tips when you have a student nurse

TRichter · Aug 6, 2005

I work at a teaching hospital. Working with students basically means to slow down so that you can explain things as you go. Explain why you do things a certain way.Don't be afraid to ask the student questions to see how much they know, reminding them tht they are not expected to know everything. Ask them about where they are in class, and experience working with patients. Be prepared to answer questions about the patients and the facility. Check the charting they do BEFORE they leave the unit, go over it with the student. Be ready to talk to the instructor about each student, remember to point out things that were good, not just the bad. Be prepared, they are going to make mistakes and it will take you a little longer to get your work done. But most of all, we have a reputation for "eating our young". Try to disprove that.

I'm writing a newsletter for my department. We are going to have nursing students this fall and I am writing an article about tips when you have a student nurse. Any ideas or tips would be appreciated. Thanks

gan2ar · Aug 12, 2005

I'm writing a newsletter for my department. We are going to have nursing students this fall and I am writing an article about tips when you have a student nurse. Any ideas or tips would be appreciated. Thanks

Make them feel welcome, allow them to have on hand training once you show them whatever the procedure might be. They are filled with energy and are very eager in doing what nurses do. Supervise them closely without making them feel uneasy, the fact that they are being closely supervised is additionally stressful. I assure you that once they complete a task they will feel more self confident and that their clinical experience was worthwhile. I have always enjoyed having student in my clinical area. :)

iteach · Aug 12, 2005

Remind the nurses that they retain overall responsiblity for the patient even though there is a student. Some nurses hand their patients off to us and I try to explain that they are still responsible for the patient and need to stay intimately involved in his care and work closely with the student.

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Aug 12, 2005

Make them feel welcome, allow them to have on hand training once you show them whatever the procedure might be. They are filled with energy and are very eager in doing what nurses do. Supervise them closely without making them feel uneasy, the fact that they are being closely supervised is additionally stressful. I assure you that once they complete a task they will feel more self confident and that their clinical experience was worthwhile. I have always enjoyed having student in my clinical area. :)

Your post is greatly appreciated. From a soon to be nursing student this really means a lot and eases the uneasy feeling a bit. Thanks :)

krob0729 · Aug 12, 2005

Give them a blank nurses notes page to do their charting on for the day. Tell them to chart on this and let you go over it before it is put in the original nurses notes in the chart, which is permenant. This way you can let them see if they need to chart things differently, if they left something out, etc...I know I was greatful for thisl. Then shred the practice one up.

Mymimi · Aug 13, 2005

When I have students, as a nurse in critical care, I try to remember that I once was a student, and had to learn. The students have feelings, too, and they are there to learn. As an educator, I see the students wanting to learn and do everything that they can.

lvc

I'm writing a newsletter for my department. We are going to have nursing students this fall and I am writing an article about tips when you have a student nurse. Any ideas or tips would be appreciated. Thanks

mitchsmom · Aug 13, 2005

As a student, everyone in our clinicals loves almost any nurse who will let us view, assist, or do procedures when possible (work out a way to know where each other usually is for this purpose)!! Even if it's with another patient, that's great.

I know the day is very very busy but our clinical time is so limited and we miss alot of opportunities when our nurses don't help facilitate us getting experience. We'll make up for the lost time when we come out of school as better graduates on your floors!

And just keep the communication and friendly direction coming... I have noticed that occasionally there is some resentment on a floor between students & staff that I think would be alleviated if we'd communicate better. Just one example when my group felt we were in a "catch-22" situation: the nurses station is crowded so we try to stay out of the nurses hair by going somewhere else, but when we aren't around the nurses station they think we are hiding and not doing anything. I tried to always make a point of saying "Let me know if I can help you with anything" so they wouldn't think I was trying to get away from work, but a lot of students are more shy about talking to nurses.

By the same token, occasionally we really were standing around and not doing anything, but we weren't being lazy, we just needed a little direction/ suggestion for what to do next if our patient was all set.

Please ignore if you weren't looking for a student's perspective, those were just a couple of things that come to mind from my experience. Just please try to be willing to talk & share your knowledge (when possible - even just saying "follow me" to let us shadow if things are too rushed for anything else, is great & so much better than sitting around getting nothing out of the day)!

purplemania, BSN, RN · Aug 14, 2005

I think it is important to have the clinical objectives posted on the unit for all preceptors and students to use as reference. It helps the nurses to know what level the students are in school and to have listed what they may or may not do. It also helps to introduce the charge nurse for the shift (this can change the next time on the floor even with the same personnel and is confusing to students). Best of all, learn to play with others.

Pudgy · Aug 15, 2005

Give clear instructions. I once handed a package of chux to a student and said "put these on the patients bed" and she did - the whole wrapped package neatly centered at the foot of the bed.