The student nurse

Nurses General Nursing

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How do you feel about working with a student nurse? How comfortable are you with the student nurse basically taking over your patients and paper work while you observe? If you are not comfortable with the student taking your patient load what do you like your student nurse to do while assigned to you and your patients.

Frankly, I think a student nurse should be taking a full assingment, with guidence, by the end of their education. It would prepare them better for the real world when they graduate.

This idea of having students only taking 1 pt at a time does not prepare them for the real world. Orientation is NOT the time to learn how to manage a full pt load in my opinion. Orientation should be about learning how things are done in this specific hospital/unit, not about how to learn how to manage a full pt load. that should have been done during the last semester of nsg school.

My last semester of school had us taking four patients by ourselves, but it was only 3/4 of a day, so not a fair comparison to the "real deal". Still, for those four patients, we handled AM care, meal assist prn, meds, assessments, charting. If our patients were going for tests, we got them ready and received report afterward along with the returned patient. It was hard, I remember, but it was also a taste of what it would be like later (at least for dayshift, the workload was close, although it was still easier).

I recognize that I'm not addressing the OP's question (as I am not qualified), however I'd like to weigh in. :D

As a student nurse, when I come on to a busy, busy, buuuusy Med-Surg floor, I feel like a jerk interrupting the nurses.

I am incredibly grateful that they let me tag along beside them and inevitably slow them down.

Fortunately, I've never had a nurse decline to take me on. That doesn't mean I'm not pleasantly surprised each and every time they say yes. I get the "wary eye" from time to time in the beginning, but that eases up once I've shown a bit of competency in my SN role and show that I am not going to undo their efforts towards caring for their patient (rip out tubes, freak out, whatever).

I don't think the nurses owe me anything. When I started nursing school, I never considered the fact that one day I may have to precept students, and I can't say that I'd be a ball of funshine and sprinkles with each and every student.

To the nurses, thank you for not swatting me away, taking the time to teach me, to challenge me, and thanks for not making too much fun of me when i stutter and trip over wheelie things.

I will add that I'm scared to post on these boards. I am also showing an incredible amount of restraint by limiting my emoticon usage to one. For now.

I can see the first line was directed at me, so....I would never want you to NOT weigh in, especially when you have such a positive attitude. I objected to the original student's post because I felt it was inappropriate in light of the question being asked. Your opinions ARE welcomed; I saw no antagonism in your post and it actually made me smile.

You'd be welcomed by most any nurse who likes to teach, most certainly :)

You shouldn't feel like a jerk or a nuisance. Continuing competence is an integral part of nursing and no one should make you feel like you need to kiss the ground they walk on because they're sharing their knowledge with you. I'm so tired of these holier-than-thou attitudes that are displayed on these boards from some nurses; yeah, it's been said and I'll say it again - everyone was a STUDENT at one point in their life. Students should be respected and valued, they are vessels of YOUR knowledge who will be leading the nursing world once you're out of the game.

Since I'm not the one to whom this post was directed, I can't accept or refuse your apology, but I must say you not only sound hateful, but your comment about "nurses saying how much they hate students" is really off-target.

I don't know a single nurse who "hates" student nurses. But you, the student, really should remember that your very presence as a student creates additional work for the nurse to whom you are assigned (or, to whom you have patients SHE'S already got as her assignment).

Um what?

Two things here. One, you don't know a single nurse who hates student nurses? Well, your post was completely unnecessary and oozes resentment towards nursing students

Two, having a student nurse creates additional work for you? How so? Because you have to read over their documentation? How long does that take, an extra five minutes out of your day?

I'll admit nursing students in their first ever clinical placement may take a bit more of your time just because everything is new to them...luckily they have instructors on the floor to guide them, they are not your sole responsibility.

When I was a student some short months ago, I was placed on the floor that I work on now, a busy surgical floor. I had a full patient load and worked unsupervised while my preceptor sat around playing Angry Birds on her iPad.

This idea of having students only taking 1 pt at a time does not prepare them for the real world. Orientation is NOT the time to learn how to manage a full pt load in my opinion. Orientation should be about learning how things are done in this specific hospital/unit, not about how to learn how to manage a full pt load. that should have been done during the last semester of nsg school.

Pepper, you're tough!

It gripes me so bad to see students with no initiative. Please, just go into the pts rooms and empty urinals, pick up trays, offer snacks, talk with the patient, or feel free to follow me. Just do something other than asking me what you can do all day. :(

I think one explanation for this behavior is that the student has never been in the healthcare setting before and has no idea what tasks are or are not okay for them, especially since they've been trained in school to be extra-careful about everything they do. If I empty a urinal, maybe the RN wanted to see what it looked like first. If I offer a snack, maybe the patient is not allowed certain foods. If I follow you, maybe I'm not invited since I've been asking you what I can do and you've not offering any suggestions.

Some RNs 'dislike' SNs I think because they're uncomfortable with their own practice and it's like they're reminded of the anxiety of school all over again when they're questioned about it.

Last thought: I wish the hardest part of my day was the med pass. I don't know how to explain it but somehow even when I have very few meds to give, my day is still packed with nursing activities. Thank you for giving one or two of my patients their meds but.. really.. you don't understand it's SO much more than that.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
unquestionably, i'm totally comfortable and confident as a season nurse therefore, i wouldn't have any problem with this situation. in addition, i sincerely enjoy teaching and what better situation for the student to have someone to offer constructed guidance and support while performing pt. care. undoubtedly, i would be the one making sure that the student will deliver the highest caliber of nursing care to my patients, while he/she is adhering to the protocol of the facility where i work. having said that, i would teach the student the proper short cuts in order to deliver an efficient prompt total pt. care, it would be a win/win situation in this case for me and the student:d
what kool-aid are you drinking?
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I want to weigh in. I am a SN. I know I have never taken a full load, if you are allowing them to take that, then that's your problem. We usually have one patient and the others we just went with the nurse and only did what she/he wanted us to do. If the nurse didn't feel comfortable allowing us to do something, they always told us and we got our instructor or the nurse did it instead. Also, you don't just observe. You have an obligation to the patient still. That means if I were to assess the patient, just because I assessed them doesn't mean you don't have to. As far as meds, my nurse I was with always watched me closely and I checked the meds when I got them from the Omnicell; I checked the meds against the computer; I checked the patient's arm band and asked the patient's name and date of birth. As far as paperwork, I always had the nurse double check it and if I didn't know something, I didn't record it or I asked. Plus, we had to have our stuff co-signed. My thing is, if you don't want a SN, say so. The nurses have said that before...and it wasn't to the instructor, we would be standing right with the instructor when they said that. My apologies if I sound hateful; but I get tired of nurses saying how much they hate students. You don't have to take them. Just remember, you weren't born a nurse; you at one time were a student too.
I have read through the whole thread, and I know you've already gotten smacked by RNsRWe. But I think it's worth tackling again lest you think she is just an outlier. Your attitude does leave something to be desired, and I can certainly see where a nurse would have difficulty being assigned with you for a day. The thing is, not all nurses have the option of saying "No thanks, I don't want a student today." Nor do we have the option of saying, "OK -- I'd love a student. Just not THAT one." Believe it or not, I remember being a student. I remember being scared to death of offending the nurse, excrutiatingly aware that I was slowing down her day and hyper-vigilent about making sure my patinets were clean, comfortable and cared for. All too often these days, we get students who are convinced that they're "doing us a favor" simply by being there and "doing our work for us." Nothing could be further from the truth.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I think its the most saddest thing when experiences nurses 'dislike' the present of student nurses. Where do you think you as an experienced nurse learned your skills? From the FAIRY NURSE?!!! Every single one of us started as student nurses scared out of our a*$ and praying that we don't harm our patients. Now student nurses have to worry about hateful nurses who are so darn adamant to Not work with students. I have noticed on my unit the nurses that don't want students, tend to be bitter who are burnt-out and need to get out of nursing! They really have attitude problems. And I am not ashamed to say it!!!!I am a nurse, and I love to work with student nurses. They are such a benefit for us nurses! Not only do they ease the pt load for me (no complain from me there) but they truly want to learn and really go out of their way to help out. I love that I can teach someone and know that they will pass on that knowledge to their peers. Much appreciation to student nurses! You have a fan in your corner!1

As an experienced nurse, I know exactly where I learned most of my skills -- from the aides and LPNs I worked with on my first job. Not during nursing school, where we had only eight hours of clinical a week and the patients we were assigned rarely needed the skills we'd just covered in the skills lab.

The reason student nurses need to worry about "hateful nurses" who are adamant not to work with students is that those same nurses have been abused over and over by entitled, ungrateful, lazy or know-it-all students who sap away at your love of teaching and suck up any possibility of "free time" you might have during your shift to hold a patient's hand or comfort a frightened family. We've also had some wonderful students or restore our love of teaching, but the ratio isn't what it used to be.

I cannot speak to the nurses on your unit that don't want students, but "bitter, burned out and need to get out of nursing" does not indicate any compassion on your part for your co-workers who have presumably suffered through your orientation and helped to teach you everything that you know. I suggest to you that if student nurses ease your patient load, you're not doing it right. Figure out what you need to do to actually mentor the students while ensuring that YOU are on top of your patients and that they are getting the best possible care, and then come back and tell us about burnt out nurses with attitude problems.

I am also a student nurse and have been given a nurses entire load as a last semester student. By entire load i mean 3-4 patients. I did rather well with this because the nurse and i had great communication and worked together to plan the day. This post is not meant to be degrading to student nurses or nurses. I just want a nurses perspective on how they deal with students... Al of my clinical experiences have been wonderful and i have enjoyed and thanked all the nurses that take on the extra work that a student causes them. I do think though that good communication skills are the key to having a good clinical experience.

Im sorry i should also add that the nurse did all of her own assessments and i did mine and we discusses our findings together, we set the goals for the day for the patient and i would encourage the pt to meet those goals, then report back to the nurse all the interventions i was doing with each pt. if there were meds to give we gave them amd discussed them together and any skills needing done i did with her assistance. From the sounds of it i should be, and i am, very lucky and thankful to be having such a great clinical experience!

You need to just jump in and do things

Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Flight.

im not gonna go thru and quote all 5 pages. but i can concur as a student nurse that there are RN's that flat out say they dont like student nurses. or when we are assigned a particular primary RN you can tell by their horrible attitude they dont care to have us around.

I will say that as a final semester senior, I take on a full team of 4-5 patients, i collaborate with my primary RN, I do meds,assessments and whatever else other RN duties need to be done for the next 8hrs Im there. Having a good primary RN can really make or break your day especially when in the learning role.

this whole "oh u came over to me to have me check meds and stopped me from working" ...well guess what its ultimately your responsibility as the primary to make sure meds are given properly /safely. and further more alot of the time....(not always.) when we go to get our meds checked off our nurse is either stuffing their face or texting or gabbing to coworkers because they are caught up so we arent really hindering their "flow"..

I am also an EMS instructor, and I love teaching students, seeing their thought process and helping them succeed. I dont find them to be "in the way" or a bother at all. If anything it keeps both of us on our toes and working together makes the day go by faster. I remember what it was like to be in their shoes and i never forget that... apparently some ppl (no matter what discipline they are in)...seem to forget that too quickly....get off your high horses..lol

Nursing is about teamwork. you will have senior members and junior members and as senior members its your job to help build our confidence so that we can perform at optimum. & dont forget we lowly SN's will be caring for you all one day...;)

To the OP , you didnt sound hateful at all you were quite accurate in your description.

thats all i gotta say

*drops the mic*

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