Help With Clinicals

Nursing Students General Students

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Hi,

Although I've been an avid reader of AN for quite some time now, this is my first post. I'm in my second semester of nursing school and we're currently going through Med-Surg I clinicals. I was just wanting to get some advice from PCA's, RN's, LPN's and CNA's about what makes a great student nurse in their opinion. I'm just wanting to step up my game and do my very best this semester. Any advice will be much appreciated.

Specializes in Neonatology.

Hi, Congrats on surviving your first your first semester.

I have been a nurse for 13yrs, so been around the block a few times.

What I find makes a great nursing student is their willingness to learn ( don's assume you know anything).

If you walk in with the attitude you know something you completely shut down and miss the opportunity to learn more about a subject you might already be familiar with. This will not change even 13 yrs after you graduate. Shut up and listen still applies to me today. I might know a lot on a subject, but if someone wants to teach me something, even if I know 90% of what that person is about to say, if I listen with an open mind I just might learn that 10% i missed. I try (operative word is try) to walk into everything with the idea that if I just learn 1 new thing, the class, seminar, clinical experience was worth it.

Awh and one other thing, always be ready to volunteer for every new experience, the eager student gets the cool opportunity.

If you know what area of nursing is your passion, tell your instructor you are really eager to see that field i.e NICU, ICU etc.

They might give you an opportunity to spend extra time there.

Best of Luck,

You'll do great !!

Thank you so much for your reply! :)

Specializes in Oncology.

Don't talk back to your clinical instructor or a nurse. If you disagree, just simply say "I thought it was but I will look it up...."

I have seen some instructors failed my peers because of that. The reason was "unsafe practice."

Specializes in Hospice.

COB with 36 years experience, here.

When I worked in the hospital, I actually enjoyed having students. My favorites were the "sponges", the ones who actually seemed enthusiastic about learning how to be a nurse (school lecture classes don't teach you that; you have to get your hands duty to learn how to walk the walk and talk the talk).

I love to teach-if you love to learn it really helps. Doesn't matter if it's daily minutiae, symptoms to look for, or post-op hip replacement care. Inquisitive minds make me kvell. (One time I suddenly realized I had a gaggle o' students hanging around me at the nurses station. When I asked them why, they said "You actually talk to us.").

Conversely, don't be a stone. By that I mean, just because you may have read about xyz disease doesn't mean you KNOW xyz disease. Eye rolling makes me want to bite. Seriously.

Do not. Do. Not. DO NOT sit and complain about how bored you are with just one patient. Especially if I'm managing my other 5 or 6 in addition to unobtrusively keeping my eye on your one to make sure you and your instructor don't do something boneheaded that will give me more paperwork to do later. There are always reference and instructional materials floating around. Read. Learn. You won't be bored after you can write RN or LPN after your name.

Good luck in your clinicals, and remember, you won't always wonder every day whether you made a mistake by wanting to be a nurse. Sometimes you wonder every other day. Sometimes 3-4 times a shift. (Joke).

Thanks everyone! I do my best to stay busy by stocking the desks, answering the call lights etc... We have our clinicals on Saturdays and Sundays so unfortunately there is a shortage of skills being done that we're allowed to participate in, but we like to think we're learning how to be there and talk to our patients. I'm still terrified because I feel like I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing half the time, and still haven't managed to get the hang of placing an IV without being able to visualize the vein but hopefully that will come in time. I do appreciate everyone's responses very much.

Specializes in ICU/ Surgery/ Nursing Education.

Awh and one other thing, always be ready to volunteer for every new experience, the eager student gets the cool opportunity.

You have received a lot of good advice but this is a big one... Learn these phrases " I have not completed this intervention could you walk me through it?" or " Can I watch you complete the first one and I will do next one with your direction.." Nurses that like to mentor students love a enthusiastic student nurse.

Just be aware that there are times where this is inappropriate. If I am up to my armpits with a bad assignment they you need to watch and learn until I get things under control again. Doesn't happen often but it will happen.

Always remember that no matter the assigned nurse or assigned patient you should learn something everyday. If it is a slow patient then start working on more holistic care. Are their personal, social, and religious needs being met? Most student nurses think that nursing is just the interventions we accomplish (like IV drips, meds, physical therapy). Nursing is everything that the patient needs to heal and recover.

If your patient has been in the hospital for 5 days, has she had her hair washed, dried, and brushed? This is usually overlooked on a busy unit. Does she need some time to talk because she has little or no family visits?

I could go on and on... Remember that you will make mistakes, just try not to. If you do own up to it and learn from it. If you get a good nurse then ask lots of questions. Heck even if it is a bad nurse ask a lot of questions. Put everything into perspective and try not to critique a nurse because something isn't accomplished like it said in the book. This will happen a lot....

Good luck and enjoy the learning experience.

Specializes in Hospice.

Oh! Another thing that I just saw at my facility today:

Don't take over the Nurse's station as a group. And don't hog all the computers. It makes the staff very cranky.

Remember, you are a guest in their building. Being polite goes a long way. All my Hospice patients are in one facility. I am on a peer level with the Nursing staff.

I still make sure no one is using the computer I sit down at, and if I see a staff nurse looking for a place to sit, I offer to move.

Oh! Another thing that I just saw at my facility today:

Don't take over the Nurse's station as a group. And don't hog all the computers. It makes the staff very cranky.

Remember, you are a guest in their building. Being polite goes a long way. All my Hospice patients are in one facility. I am on a peer level with the Nursing staff.

I still make sure no one is using the computer I sit down at, and if I see a staff nurse looking for a place to sit, I offer to move.

I totally agree with you on this, and so do our instructors. It's actually against school policy for us to sit in the nursing station lol

Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.
Eye rolling makes me want to bite. Seriously).

I had an intern that did that repeatedly. About the 5th time it occurred I threatened to super glue her eyeballs in place. We chuckle about that now.

Specializes in Nephrology Home Therapies, Wound Care, Foot Care..

Thanks for the great question and wondeful responses.

I had an intern that did that repeatedly. About the 5th time it occurred I threatened to super glue her eyeballs in place. We chuckle about that now.

I couldn't imagine being so disrespectful. As students, the clinical instructors are doing us a huge favor by teaching us. I know it would be extremely difficult to for me to trust students to operate under my license once I get it of course lol

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