Advice to Students: say "thank you"

landesmummy · Sep 16, 2009

I thought we all said thank you to those we work with, especially being that we are students. And yes, we do add extra work to their day but the really amazing RN's want to share, want to teach & are grateful that they have extra 'help'--today my primary kept apologizing for having me do busy work, but I learnt so much from her today--how to do things, where things are, how to find things out that aren't mentioned in the chart--invaluable experience. The practical experience from her was phenomenal. I look at it as we are all a team who works together, therefore manners are imperative to the workplace. I also thank the pt's that I have looked after & their families for the priviledge of being their loved one's carer. Even the most snarliest of pt's &/or nurses come around. I also make it a point of knowing the pharmacists, the cleaners & the housekeeping--always greet them with a smile, thank them for their work & let them know its appreciated. I too have made it a practise of writing a thank you note to the head of every floor that I have worked for--they need to know that the student experience was a positive one & that it was appreciated. The adage of catching flies with honey certainly works...now, if it can only open up positions available!!

lainith · Sep 17, 2009

It's amazing how far a simple "thank you" can get you. I always thank the nurses when we leave the floor from a shift of clinical, thank my instructor each shift as well... and always thank my patients for allowing me to care for them because I realize they have the right to refuse a student and it really is appreciated that they let us work with them. The thank you's really do make people feel good and I have been so blessed to get some thank you's in return and that sure feels good.

Politeness NEVER goes out of style.

smarti15 · Sep 18, 2009

I had a doozy of a nurse for clinicals one week, and most of my fellow students griped the whole week. When I was done, I told her thank you for all that she had taught me, and boy howdy, did that change her tune! The students who had her the next week talked about how nice she was. Maybe you can make someone's day a little better.

Besides...it didn't cost me a thing to be nice! :yeah:

JustMe · Sep 18, 2009

Every rotation I have my students provide goodies and a thank you card, signed by each student, to the nursing staff of any area of the hospital they have visited. It makes for good relations between nurses and students, faculty and staff, college and hospital. But thanking individual nurses is a very good idea and I will make sure my students show their individual appreciation. :yeah:

Mumma · Oct 16, 2009

I am a new nurse and not so long ago nursing student. I just have some advise for those of you that are still students. At the end of your clinical day, say "thank you" to the nurse you are working with for the day, "thank you for letting me work with you today, I appreciate it!"
Many students I have read on here with the "nasty nurses mean to student" type thread write things like "they should be nice to us, after all we are doing their work for them!" Actually, you are making work for them...although you are doing assessments and giving meds; your nurse is still responsible for her patients and still has to do assessments on all her patients (even the ones you are caring for) to ensure you, the student without a license, have done it accurately; she has to access narcotics for you; answer all your questions; ect all while she is taking care of her other patients.
I am precepting right now and I thank the nurse I work with EVERY SHIFT for allowing me to precept with her. Because although we are both RNs, I am learning a lot from her and for that I am thankful and she needs to know that.
Many students feel that the nurses should appreciate them for being on the unit "helping out" maybe the student nurses should be thanking the nurses as well. After all, students are guest in the hospital. Just a thought, maybe if you expressed graduated to your nurse she would be a little nicer next time.

I thanked the nurse(s) I worked with each shift when I was a student. I can tell you this makes a big difference! I had no problems with any nurses - even the ones that were known among us students for being difficult to deal with. Extending gratitude to another goes a LONG way! :)

Music in My Heart · Oct 17, 2009

I am a new nurse and not so long ago nursing student. I just have some advise for those of you that are still students. At the end of your clinical day, say "thank you" to the nurse you are working with for the day, "thank you for letting me work with you today, I appreciate it!"
Many students I have read on here with the "nasty nurses mean to student" type thread write things like "they should be nice to us, after all we are doing their work for them!" Actually, you are making work for them...although you are doing assessments and giving meds; your nurse is still responsible for her patients and still has to do assessments on all her patients (even the ones you are caring for) to ensure you, the student without a license, have done it accurately; she has to access narcotics for you; answer all your questions; ect all while she is taking care of her other patients.
I am precepting right now and I thank the nurse I work with EVERY SHIFT for allowing me to precept with her. Because although we are both RNs, I am learning a lot from her and for that I am thankful and she needs to know that.
Many students feel that the nurses should appreciate them for being on the unit "helping out" maybe the student nurses should be thanking the nurses as well. After all, students are guest in the hospital. Just a thought, maybe if you expressed graduated to your nurse she would be a little nicer next time.

You are right on the money, of course. It's pretty disappointing that such advice even need be given. I'd have hoped that that would fall into the "no duh" category.

I got on famously with the staff at our clinical sites... perhaps my "attitude of gratitude" was part of the reason.