How do you feel when?..

[vregino36]

Hello to all my fellow nurses, im having gender related difficulties in clinicals. Seems that my female counter parts are not having the same problems as me though. When we get to our unit for clinicals the day starts the same with vitals and am care then comfort and support (ivs, injections, etc.) Whenever there is something really cool and educational almost always its on a female patient. Im trying to figure out whats a good way to go about getting trust. I had an idea that when we start our clinicals and everyone is being introduced that I stop by every patients room and introduce myself so im not a stranger. So if the time comes to observing something educational the patient wont feel uncomfortable. Any tips on how you all got by in clinicals? Thanks ahead of time.

[dah doh, BSN, RN]

Sorry if I'm slightly off topic, but as a nurse who precepts a lot, I don't usually give a detailed explanation to the patient or family about students or new grads. I just introduce them along with myself and then do my job. On a very rare occasion, a patient or family might object but I can usually reassure them and then we proceed with whatever it is we're doing. Last week, I took the students & new grad to observe a cerebral angiogram. It was actually the doctor that was commenting on the full room, but he was fine with it after I talked with him.

We currently have a bunch of nursing students and some new grads on our unit. If something is going on that might be remotely interesting, I usually tell the students & newbies to go watch and participate. I drag them in to participate in code blues, placement of central lines, placement of a ventriculostomy; watching a bronchoscopy, an intubation, a cerebral angiogram, a cardiac cath, a IABP placed, immediate post-op recovery of CABG patient, and starting IVs. That was last week experiences for them last week. I think one of the students wants to work ICU, one is becoming interested in ICU and the other is totally freaked out with the hospital rotations because she wants to work at a desk.

As a student, you need to show confidence in your interactions with others as well as enthusiasm & eagerness to learn and participate and with luck your nurse or preceptor will teach you and let you participate.

Of course if we are talking males doing OB rotation, you will just have to get lucky and find patients who don't mind your observing and helping out. Very rarely do we care for patients who refuse care from males...but it's usually for religious reasons.

[rpark91, MSN, RN, APRN, NP]

I was a little out of place when I first started clinicals. But then you have to think that you're there for the same reason as everybody else, and that's to help people. I learned to be assertive and seek opportunities when I can. My most difficult clinical was OB. About half my patients didn't want me in the room, and that's okay. It's whatever is most comfortable for the patient. During Peds rotation, everybody loved the male nurses (and student nurses) because they could relate to them with video games and cartoons and what not. I've worked as a SNT during the summer and have gotten a lot of positive remarks about being in the nursing profession. A lot of people definitely look up to male nurses. Just stand tall, be assertive, confident, and be a positive role model!