A lamb in a den of wolves!

[Jinx322]

The nurse that you're paired up with during your clinical rotations can make or break your love of a certain field. I fully understand that you (RN) has been at the hospital since 6:45am, or earlier, have 6+ patients who don't all understand that you are trying your best to care for their needs. Have more than likely been peed, pooped, and/or vomited on, and are more than likely late with your assessments because of a difficult patient but please, I beg you, don't take it out on me, the young naive nursing student that is following you like a lost puppy; because I want to do is learn something other than what's in the text book. I'm here to learn, to see what 'real' nursing is all about and who knows, I might be a colleague in a few years. We as students are truly like a ball of clay and how you treat us during these rotations does mold us. Remember, you were a student once too!

[Stephalump]

I've never really felt like I was being given a nurse. I look at it more like I'm being given a patient who also has a nurse. If the nurse doesn't want to collaborate with me my day is definitely less exciting, but there are still things I can do for my patient. There's a lot more research of my part and a lot more picking of my CIs brain, but it's worth something. And at the very least, I end up with GREAT rapport with my patients and a fantastically intricate care plan :)

[sharpeimom]

I was a psych nurse and my reaction to students usually ranged from enjoying them for who each was and sharing my knowledge, to "When will they leave?) I worked in a state hospital and many of our patients were capable of exploding with no notice and over seemingly nothing. Sometimes, a student would arrive with the expectation of what type of patients we had, and what their assignment would be, despite briefings beforehand by their instructors and be disappointed by the realities of their actual assignment when they got it. Our patients were there long-term for the most part and when the students got onto the building and realized that their assignment would be to talk with a patient, go with him to whatever was scheduled, and keep a student journal for the duration, they would quite often be disappointed and let down. They would usually have four patients total during their rotation. Some students were unable to understand that certain topics had to be avoided with certain patients. They also had problems grasping that most would never be cured despite whatever new razzle dazzle drugs were developed down the road. I enjoyed our students. I really did enjoy teaching them, but being smacked with the realities of our patients' day-to-day lives frequently proved to be too much to grasp for our mostly young students.

[HM-8404, BSN, RN]

I have come to the conclusion that as a nursing student often you are unwanted, a hinderance, someone that at times must be endured, and that is ok because nurses are stressed and overworked. These same nurses often complain about nursing students being lazy and not really interested in what the nurse is doing. Who really wants to be around someone when you know they don't want you there? Has it occurred to some of these nurses perhaps the student is in a clinical they have no desire to be in, OB, Psych, Med/Surg, etc and is only there because they are required to be? Unless my school is vastly different than others we have to go where we are sent, they don't take requests for clinical sites or units.

Also don't forget that students have to do certain things required by their program related to each clinical such as write care plans, make drug cards, along with learning the drugs. There is more to their day than following the nurse around. Learning or practicing the tasks give many of us a break from the textbook. The tasks also help to reinforce what was covered in the classroom.

I don't understand the thinking behind, Cut the nurses some slack because they are having a bad day, didn't ask for a student, etc... but the student that does not act or perform like a seasoned nurse is unrealistic in their thinking, lazy, stupid, uninterested, etc.

Geez, you don't want a student and the student most likely does not want to be anywhere near you. You as a nurse have more say in the matter than a student does.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

[quote=HM-8404;7130541

Geez, you don't want a student and the student most likely does not want to be anywhere near you. You as a nurse have more say in the matter than a student does.

That's not actually the case. Staff nurses are given assignments - that include having a student. They don't have the option of refusing.

I think that the early comment - about the lack of true clinical instructors (paid by the school) is the real problem. If you are lucky enough to have a real clinical instructor that is readily available to answer your questions and stand at your side and help you perform those new tasks..... you are VERY fortunate.

[FlorenceNtheMachine]

Hang in there, and repeat, "it's because they have too much on their plate." if they seem perturbed.

Assess the big picture, and see if there is any time consuming tasks that you can handle by yourself (toileting, feeding, grabbing supplies, etc.) and volunteer. The nurses will probably think of you, if there is any unique learning opportunities.

I heard a lot of, "I'm not a CNA" crud when I went to school (oh lordy did I say it too? Probably, in a weak moment.) Resist! Be helpful, be kinda invisible, and work hard.

[workinmomRN2012, BSN]

@Jinx322- I can relate, your post was right on the money. Whether anyone wants to admit it or not, there are those nurses that really dont want to be bothered, they could be sitting at a desk looking at personal email and still act as if your interrupting major surgery! I graduated in May 2012, I got a job in an SNF with a 60 bed rehab. My unit handles up to 20 pts with just me as the nurse and 2 aides and I still respond and teach my coworkers and try not to act as if your bothering me, cause I've had that done to me and I decided that that was the kind of nurse I was NOT going to be! When I was doing my last clinical rotation in nursing school I remember giving report to a nurse on her patient that I had taken care of all day for her (w/o asking her questions at all during the day) and she wouldn't even give me the courtesy of looking at me, she was on the computer- you guessed it- on FB. I wanted to tell her "look you had 5 patients today and I took care of one of them all day and you can't even give me the common courtesy of looking at me? So, I know that there are nurses on here that say "suck it up" or "your too sensitive". Truth is, some nurses are just plain RUDE!!!

[rubato, ASN, RN]

I've changed my view after my first semester.

I was assigned to a nurse my first day of clinicals who treated me like I didn't exist for 8 solid hours. She wouldn't talk to me, didn't want to show me anything, and was downright rude when I tried to ask her questions.

I got assigned to her again a few weeks later and actually cried at the thought of dealing with her for the whole day. But, I did it and made it through, even though it was a horrid day.

Fast forward to my last day of clinicals, my instructor sheepishly came up to me and told me she had assigned me to this nurse again. She had 2 palliative patients, and I'm very interested in becoming a hospice nurse, which my instructor knew. She was trying to give me an important learning experience. She gave me the option of having a different nurse, but no palliative patients. I decided to just suck it up and go with the "mean" nurse instead.

I had the best day ever at clinicals. First off, the palliative experience was important. But, the nurse was awesome! She taught me so much that day. I got to see why she had been so rude the first two times; because her patients come before all else, including teaching a student. She was not there for me, but for the 5 patients she was in charge of. She had a little more time and showed me how to do a lot of things I hadn't done before, like tube feedings.

I am grateful for all the nurses that had to put up with all my silly questions, and rudimentary knowledge.

[Do-over, ASN, RN]

We often have clinical groups on our unit and they are not assigned to a staff nurse - they get a patient assignment, or some other unit wide assignment. While I am happy to answer a question here or there, or offer up an experience to the group, they have an instructor who is responsible for them. And, the instructors are always around and engaged. The only thing that I have to be careful of is whether or not they are passing meds for any of my group. The instructor has often asked around about the patients - which one would be good for the students, but that is generally the extent of my involvement with their learning experience.

On the other hand, we also host precepting students who will work with a designated staff nurse for several weeks - side by side. This is voluntary on the part of the staff - we are not required to do so. I enjoy it, and I learn from teaching. HOWEVER, the more the student does, the longer things take. That is OK, and to be expected, but having students doesn't make anything easier for staff. It does feel pretty good to see the progress the student makes as the time passes.

I do enjoy teaching, although I doubt you will ever catch me with an entire clincial group.

[dah doh, BSN, RN]

To Do-over: lucky you! At our facility, the clinical instructors are spread pretty thin and have students on multiple units so they only see their student once or twice during the student's shift. So the nurse of the patient also ends up with the responsibilty of the student. The student gets to do stuff and gets taught based on the nurse's availability and willingness to teach. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. We don't always get a choice because we are a teaching facility for doctors, nurses, RTs, and pharmacists. Students are usually a joy to have because they usually really want to learn and I like to teach so it works out for me, but not for all my co-workers are like me.

[Stephalump]

To Do-over: lucky you! At our facility the clinical instructors are spread pretty thin and have students on multiple units so they only see their student once or twice during the student's shift. So the nurse of the patient also ends up with the responsibilty of the student. The student gets to do stuff and gets taught based on the nurse's availability and willingness to teach. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. We don't always get a choice because we are a teaching facility for doctors, nurses, RTs, and pharmacists.[/quote']

This is the way my clinical experience is. Our clinical group has the hospital to ourselves, so we're spread out around the entire place and rarely see our CI. We can text her if we need her, but the results are mixed. There have been days when I've had absolutely nothing to do other than my assessment and paperwork unless the CNA is looking for some help. I'm really, really not a fan of the set-up.

[Do-over, ASN, RN]

I am pretty surprised that students are even allowed on a unit without an instructor physically present.

When I was in school, there were limits to how many students an instructor could have... 8 or 10, I think. Our groups were never more than 8.

[Stephalump]

I am pretty surprised that students are even allowed on a unit without an instructor physically present.

When I was in school, there were limits to how many students an instructor could have... 8 or 10, I think. Our groups were never more than 8.

Hospitals would rather have unsupervised students than 10 students on one floor. Obviously the system of check-offs before performing a skill independently at the hospital is somewhat satisfactory or the hospitals would have no problem kicking us out the door!