Poor treatment of students, by nurses

WDWpixieRN, RN · Feb 23, 2008

I don't know what I can add.....

1st semester: most miserable bunch of people I have ever been around in my life and now, as I approach graduation, this facility isn't even a distant long shot for my application.

2nd semester: great bunch of nurses; you always have your rotten apple, but I enjoyed my experience there. Ended up with an internship at a sister facility and loved it.

3rd semester: assigned to do clinicals where my internship was, only on a different floor. Probably a 75/25 mix with most being very pleasant and helpful and wonderful.

4th semester: turns out to be a repeat of 3rd semester, lol.

I don't know if hospital administration realizes what an impact their staff has on their future hiring. There were 8 of us in that first clnical group; there were probably about 8 in the second semester group that was assigned there - I understand it was also miserable for them. That makes almost 50% of my class that won't be considering this place for employment. Huge loss for them, and their miserable nurses, in my opinion.....

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2008

I don't know what I can add.....
1st semester: most miserable bunch of people I have ever been around in my life and now, as I approach graduation, this facility isn't even a distant long shot for my application.
2nd semester: great bunch of nurses; you always have your rotten apple, but I enjoyed my experience there. Ended up with an internship at a sister facility and loved it.
3rd semester: assigned to do clinicals where my internship was, only on a different floor. Probably a 75/25 mix with most being very pleasant and helpful and wonderful.
4th semester: turns out to be a repeat of 3rd semester, lol.
I don't know if hospital administration realizes what an impact their staff has on their future hiring. There were 8 of us in that first clnical group; there were probably about 8 in the second semester group that was assigned there - I understand it was also miserable for them. That makes almost 50% of my class that won't be considering this place for employment. Huge loss for them, and their miserable nurses, in my opinion.....

Your statement "Huge loss for them and their miserable nurses" sounds like your group has an inflated sense of self worth. Are you guys 'God's gift to nursing wannabees'? Maybe some of this arrogence is rubbing some of these "miserable nurses" the wrong way. :coollook:

TexasPediRN · Feb 23, 2008

Mia:

Heres what my take on things are. (from being the student once, and now the nurse).

When I was a student, I felt the same way that you did. I didnt understand how the nurses on the floor couldnt want students, and why they werent gladly taking the help that we were trying to offer them.

Now as a nurse, I understand some of it, to a point. I am ultimately responsible for your patient. I need to make sure what you are doing is correct, and if not, I need to make sure that it gets done right. I think that this puts a lot of extra stress on some nurses, which may come off as the inevitable ' I hate having students around' mentality.

Also, some nurses just dont like to teach. Its not that they dont remember what it was like to be in the students shoes, but its that they dont like to teach. Some may be new the the profession and not feel confident teaching. Others honestly and truley want to just do their job, without someone looking over their shoulder and asking questions the whole time.

Other times, the student and the nurse just dont get along too. Just the other day, I had a student nurse walk over to my pod to visit a classmate, and complain about the nurse she was assigned to that she was mean and she wasnt going to learn anything. I snuck over later in the day to ask about what was going on - the RN was trying to explain the the student about a blood draw, and the student came off stating "well im a LPN, I already know this". So, she and the nurse didnt get along at all that day.

Another thing that my unit seems to have started doing, is asking which nurses want students. I will take a student any day, as long as they are willing to learn, and help me out!

Then there really are nurses that are plain just burnt out and need to get out of the profession.

I'm sorry you're having bad experiences - just know that all places arent like that, and many of us do like to teach students!

PurrRN · Feb 23, 2008

Your statement "Huge loss for them and their miserable nurses" sounds like your group has an inflated sense of self worth. Are you guys 'God's gift to nursing wannabees'? Maybe some of this arrogence is rubbing some of these "miserable nurses" the wrong way.

I just have to jump in here with a comment, even though I haven't had the same experience as the posters above. It's not that I view myself or any other potential graduate as "God's gift to nursing wannabees'". However, I want a career I can be happy with, not just a J.O.B.. Therefore, a floor that is contentious, with miserable people, is not going to be first or even second on my list of potential places to work. Therefore, it IS a huge loss for them, if the floor is in need of nurses to work there and no one wants to apply because of the evironment.

WDWpixieRN, RN · Feb 23, 2008

Your statement "Huge loss for them and their miserable nurses" sounds like your group has an inflated sense of self worth. Are you guys 'God's gift to nursing wannabees'? Maybe some of this arrogence is rubbing some of these "miserable nurses" the wrong way.

Nice try, but no....and I guess I can see where this could be misconstrued this way. Perhaps I should have said this was a loss for the administration that their nurses' attitudes make future grads want to run the other way. While I'm just taking a guess here, based on being closer to graduation now, I'm thinking these nurses were overworked, unappreciated, and could use extra personnel to pick up the slack -- especially new grads -- if this facility has a 'reputation' in the community such as the one they picked up with the nursing students assigned there. Another instructor I had said the nurses' attitudes toward students were sometimes a reflection of their relationship with the instructor assigned there. That is also a possibility.

Regardless, this was the best clinical group of my education -- we all helped each other out, stayed out of the RN's way, did what we were told (and more if needed and we could ), probably had an average age of 35, and had maybe one or two RNs who even acknowledged our presence. I'll never forget my instructor telling me to report off to my RN (who hadn't even said one word to me all day)....I walked up to her, told her we were going now, and she looked me up and down like I was dirt and said, "Yeah?".

We didn't ASK to be put there, we would scurry out of the way when one of "those nurses" would head our way, and all in all, it was a very discouraging experience. I didn't have a health care background. I had been in the hospital only when I delivered my kids. I asked one of my fellow student who was a tech in a hospital if all nurses were this miserable. I told her that if that was the case, I was changing paths right now. I had just left one profession where folks were so miserable *I* made the choice to get out rather than listen and deal with it. Life is just too short.

Thank heavens, she told me no, she'd never seen anything like that. And then when I heard the students in 2nd semester who were assigned there were treated just as shabbily on another floor, well, we tended to put 2 + 2 together.

As mentioned, since that time, I've had terrific clinical experiences. So I wouldn't tend to jump to the fact that we were the problem. I had an awesome student nurse internship in an ER last summer and was hired on a tech. I was humbled by and appreciated having both opportunities.

And I don't know if it makes any difference to your perception, but I am 52 y/o. I am not a young punk. I know my place, particularly at this point in my education and the last thing I would come across as is a know-it-all. Believe me, the one thing I learn with every test and lecture I've had in school is how much I don't know. I am in awe of each and every nurse I come across who seems to do their job so effortlessly. I can only hope to get to that point of confidence as an RN.

There was no arrogance or attitude. And the only person I believe I am "God's gift to" is my granddaughters!!

WDWpixieRN, RN · Feb 23, 2008

Also, some nurses just dont like to teach. Its not that they dont remember what it was like to be in the students shoes, but its that they dont like to teach. Some may be new the the profession and not feel confident teaching. Others honestly and truley want to just do their job, without someone looking over their shoulder and asking questions the whole time.
Other times, the student and the nurse just dont get along too. Just the other day, I had a student nurse walk over to my pod to visit a classmate, and complain about the nurse she was assigned to that she was mean and she wasnt going to learn anything. I snuck over later in the day to ask about what was going on - the RN was trying to explain the the student about a blood draw, and the student came off stating "well im a LPN, I already know this". So, she and the nurse didnt get along at all that day.

Meghan:

Thank you for your (constructive) point of view. I have been around allnurses long enough and done enough reading that I totally understand where you are coming from. We've got a couple of those students in our class, and thank goodness, I've been fortunate enough not to have to deal with them in clinicals.

I figure if I'm not even sure where to find a bedpan some days, the last thing I need is to question a nurse on why they do something a certain way, lol. The nurses who do put up with us are angels. It's not easy. On the floor where we are currently assigned, they can get up to 6 or 7 patients to start their day. That doesn't count the extra work from having discharges and new admits. I can't imagine doing all that plus juggling a student, too. Thankfully, our instructor is almost always usually close at hand so we don't have to bother our RNs for most skills and meds questions. I will, however, go straight to the RN if I have a concern or a question regarding the patient themselves.

I think it's great your facility tries to be sensitive to the nurses who do and don't want students. It's a disservice to both when they are forced in to this role and really can ultimately affect a student's decision when it comes time to look for jobs.

Bless you and others who have the patience and take time to teach us ignorant little students!! :bowingpur

MiaKeaRN · Feb 23, 2008

Thanks so much for the responses. We have actually had 2 students quit the program just because they can't stand the thought of having to deal with all the drama that goes on in the hospitals. I'm halfway through the program and wonder sometimes if I even want to be a nurse....as these women who have been treating us so poorly have definitely made me give things a second thought.

I was raised that you treat people the way you want to be treated, with respect, and to have to be treated like we are the dirt on the bottom of their shoes is just very degrading to me. You just have to wonder how they are raising their own children.......

Alem · Feb 24, 2008

I think a lot of students can relate to this complaint. But I would like students to becareful from generalizing. first assess what kind of hospital you are in. I am doing my nursing management class, and I am doing just that. My clincal takes place in a rural setting where the nurses are plain burnt out and where they don't have sufficient support. The perfect way to go about unresponsive nurse is to go ahead and give a hand and not wait around for her/ him to instruct you. Try to meet them half way.

I did an internship on a well funded urban hospital last month and what a differnece. Everyone was helpful and part of is because their nurse:pt ratio was resonable and the had resources for nurses to address their concerns.

Although it is frustrating when we are trying to do our objectives and not have supportive role model. but try to step back and assess why this occur and def. discuss it with your teacher.

goodstudentnowRN · Feb 24, 2008

I agree. Some of these nurses are hypocrites. They tell instructors some crazy things about students. I have seen them in action and I hope and pray that I do not have to talk much to them. However, I will do whatever they tell me to do as long as it is within the nursing college catalogue. I just hate it when they tell students how good they are and then stab them in the back. No wonder, these nurses are so miserable and not productive. Most hospitals can do without that extra stress of nurses acting like children. Most of them need to grow up!

rockenmomRN · Feb 24, 2008

Hello ladies (and gentlemen), I know how you feel...sort of. My first semester of nursing school I ran into the same bad mannered nurses and found myself complaining about them alot. I knew I couldn't change them so I changed my approach with them. Rather than just saying "I'm student nurse betty and i'll be taking care of patient A" I started saying " Hi I'm nurse betty and I'll be working with you to take care of patient A, I look forward to learning from you today." I know how cheezy it sounds but I have never had a truly bad clinical day after that. Yes I've had crabby nurses but usually by the end of the day they were asking when they would be able to work with me again.

A little butter goes a long way. Oh and another thing I've done is ask the nurses if I could help them with other patients. Just some suggestions hope they help.

Now in my fourth and last semester I have unit managers asking if i would consider applying for a job with them.

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Feb 24, 2008

Your statement "Huge loss for them and their miserable nurses" sounds like your group has an inflated sense of self worth. Are you guys 'God's gift to nursing wannabees'? Maybe some of this arrogence is rubbing some of these "miserable nurses" the wrong way.

Hate to say it, but about fifteen years ago I worked at a DOOZY of a company and hey - I left them and I too say it was their loss because I consider myself too high a quality of worker to put up with such an unsupportive, non-collegial atmosphere.

That company's loss is Duke Hospital's - and my patients' - gain!

So in support of that OP, I think the remark was misjudged - if people are miserable, they're miserable - prettying up the comment won't change the fact that they're miserable, awful people to be around. And assuming that this OP is a nice person, then it IS the facility's loss since perhaps some fresh faces and sunnier dispositions would change the atmosphere on that unit and make it a more pleasant place to work.

Crabby people create crabby people. Sometimes a spade actually is a spade.