Requesting No Students During Orientation

[purplegal]

So, I just began my first nursing position about a month and a half or so ago. However, I have not spent much time on my floor because I have been attending classes, Department of Nursing orientation sessions, attending ACLS, taking competencies, and the like. The few times that I have been on the floor, a majority of the time my preceptor and I have been assigned to work with a student, as well. Now, I know that as a nurse I will be working with students, which I don't have a problem with. In fact, the times that I have worked with a student, I have rather enjoyed it and am looking forward to working with them. The thing is, though, is that tasks that I need practice doing and experiencing are often delegated off to the students, especially since, for the past year, I worked as an ECG technician, and did not have any clinical experience while completing my BSN degree (I graduated with my ADN last year). Often times, tasks are delayed because we are waiting for the student to complete them, which doesn't help with my time management skills. It has become evident that my skills have been weakened because of this break, although, mind you, they are still there, and my charting is, while still very accurate and detailed, not up to the speed it once was.

I was discussing this with my Nursing Education Specialist and Nurse Manager, and they both agreed that I could benefit from clinical time with no students. They did not feel that it was a rude request, and there are plenty of other nurses, with more experience, that can work with the students until I get acclimated to the unit and doing nursing work again. At the same time, I do have to wonder about the fairness of this request, and whether other nurses might find it rude that my preceptor and I are not working with any students. After all, taking on students creates extra work for them, as well, especially if they have more than one to work with. I do not want to create resentment in my new work environment. Additionally, it makes assigning patients more difficult for the instructors of these students, especially since they will have to avoid assigning students to the patients I will be working with. Lastly, I'm possibly taking away some experiences for the students to have, since they won't be assigned the patients I will be.

What are your thoughts? Is this rude or not?

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

Not rude. An orienting nurse should not be sharing their 1:1 preventing nurse with students. It's not fair to you during the orientation education process and management apparently agrees. You are not taking away student experience you are giving away YOUR patient experience.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

Not rude in the least.

[sailornurse]

Agree that since you are assigned a preceptor, you are in a learning mode, adjusting to this role. It is a legitimate request. This is the time allowed for you to practice any skills/time management while you have a preceptor that "has your back". As a former faculty, I never assigned students to new grads/nurses new to the hospital etc. New grads for at least 1 year anyway, there is a learning curve, we all know that. You have approached it very professionally, going up the chain of command. When feel you are ready to teach students, let your manager know but it would not be unreasonable for at least 6 months or up to 1 year not to take students. That is not crazy to establish boundaries. Good for you to recognize your learning needs.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

This should be standard. An orienting nurse takes priority over a student. A senior student completing her preceptorship takes priority over students just in clinical group. When I was precepting a senior nursing student, I let the clinical instructors know that I already had a student and would not be taken on another that shift. The instructor needs to consider the needs of the unit when making her students' assignments and there are some patients that should not be assigned to students. In my world, on that top of that list are patients who already have an orienting nurse assigned to them and end of life patients (pediatrics).

[txstudent6, BSN, RN]

Not rude..I'm a nursing student and the charge nurse never gave the preceptor or nurse in orientation a student bc it would be "too much"

[RNKPCE]

Absolutely not rude. You have very good reasons why you are asking for this. I don't blame you. I think even having students during your first month/months or so on your own shouldn't happen either.

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

I agree that your request is not rude. You need to be working on your skills at this time.

[VANurse2010]

It was beyond ridiculous that your preceptor had a student with you in the first place. Not only was your request not rude, they were rude, albeit unintentionally, by not knowing how to competently administer orientation.

[Libby1987]

I don't think rude is the relevant term, unless you're rude in your delivery. I think you mean unreasonable, and absolutely not. I'm surprised this is even a possible scenario.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

Not rude in the least. Not only is having a student performing skills that you still need to work on taking away from your orientation it is also adding to your preceptors load.

To me that is the person I would really expect to be complaining about this. Think about it from the preceptors point of view. That nurse is responsible for teaching you your job plus has the added work of dealing with a student all while being ultimately responsible for the patients under his or her assignment. I'd cry foul if I were the preceptor in that situation.

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

Why would they take a student if they are precepting someone new? Not good practice for sure. And it is not unreasonable for you to request this.