I could use some opinions on a situation with a nursing student today. To give some background I've been a peds nurse for about 5 years. I'm very pro-teaching and really like having students with me. I've never had any negative experiences teaching until today. So today I asked one of the nursing students if they'd like to insert an NG tube. She stated that they hadn't learned that and I said I'd be happy to teach her if she felt comfortable. We go over the procedure a couple times and it all seems good. She goes to enter the room and starts getting freaked out that the patient is on airborne precautions for TB. I told her that we have the appropriate masks but if it was a big issue than I'd ask someone else. I happened to know that the students get fit tested prior to clinical but didn't want to make a big issue out of it.
She indicated that she wasn't comfortable doing the NG tube so I decided I'd see if someone else might like to do it. Another student wanted a chance so we went over the procedure. Both come in to the room with me and the second student starts to insert the NG. I had the child's head and asked the first student to hold his arms. She didn't even want to touch that patient due to her fear of TB. At this point I decided to take over but still try to explain the process. When we all came out of the room I told the first student that there were many areas in nursing where she'd be exposed to potentially communicable diseases so it might be a good idea to get a little more comfortable with them. I let the instructor know that I had some concerns about the student's refusal to even touch a patient with TB (she was fully masked, gowned, and gloved BTW). The instructor's response was that "I had chased 2 people away from peds today" (referring to both students I guess). I couldn't believe that she said that to me given the fact I felt like I had really tried with these two students to at least give them some clinical exposure.
Do you think I was too harsh? If I had pulled that in clinicals my instructors would have kicked my butt!
I would of loved the opportunity to have a nurse such as yourself want to teach nursing students. In my clinicals, our instructors would of been disappointed to hear that we acted that way. I feel that you had every right to bring it to the attention of the instructor..only thing is that it seem to only make you look like the bad guy. I totally disagree with what the nursing students, and the instructor did. They(nursing students) should leave the program and look for another profession. They don't belong in the program and truly don't deserve to be taught from such a wonderful nurse!
As others have said, no you weren't harsh. I'm currently a nursing student and I love when I'm fortunate enough to find an RN who really wants to teach. Our instructor is fantastic, but she can only be in so many places at once.
I am in high school, but plan to become a nurse. They as nursing students should've known they'd be working with patients with communicable diseases. To me, those students acted like idiots. I hope they don't work with people, because the patient is a person, not a disease. I also think that the instructor was out of line for telling you that you scared them away. You informed them that would come across a patient with a disease more than once in their nursing career.
I would have been meaner and suggested they work in cubicle where they wouldn't have to come in contact with any humans. You just did your job and I pray for every patient they get.
I believe that actually being in close contact with a patient, any age, any problem, is threatening to some people. Hopefully, they learn to overcome their own fears and focus on what the patient needs. Otherwise, they need to get out of nursing school.
Specializes in Interested in hospice & palliative care.
Two words: universal precautions. What about all of the people out there with undiagnosed/undisclosed communicable diseases? I guess those two students hadn't thought of that yet.
I loved nurses like you. It was great being able to see and do things. You weren't harsh at all and that instructor may need to get it through her students heads and her own....this is real life, people are sick and you honestly don't know what they could possibly have. As a nurse, you're exposed to everything. The fact that you wanted to teach them properly and safely is awesome. The flip side is the nurse that RUNS from the students....yeah and we just loved those too!
If I had a nurse OFFER me the opportunity to do hands on skills, without me actually begging, I would be all over it. No matter that there is a little frission of fear that goes through the back of my mind ( I have a 17 month old, and even though I KNOW about precautions and protections, I still picture her, when dealing with airborne/droplet/contact precautions), I suck it up and take care of the patient. I mean, how scared are THEY?
The clinical instructor stinks IMO. Anyone of my nursing instructors would have raised an eyebrow, and said "SO?" in response to a whiner about a TB pt. sheesh. so don't want those students as my coworkers.
You were great, please keep offering education to students. Thank you!
thank you thank you thank you for all you do. it is really appreciated by those of us that do really want to learn. it is delightful to work with a nurse such as yourself. some do not even want to talk to us, much less help us learn, however, that is definately a minority. this sounds like their problem, not yours, you are awesome.:nurse::redpinkhe
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
Yeah, Anna! You are the kind of nurse students dream about! Whoever mentioned the parents having possibly observed that was on the money, but kids observe much more than we think. Really inexcuseable. Maybe the instructor thought it was a funny joke to say that to you. She absolutely is trivializing an opportunity to teach them important lessons, both about airborne precautions and in their demeanor around patients. Boo.
I don't think you were harsh at all! I am in my last semester of nursing school, and I love it when nurses are so willing to teach. I had a nurse that really EMPHASIZED the need to flush saline locks at the very beginning of the shift. I never felt like she demeaned me, even though she was very....explicit about her opinions on IV lines. She just told me about her experience with a patient coding after a student didn't flush the line and it clotted. Let me tell you, the next day when I hit the floor, my locks were flushed immediately and I answered all of her questions about IV lines.
I think that if a student wants to learn, they will willingly listen to any experienced nurse that will teach them, I also think that the instructor did those students a great disservice. In many clinical experiences there is a lot of finger pointing, and it is just this sort of thing that leads to hard feelings and lines in the sand.
No - I think your concerns were justified. I am surprised at the instructor's response. True - their role involves advocating for their students, but blaming you was definitely inappropriate.
NYRN08
147 Posts
I would of loved the opportunity to have a nurse such as yourself want to teach nursing students. In my clinicals, our instructors would of been disappointed to hear that we acted that way. I feel that you had every right to bring it to the attention of the instructor..only thing is that it seem to only make you look like the bad guy. I totally disagree with what the nursing students, and the instructor did. They(nursing students) should leave the program and look for another profession. They don't belong in the program and truly don't deserve to be taught from such a wonderful nurse!
Joanna