calling All-Nurses out there....

Seeing as I just passed my boards, I am replying to your thread more as a former student than a nurse. That is my disclaimer.

I think as a student the best thing you can do is be prepared, be willing to learn, and try to soak in as much as you can. Most of all learn to read people, because some nurses just can’t deal with students. Don’t take it personal and thank the ones that are really patient and willing to show you the ropes. Always try to jump in and learn as much as you can, but try to read the situation and know when to step back. I was with a student who made a situation a lot worse for a nurse by trying to put her two cents in when the nurse was dealing with a doctor who had very little respect for nurses in the first place. I still cringe when I think of it because the student could not feel the tension that the rest of us were.

I hope some experienced nurses have more input than me. Good luck.

Just be a nursing student and do your best. Some people enjoy students, others just have bad attitudes. You don't congratulate yourself when someone's nice to you, so why beat yourself up when someone's a jerk to you. Neither is under your control. Take the good with the bad, become the nurse you want to be, and good luck. May all your patients be compliant and all your orders legible.

Be on time. Be ready to listen (to the patient and to the nurse) far more than you talk . Leave the Starbucks cup in the car, along with your cell phone. Remember that even though you are helping with vitals, treatments and even meds, your presence can still be a bit of a time drain on the nurse.

Now....what you should be able to expect from the nurse: Courtesy, respect and a desire to help you learn. A willingness to explain her actions and though processes.

The fact that you're asking in advance bodes very well for you!

The other posters offered some good advice.

I have one suggestion, have a list of what the requirements for the clinical rotation you are on. If you need to have more practice with (examples only here) inserting foleys, starting IV's etc, let the nurse assigned to your clinical assigned patient know this. When those oportunities arise, the nurse can let you know so that you can let your instructor know that opportunity has come up and you would like to do it.

Also it is nice to have a list of things you would like to observe, and let the nurse assigned know that too.

I had a student with me once who did just that, her reward ?---- getting to go to the OR observation room and watch the patientget the pacemaker inserted. What she asked was simple to arrange once what she needed and wanted to learn was known, then the nurses working can help your clinical instructor with learning experiences for the students.

Good luck with your education,

Reigen

Please don't congregate with your fellow students and ALL sit at the nurses' station and take up ALL of the computers so that no one else can sit there. (Not that I've had that happen.)

But seriously. When your nurse says that your patient needs X done, please don't roll your eyes and sigh and say, "well.... I have to go find my instructor...." in that tone that suggests that she's inconvenienced you. Because, truthfully, sometimes it's a little more work to find you, give you the order, wait for you to find your instructor, etc. We desperately want you to learn, which is why we're finding you to tell you. We know you have to have your instructor with you. A simple, "okay, thanks" suffices just fine.

1. suggest learning opportunities to be exposed to, even if it isn't your assignment... "I've never seen a mag drip.. can I go next door for 5 minutes and speak to that nurse?" (don't linger go back to your assignment)

2. May I start some IV's, but I'll need you at my side to walk me through... please pick the easy to find ones

3. Be honest... " I have no intention of ever working in OB/peds... ect...can you talk me through each patient and what you're thinking and doing so I can learn from your experience" (A preceptor that thinks you want in will give you different aspects than one that knows you just need a well rounded experience.)

4. Jump in where you are comfortable, interact with patients and pull your preceptor aside if you are out of your element and ask her to take the lead so you can learn how to interact.. if it's an admission assessment, a delivery a what not... If I don't know your comfort level I'm left guessing and may try to push you into something that will end badly... so speak up and say.. it's new to me.. let me watch and learn... but jump in where you can.

5. The most important advice I can give in any rotation, or preceptorship... is never, ever pretend to know what you are doing out of fear of asking... that is what KILLS.. I don't care what bad relationship nonsense is going on.. you ASK before doing and simply don't care what the nurse thinks of you if you are unsure. ASK, clarify, re-ask if still unclear... and if necessary... say "I'm uncomfortable with this....." and state why.

best lesson you can learn... it's not about you, it's not about the preceptor... it's about the patient... If the patient's needs and safety always is FIRST... you'll be an excellent nurse.

i appreciate students (and orientees) who can be trusted to ask questions before they go off and do something they ought not to be doing, or ought not to be doing that way!

i appreciate students who listen to what i have to say without frequently interjecting "my instructor said to do it that way instead of this way."

i really hate working with students who know it all -- it's very difficult to teach anything to anyone who already thinks they know everything!

i enjoy teaching -- but don't give me attitude if i tell you to look something up. sometimes the best way to learn is to look it up for yourself.

candy, cookies, cake or other treats are always appreciated on your last day of clinical!

good luck with your clinicals -- i hope you learn a lot!

Thank you for the Great responses!

This question is long overdue dont you think?

Hopefully this rotation will go VERY smoothly!!!!!!

1. Please remember that you are a GUEST on the unit. NOT STAFF. Ask before eating the treats on the table or empyting the coffee pot.

2. Remember - you are seeing the pt for about 4 hours out of 24. Don't assume you know all by those 4 hours. We had a classic sundowner on our unit. Well controlled by meds given at Noon and 1400 - before the symptoms began. 1st year students decided pt "didn't need them because he was good when they were there" and didn't get them. Result: A couple of shifts from hell for th evening staff before we caught to what happened.

3. Watch, listen, learn. You'll be surprised at what goes on sometimes without a lot of fuss and exictment.