Student Nurse Nightmare-Help!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in ER.

Recently my boss sent an email asking if any of the ER staff was interested in mentoring a 4th year RN student. I expressed that I MAY be interested and without further adieu she immediately assigned him to me, without any further details. I was annoyed because I never confirm that I would do it. The student then called me at work in the middle of a busy shift and was rather rude. I then sent my boss an email stating I was no longer interested and to please assign the student to someone else. She never answered and I never heard from the student again so I was shocked when he showed up looking for me. So then I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and make the best of it. Long story short, this guy is a nightmare. He is rude, arrogant and thinks he knows everything. He is only interested in performing tasks, even though I have tried to stress to him the importance of assessment, critical thinking and prioritizing. He frequently interrupts me, questions my clinical judgement and several times has walked away from me while I am speaking to him. He takes no initiative and seems only interested in busywork, like making beds, fetching blankets etc. I gave him the opportunity to perform chest compressions and to observe a paracentesis, which he declined. He has insulted me several times and I honestly don't think I can do this for six weeks. I keep asking my boss to assign him to someone else and it hasn't happened. What should I do? I am trying the best I can to be patient but I my patience is wearing thin.

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Specializes in Reproductive & Public Health.

Um, is this person an actual student or a graduate nurse? Are you responsible for teaching and assessing his skills? If so, then you need to give him a negative review and contact his school. If he is acting like this, that is more than reason enough for him to be dismissed from this clinical site.

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Wow. All you have to do is snap your fingers and you'd have at least 500 people to take his place!

If it were me, he'd be done and gone. Seriously!!!!! What an opportunity to blow off! I'd lay it out straight. So many with no chance like he's got. Go ahead and tell him next refusal of care opportunity in front of everybody that he can just leave right now if he refuses to participate in earnest, you will recommend that he be removed. Point blank. He's done.

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Specializes in Home Health,ID/DD, Pediatrics.

Wow. Hats off to you for trying to make the best out of this and to actually teach this guy something! I am a new grad and have only gotten one interview in a year post graduation so I can see he is blowing a great opportunity. I agree with the above response, put him in his place, send his lazy arss home or call his nursing instructor and give her an ear full. You are spending your time trying to help this guy out, and in this economy you would definitely have a bunch of people willing to take his place and potentially land a job...what a foolish nursing student to throw away a great opportunity to learn and a potential job!

I hope you can shake free of this person so that you can give your time and expertise to someone who really deserves it!

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Specializes in ER.

He was a senior BSN student at the time. I wound up contacting his clinical director and he was immediately removed. I am a very patient person and I love to teach. I have NEVER encountered a student or new grad like this. This was over a year ago. God know what the guy is doing now but in my opinion he has no business being a nurse.

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I had a student like that once (not quite as bad, but darn close). At first, I chalked the arrogance up to nerves, and then when I noted every day was starting out the same, I just took her into a room and said, "Ok...we have to get on the same page, do you want to learn or not? Because I have to fill out an evaluation on you at the end and right now, to be honest, I am not going to have anything good to report. I can teach you, but you have to be willing to learn, so what is it going to be?"

She actually thought that once she passed NCLEX she would just be turned loose in the hospital to care for patients, I informed her that she would have an orientation period that can last anywhere for 12 weeks to 6 months depending on the facility and if she kept the same attitude with another preceptor, they may elect to let her go before the orientation was complete.

With that reality check, she changed her tune. I would do the same in your case, but I would also find the clinical instructor and make sure she knows what is going on.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

I know this is an older thread but I have to put my two cents in on this and that is: It has been my experience with male student nurses and male RNs (with the exception on 1 over my 12 years of nursing) that they ALL act like they are the "big rooster in the hen house" and know it all!! I noticed in school that the men seemed to have an easier time of it given that the instructors were female and there were very few men (1 or 2) in my class. The instructors catered to them. Now they get out on the floor and think they're "all that and a bag of chips" and can't take any constructive criticism or instruction from their preceptors/coworkers. We presently have a male PCT/student nurse working prn on our floor that is a nightmare to say the least.

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Specializes in Skilled Nursing/Rehab.

I am currently a nursing student (first semester of clinical courses) and we have 3 male students in our class of 34. Two of these male students were in my first clinical group, and both were appropriately humble, approachable and willing to learn. I have noticed that 2 of the 3 guys in class seem to be very procedure oriented, and not so much into the reasoning/thinking part, but that my just be the way they are as people - people of "action." So far I have not noticed any arrogance or sexist attitudes on their parts!

Just wanted to put out a vote of confidence to the men in nursing! Just like the men in any field, they are not all hard to deal with. :)

I'm glad to hear this particular arrogant student was put in his place.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I have worked with many delightful men who are nurses or nursing students. But unfortunately, there are "bad apples" of both genders. Sometimes, we encounter them.

(I was going to say that sometimes, we "bite into them" ... but then I thought that might turn this thread to yet another "nurses eat their young" thread. :nono: )

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

So apparently, you've met MY capstone student from hell!

This guy LOVED to argue- about anything and everything. He was assigned to another preceptor for ONE SHIFT in my absence, and managed to **** off everyone on the unit. He was forced to apologize, and even that contained an embedded argument. Not sure where he ended up.

And to be clear, this had nothing to do with his gender. I've met this 'type' from both sides of the chromosome mix!

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What a *******!! I'm glad you were able to shed the dead weight. I am in my 4th semester in my BSN program and I would kill for that opportunity! As for males students/PCAs, I'm both and I bust my *** when I'm at work or at clinical. I take pride in being a team player. Maybe that is an exception, maybe it's due to my time spent in uniform. As for school I feel like my instructors are fond of me but none of them cater to me. I don't like generalizations like this.

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Wow! That sounds like the new cna working at my job. He argued over everything we were trying to teach him. Not to mention his eye rolls! He even stated he hated his job, but likes the money. I wish my manager would get rid of him. He is so awful to work with. Even the nurses are complaining! He even argued with our manager!

It's a beautiful day to save lives.

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