We have all heard the expression "nurses eat their young" but I'm hoping not everyone has experienced it. But if you have I'm calling out to you!
I am in my first year of nursing school doing my 4th clinical rotation. I'm only 2 days in and I really dislike the way the nurses have approached having students in the unit. It makes the days really difficult to get through.
I am totally open to trying anything to get the most out of this experience!
Hello! I am a senior nursing student. With no examples of how the nurse's have approached you it is hard to give advice. With that being said...It is hard when you are working with nurses that you feel don't really want you there. However, you have to realize that it is hard enough being a nurse. Then to have a student shoved on them makes it even harder. I have heard a lot of other students say, "They should be happy. We are there doing all the hard and dirty work for them." That is not correct in any way! It makes it harder on the nurse because he/she has to ensure that you know what you are doing and has to take the time to teach you on top of the already heavy patient load. Whenever I am at a clinical. I act like a guest...because I am. I don't sit in their chairs. If I have to document, I find a computer in the hall. If I have to sit down at a computer, I ask one of the nurse's at the nurse's station before doing so and I make sure to be as quick as possible and always get right up if it seems like another nurse/doctor needs to computer. But again, I always try to use the one's in the hallway first! I am always willing to work. If a patient alarm goes off or a call light goes off, even if it's not my patient, I go and answer it. I hate when students just ignore the call light or alarm because it isn't there patient, but they are standing there doing nothing. Just try to do whatever you can to help the nurse. From my experience, the nurse will see that you are trying your best to help and will do so in return.
If I have to document, I find a computer in the hall. If I have to sit down at a computer, I ask one of the nurse's at the nurse's station before doing so and I make sure to be as quick as possible and always get right up if it seems like another nurse/doctor needs to computer. But again, I always try to use the one's in the hallway first!
Oooh, this used to irritate me to no end! It never failed after report for a long crap night shift & handing my WOW over to the day nurse, every desk computer would be occupied by students. Seriously, can't count how many times I had to ask for them to let me finish up last minute charting on my late admission or transfer, etc so I could leave & sleep. My instructors never let us behind the desk at all unless it was to briefly look in a chart (& usually everything there was in the computer). We did charting & researching pt info on the computer in the pt's room or in an empty room after checking it wouldn't be needed in the foreseeable future by the charge.
So, as far as I am aware, a hospital has to have a contract with a nursing school in order for students to rotate through. An instructor once explained to me that, when the hospital or unit has this, the nurses who work on that unit have to agree and understand that students come through, and that they may be teaching/precepting. It would be my assumption that nurses who agree to this are willing to work with students, and are therefore more open in general to even having students on the floor. Some days are just bad on a floor and sometimes its a month or so..... the point of clincial is to learn, not just how to assess or give meds, but to understand a unit, how it runs, the emotions of it, etc.... I personally always feel like a fish out of water in clinical every single time, so from one student to another, my advice would be to learn as much as you can - EVERY aspect of it - be patient, wise in your interactions with the staff, but willing to show your interest in learning and your work ethic, be a reliable extra set of hands on the floor when needed, and then to just be in good communication with your instructor about it. If it comes down to it, they may be able to switch you floors. Good luck!
I would like the say that this is now our 6th day on the unit and it is not getting better. I really liked the idea of communicating with the nurse first thing in the morning because I think part of the issue may have been a miscommunication that there were students in the first place.
However, I understand where you are coming from the the nurse may feel the student is an extra load for them, but the student is there to (in my situation) try to do the little things to ease the nurses. In this situation we are assigned patients rather than nurses. There has also been incidents when the nurses have made comments such as "you're so stupid, you do not deserve to be a nurse." As well as, "what do you think you're doing going into nursing". The issue here is that this is not constructive nor appropriate to say to a student.
Part of my frustration is we were all nursing students at some point so I'm having trouble grasping as to why there is not some unity amongst all of us. We are all striving to successful patient care. And on my opinion I would hope that if I am in a hospital setting that I get a well rounded educated nurse which partially comes from clinical experience.
So, as far as I am aware, a hospital has to have a contract with a nursing school in order for students to rotate through…
The nursing school contracts with the facility to allow students to perform clinicals.
An instructor once explained to me that, when the hospital or unit has this, the nurses who work on that unit have to agree and understand that students come through, and that they may be teaching/precepting...
Not true. It is always the nursing school's responsibility to ensure that their students are appropriately supervised, not the nurses on the floor. The only exception to this is for those students performing their senior practicum, in which case a nurse on the unit needs to volunteer to do this. If there are no volunteers, then the student is going to have to perform her or his practicum on another unit.
This is how it is in my program. We are assigned to patients not nurses. We do what we can and the instructor helps us out. We go to the RN for report, to offer help, and to say thank you, Good night.[/quote']
That's how it is in mine to. Well, we aren't assigned patients. We usually pick our own patients. Then, we find out who the patient's nurses are and go to the nurses, introduce ourselves, tell the nurse what we are able to do (assess, pass meds, document, etc.), get morning report, and then we handle our patients on our own for the day. If we need help or something with the patient changes, we go to the nurse. If we aren't busy with our patient and an alarm goes off for another patient, I always go handle it since I'm not busy (most other students in my program do too, but there are always a few that don't). Then when we are done, we go to the nurse, give our report and tell him/her we are done for the day.
Oooh, this used to irritate me to no end! It never failed after report for a long crap night shift & handing my WOW over to the day nurse, every desk computer would be occupied by students. Seriously, can't count how many times I had to ask for them to let me finish up last minute charting on my late admission or transfer, etc so I could leave & sleep. My instructors never let us behind the desk at all unless it was to briefly look in a chart (& usually everything there was in the computer). We did charting & researching pt info on the computer in the pt's room or in an empty room after checking it wouldn't be needed in the foreseeable future by the charge.
I think it's just disrespectful! There's students I have done clinicals with that sit almost the whole time and complain when they have to get up or the instructor tells them they need to be doing something. IMHO nursing is one of the worst professions to go into if you want to sit around all day and you get annoyed having to do things for others! I mean hello!!! You are learning and preparing to do a job that is all about taking care of others and doing for others!!
We are guests on the unit. We are invading their space. It is just polite to try and stay out of their way. I get that once in a while you are going to sit at a desk computer. But, when you need to do it, do it quick and always be sure to get up if a nurse/doctor comes along. In the rare times I sit at a desk computer to document or look something up, if I see a nurse coming up I go to get up, they will say whether or not they want it, saying something like "Oh no, you can stay, I don't need the computer." But it is just rude to sit there and wait for someone to have to ask you to get up! I always try to use a computer in the hallway for documenting. For research, if I find an empty patient room I ask if I can sit in there and use the computer or if they will need it. If they don't want me in there, I will use a computer in the hall (some units didn't like us in the empty rooms because they felt they would need cleaned again, which was okay - again, we're guests on the unit, I'm just thankful to be there). I always try to find somewhere other than the desk computers before I go there!
I'm 31 and I don't know if it was just the way I was raised or that I am a little older than most of my classmates in their early 20s, but what happened to manners? They seemed to just go right out the window!
NUrses that are unwilling to teach nurses are passive aggressive because they don't ant everyone to know how little they know themselves.
Esme, I normally love your posts, but I absolutely have to take issue with this one. There may be a few nurses out there who meet this criteria, but is it so far from the norm that I actually find this quote insulting.
.
Rose - my first thought was it was Esme's attempt at an April Fools' joke! Because it doesn't sound like Esme.
OP - Just like in any walk of life, you'll find different kinds of people. Sometimes, unfortunately, there might be more of the impatient and verbally abusive ones who call a nursing student "stupid".
But it isn't a NETY thing and nurses are all different. All nurses don't eat all their young.
I'm precepting a nursing student now as a hospice nurse and we have a great relationship.
When I was a student, I had mostly good experiences although I could sense the strain on the nurses having us around.
Just a word of advice, don't make blanket statements. And don't put up with being called "stupid". Report that to your instructor.
So, as far as I am aware, a hospital has to have a contract with a nursing school in order for students to rotate through. An instructor once explained to me that, when the hospital or unit has this, the nurses who work on that unit have to agree and understand that students come through, and that they may be teaching/precepting. It would be my assumption that nurses who agree to this are willing to work with students, and are therefore more open in general to even having students on the floor. Some days are just bad on a floor and sometimes its a month or so..... the point of clincial is to learn, not just how to assess or give meds, but to understand a unit, how it runs, the emotions of it, etc.... I personally always feel like a fish out of water in clinical every single time, so from one student to another, my advice would be to learn as much as you can - EVERY aspect of it - be patient, wise in your interactions with the staff, but willing to show your interest in learning and your work ethic, be a reliable extra set of hands on the floor when needed, and then to just be in good communication with your instructor about it. If it comes down to it, they may be able to switch you floors. Good luck!
I do believe that a hospital has to contract with a nursing school for the students to rotate through. I wouldn't be surprised if the nurse's knew students were coming onto the unit. However, I'm not sure they really have a choice in it. I don't know for sure. I just would think that the hospital makes the decision and then might tell the unit - hey nursing students from whatever school are going to be on this unit from x to y. I doubt they ask permission from each nurse. When it comes to precepting a student, then they ask the nurse. That nurse is going to be working one-on-one with the student, teaching the student, so I do know they ask who is willing to do that. As for clinical rotations, I just don't think they really ask the nurse's input.
But I definitely agree with your advice. The point of clinical is to learn - learn EVERYTHING you can. Like you said, it's definitely important to take in EVERY aspect of it. Learn how the different units work, learn how the different nurse's handle situations and patients, learn skills, etc. Just take in everything that you can! I also agree its important to be patient, aware of your interactions with the staff, and willing to show that you are interested in learning, have a good work ethic, and are willing to help whenever and wherever you are needed. It's also important to be in good communication with your instructor. Your instructor's are there to help when needed and guide you through the process. If you are having an issue with a nurse or other staff member or you feel like a nurse isn't willing to let you learn even though you are trying and doing all you can, definitely speak to your instructor and he/she should help you. The instructor might have advice for you and then know to watch that nurse/staff member, and if he/she sees something be able to say something. We once had a resident on our floor that was really rude to the students and we just tried to stay out of her way, but she always managed to yell at someone from our group. In this case, I really don't understand why she was yelling at the students because I never saw anything. Whatever it was, we just apologized whenever the resident got mad and tried to stay out of her way. But, we did tell our instructor about it. Our instructor said she would watch out for it, and then she saw it happening. So, our instructor talked with her and she said she didn't think students should be on the floor and that we were just in the way. Like, hello! You were a student!! Our instructor tried to talk to her and let her know we just wanted to learn and would help in any way we could, but the residents behavior never changed, so our instructor reported her and then found out that was how the resident was with every clinical group! So, just try your best to learn all you can and show you are willing to learn and work hard. If you have to, go to your instructor for advice and/or help. I'm sure your instructor will know how to handle whatever situation comes up.
Many clinical instructors seem to "dump" their students on the nurses. I've had three students with me, in addition to 6 acutely ill patients, with their clinical instructor helping the other 9 students (yes, she had 12 students total). Way too many to effectively teach them. As a result, the students would come to me with questions (they were 'helping' with my patients so it was understandable), because their instructor was busy or they couldn't find her. I had so much to do with my patients, I just didn't have the time to help the students as much as I wish I could have. I love (most) students. However, floor nurses have so much to do, it's not fair that they also be responsible for students who have an instructor there to teach them, unless they agree to precept which is totally different.
KrCmommy522, BSN, RN
401 Posts
Hello! I am a senior nursing student. With no examples of how the nurse's have approached you it is hard to give advice. With that being said...It is hard when you are working with nurses that you feel don't really want you there. However, you have to realize that it is hard enough being a nurse. Then to have a student shoved on them makes it even harder. I have heard a lot of other students say, "They should be happy. We are there doing all the hard and dirty work for them." That is not correct in any way! It makes it harder on the nurse because he/she has to ensure that you know what you are doing and has to take the time to teach you on top of the already heavy patient load. Whenever I am at a clinical. I act like a guest...because I am. I don't sit in their chairs. If I have to document, I find a computer in the hall. If I have to sit down at a computer, I ask one of the nurse's at the nurse's station before doing so and I make sure to be as quick as possible and always get right up if it seems like another nurse/doctor needs to computer. But again, I always try to use the one's in the hallway first! I am always willing to work. If a patient alarm goes off or a call light goes off, even if it's not my patient, I go and answer it. I hate when students just ignore the call light or alarm because it isn't there patient, but they are standing there doing nothing. Just try to do whatever you can to help the nurse. From my experience, the nurse will see that you are trying your best to help and will do so in return.