AMAZED at what some students get away with!!!

[nervousnurse, ASN]

WOW, the other day we had a new group of students in our facility, and I am still in SHOCK over what their instructor let them get away with! First of all, they were constantly sitting in the nurses' station, taking up most of the chairs. When I was a student, we NEVER sat in the nurse's station!!!

If that wasn't bad enough, THIS just shocked me, too! A student who moaned and groaned last week "I'm BORED" would NOT do a major dressing change on one of our patients, saying "I DONT HAVE TIME"....OMG----she was writing a CARE PLAN while sitting at the nurse's station----MUST BE NICE!!! We were NOT allowed to write care plans while at clinicals---they were on our OWN TIME!!!:angryfire I thought she'd be THRILLED to get this major wound experience, ESPECIALLY because she had complained of BOREDOM last week!

I swear, if we had said "I"M BORED" at my school, our instructor probably would've sent us home, OR said "FIND something to do!!!" Even if it was to go sit with a lonely patient, and we have PLENTY of those!!!

What happened to being DRILLED on meds/ recent labs/ pathophys/ having to explain EVERYTHING that's going on with their patient? Nope, their instructor was hiding in a break room somewhere......MUST BE NICE!!!!:angryfire

Yes, I've spoken to the "higher ups".....maybe something will change, but who knows!

[casi, ASN, RN]

How do they expect to learn if they are sitting at the desk all day??

[suzy253, RN]

I agree--we were NEVER allowed to sit around. Now that I'm an RN, I see students in the nurses break room reading, studying, doing care plans, etc. and I'm just amazed by it. Was never allowed in my program!

[jellybean_1]

I have noticed the same thing at work, it is sad they are not willing to learn more,

they want to do less, sit and complain.

[Jules A, MSN]

I'm glad you mentioned it to the school because that is just ridiculous. In my LPN class there were quite a few of what I could call lazy students who did get away with doing nothing but at least they were respectful enough to hide and not get in the way. What a shame these students are making such a bad impression. They should be thankful that your unit is willing to allow them to learn there.

[2togo4rn]

I am a student and I see the same thing. If it's any consolation the instructors do threaten us within an inch of our lives not to sit down but people will always be people.

On another note the instructors do encourage us to study in a designated area if we don't have ANYTHING TO DO

[nursein08]

Wow...I just graduated and if any of us would have tried that, our instructors would have either sent us home or chewed us out right there on the floor. When we completed pt care for our own pts and had any time left over, we were expected to go check with the rest of our group to see if anyone needed any help. We were also expected to seek out learning opportunities, such as that dressing change. I can't imagine how the instructor would've reacted if we told the nurse no, we weren't interested! :angryfire At no time were we allowed to sit in the nurses station unless we were getting labs, and we definitely were not allowed to start our careplans. Kinda makes you wonder what they'll be like when they graduate.

[namaste_71]

I can't imagine not having "anything" to do. I'm not condemning the person who posted this, just offering a couple comments.

I hear a lot of students say they are unprepared once they graduate and enter the clinical setting. For heaven's sake, if you're on a clinical rotation, soak up as much as you can. If you've finished your patient or have a moment, help a classmate. Ask some of the RNs how else you can help. As short-staffed as most units are, I find it nigh-impossible to believe that anyone -- student or otherwise -- would have "nothing" to do.

[vashtee, RN]

To play the devil's advocate, maybe her instructor expects the care plans to be done before they leave the hospital.

And although I very rarely sit in the nurses station (the nurses don't like it), when I work a 13 hour day, my feet get tired, just like anyone else's. It would be really nice to be able to sit to do some charting.

[SecondGenRN]

I can't imagine not having "anything" to do. I'm not condemning the person who posted this, just offering a couple comments.

I hear a lot of students say they are unprepared once they graduate and enter the clinical setting. For heaven's sake, if you're on a clinical rotation, soak up as much as you can. If you've finished your patient or have a moment, help a classmate. Ask some of the RNs how else you can help. As short-staffed as most units are, I find it nigh-impossible to believe that anyone -- student or otherwise -- would have "nothing" to do.

Theres never NOTHING to do! You are correct. Here we would complete all assignments (including careplans) before starting clinical. If they weren't complete, we were sent home, period. After caring for our own patients we were expected to help other nurses on the floor. Besides, people are much more willing to teach me a new skill if I helped them with their patients! To the OP, these students are cheating themselves and their future patients... I'm glad you discussed it with the hospital.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

This is what I mean when I say that nursing education is not what it used to be. Students on all levels of nursing are deluded and when the real world hits them, they almost suffer from post tramuatic stress syndrome. The going thrend with the schools in my area are to prepare them for NCLEX, but not the real world. School does not last forever...

[TazziRN, RN]

When I worked ER and we had students observing, the instructor would come to me later and ask how the student did that day. Whatever I said was repeated as part of the evaluation for that student, so they didn't get away with it in the end.