you ask us for an interesting pt, don't refuse it b/c the pt has a colostomy and you don't like colostomies. guess what? neither do we, but get used to it. if you follow this fyis, the rns will love you and take you under their wings and seek out interesting things for you to see and put in a good word for you w/your instructor. with your caring and considering attitude, i can tell that you'll have no problem at clinical. i can tell you're a team player. the staff and pts will have a good rn on their hands!

those are my favorites (the highlighted ones). omg!!!! are you serious about the flow sheets?!?!?

my students are very good about the chart thing (although they'll take them away from the nurses station, and i can't defend them when the nurses yell at them).

in response to your question- i have no problem if a nurse comes to me with a student issue. i would like to know if something is going on that i did not observe. what i do have a problem with (and this happened recently) is when the staff nurse thinks i should have a 'leash' on each and every student. i have one pair of eyes, one pair of hands, and at least 8 students. i cannot supervise each of them every moment they are on your unit. and i'm not talking about not supervising them w/ med administration. they are all adults, they know what they should and should not be doing (theoretically), and need to be somewhat accountable for their actions.

what specifically was your issue? or was it one student who did everything you listed here?? (god, i hope not:uhoh21:)

Specializes in critical care transport.

Wow! This, by far, has been the best thread I have read at this website since I joined. I am going into my program this fall, and joined this website to get a "heads up" for what was comming.

I have heard the stories of "nurses who eat their young," and being one that DOES take initiative to do things and DOES want to learn, I wanted to know how it really was and what I can expect. This thread has been VERY beneficial. I'm here in Missouri, and I have waited for the day I'd begin school with great enthusiasm and anticipation. Whoever started this thread, THANK YOU!

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

I have students with me a couple times a year and i love having students. Yes the ones who find it more comforting to sit in the conference room instead of being out there doing what they can tend to stick in my side but they get what they ask for.

The go getters who are out there going with me to do assessments, talk to patients, give IV meds, whatever are the ones who actually get something out of their clinical experience and will be more likely to get jobs. They are more comfortable with the patients after graduation.

I also have no problems talking to an instructor about a student if need be. I figure they better count on our input because they cant be everywhere with everyone of the students while they are there.

Specializes in Med-Surg.

Since we're all sharing, here's my pet peeve as a student: Staff RNs who want to complain to me about other students. Last week the RN assigned to my patient told me about how she was going to have to report one of my peers for doing something inappropriate, told me his name and then asked me if I knew him. That's just unprofessional, take it up the chain please and don't drag me into it.

I honestly haven't had any "down time" since I was doing CNA clinicals. SN clinicals keep me literally running most of the time. Between assessments, meds, treatments, meeting psychosocial needs, looking up labs and new orders, charting, going through check-offs with my instructor, and working on my clinical paperwork it seems like there's never a spare minute. Most of the time I'm not even standing still long enough to get chewed out by anyone, LOL!

Specializes in ER.
Please don't cross things out on the flow sheet that your RN wrote b/c you don't agree w/her assessment.

This one goes in the "How dare you!" pile!

Specializes in Pediatrics.
this thread has been very beneficial. i'm here in missouri, and i have waited for the day i'd begin school with great enthusiasm and anticipation. whoever started this thread, thank you!

i think this thread benefits everyone, actually. students, staff rns and educators. everyone has been open and honest, and there have been no cat fights yet :chuckle (something rare on allnurses).

those are my favorites (the highlighted ones). omg!!!! are you serious about the flow sheets?!?!?

my students are very good about the chart thing (although they'll take them away from the nurses station, and i can't defend them when the nurses yell at them).

in response to your question- i have no problem if a nurse comes to me with a student issue. i would like to know if something is going on that i did not observe. what i do have a problem with (and this happened recently) is when the staff nurse thinks i should have a 'leash' on each and every student. i have one pair of eyes, one pair of hands, and at least 8 students. i cannot supervise each of them every moment they are on your unit. and i'm not talking about not supervising them w/ med administration. they are all adults, they know what they should and should not be doing (theoretically), and need to be somewhat accountable for their actions.

what specifically was your issue? or was it one student who did everything you listed here?? (god, i hope not:uhoh21:)

y

Specializes in Pediatrics.
yes, i'm serious about the flow sheets! and yes, it was all one student. and i forgot the funniest one. she came up tp me w/the pts tray and asked me to look at the tray and tell her what % of the meal he ate! i did get a chuckle out of that b/c i thought my co-workers and her were playing a joke on me. i felt bad when i saw she was serious. i think students in general are great, however. and the instructors are incredible b/c it's almost like having 8 pts if you have 8 students!

i really don't want to laugh, but....

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