clinicals, why are the nurses such *******.

Nursing Students General Students

Published

Many of the clinicals I have been to so far, the nurses have been complete *******. Now, let me say this, not ALL of the nurses have been, just a select few. My clinical nurses as of now, are completelyyyyy NICE and helpful!

I would like to think it's because we're "in their territory" but from what I've seen, the way they do their jobs (giving the meds 4 hrs late...) I really don't think we're in the way, I think we actually make the situation BETTER.

Any thoughts?

Specializes in Cardiac.

No, we are not there to teach you. We are there to take care of pts. And everything else that goes along with it.

Student nurses NEVER make things better. It's an extra task to take on, extra work, more things to worry about and then you have to hope that you don't get the student who "knows the right way to do it" or who thinks she "can do it better than you" or will "never in a million years be like you".

So please, spare the criticisms. I completely and distinctly remember how painful it was to be a nursing student. I remember what it felt like to beg for the nurses attention, or to pass on pill and feeling like I had to wait all day to do it.

It doesnt' even remotely compare to the stress of being a nurse. Not in the least!! You have no idea of what it's like (and we do have an idea of what it's like to be a student)

A lot of SN's might want to take a quick check at their own attitudes too. Or are we going to pretend that it's 100% completely one-sided?

I'm just trying to get by, and maybe I can squeeze a pee break or an apple in my day. A student nurse does not make everything better.

Signed by someone who actually loves to teach, and doesnt' bully students-because I DO remember how it feels.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in tele, oncology.
I didn't know that it wasn't an expected part of their duties at most hospitals. At our clinical site, teaching is considered a part of the nurses duties as much as patient care is.

I have worked at MANY facilities (did two years as an agency nurse) and not one of them included taking on student nurses in the job description.

Maintaining a safe healing environment for the patients is our number one goal. Unfortunately, sometimes student nurses can get in the way of that, usually because of a poor match up of patient to student or student to nurse.

Also, look at the way the students in general behave that you are on clincals with. Do they swarm the nurses' station and just hang out, getting in the way constantly? Do they wander off with charts without checking with the nurse first? Do they take over chairs and computer stations and refuse to get out of the way for the floor nurses? Do they jump in and help out, look for opportunities to learn and do new things, or do they try to avoid work and give the nurses attitude when asked to assist on their patients?

Personally, I love it when I get the rare opportunity (since I work nights) to have a student nurse or two work with my patients. I've been lucky that I've always gotten students who have their head screwed on straight, are eager to learn, and actually are interested in what opportunities come their way. I know not all of them are like that (both from my own memories of classmates and from what I've seen on the floor).

I also know that not all of the nurses are comfortable being thrust into the role of educator, and that can come off, unfortunately, as having a poor attitude. Then there are some that are just b*thcy; for them I offer no excuse.

I only had one instance where there was a problem, and it was with the instructor, not the student. Long story short, I got into it with one of the clinical instructors who decided to yell at me for the care I was providing my patient over whether or not to give a beta blocker to a CHF'er with an EF of 15% with a SBP in the 90's. I stayed calm and quiet throughout the exchange, and then took the time to explain to the student nurse why I made the decision that I did (among them that there was a MD order to give for SBP>90). But no one, from that point on, was comfortable taking on students that this instructor had, b/c of her inappropriate behavior in attempting to dress down a member of the floor staff.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neuro.

In our program we take over complete care for half of our nurses patients, until we leave the nurse has no responsibility to deal with us or our patients unless they choose to. I've watched my nurses patients while they ate their lunch, and while they've had a bathroom break.

And as far as my earlier comment it came from something said at pre-conference by the floor nurse who said something about education being a very important part of the nursing role and how education didn't stop at the patient. She also stressed that if the nurses couldn't teach a student who was eager to learn, the would never succeed at teaching anything to their patients.

I am not trying to be argumentative. It seriously made me depressed reading the posts above though.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac.
In our program we take over complete care for half of our nurses patients, until we leave the nurse has no responsibility to deal with us or our patients unless they choose to. .

No you don't. You only think you do. Sorry, but when you become a nurse you will see that you are constantly checking on your student. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it's happening. You are probably covering about 10-20% of the care.

And if you are getting depressed by just reading the posts, wait until you have to deal with some students who think that they are doing you a favor!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in tele, oncology.
In our program we take over complete care for half of our nurses patients, until we leave the nurse has no responsibility to deal with us or our patients unless they choose to. I've watched my nurses patients while they ate their lunch, and while they've had a bathroom break.

And as far as my earlier comment it came from something said at pre-conference by the floor nurse who said something about education being a very important part of the nursing role and how education didn't stop at the patient. She also stressed that if the nurses couldn't teach a student who was eager to learn, the would never succeed at teaching anything to their patients.

I am not trying to be argumentative. It seriously made me depressed reading the posts above though.

Don't take this the wrong way, please. It's obvious that you've been somewhat misguided by your instructors, which is not your fault at all.

I bear 100% responsibility for whatever goes on with my patient while it is my shift. Just because there happens to be a student nurse to do what he/she can, does not mean that my responsibility, legally or ethically, ends. You are a student, operating within a very limited capacity, in respects to education, knowledge, and the BON. I am the patient's assigned nurse, and the buck stops with me to a great extent. I'm more careful with following up with my patients who do have student nurses, b/c I don't know what they know, how competent they are, or what they're telling my patients...in short, I can't trust them, b/c I just don't know enough about them and their abilities.

Educating the patient is a very vital part of what we do, and it starts the moment the patient hits the bed from the ED or where ever. I think there's a big difference in the teaching content for a patient and a student, however. And honestly, I've seen some student nurses (not mine, thank God) who literally couldn't be taught, b/c they knew it all already, or were insistent that there was no difference between what is learned in school and what the real world is like.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
No you don't. You only think you do. Sorry, but when you become a nurse you will see that you are constantly checking on your student. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it's happening. You are probably covering about 10-20% of the care.

And if you are getting depressed by just reading the posts, wait until you have to deal with some students who think that they are doing you a favor!

Wow, that's a demonstrative attitude!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psychiatry.
No you don't. You only think you do. Sorry, but when you become a nurse you will see that you are constantly checking on your student. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it's happening. You are probably covering about 10-20% of the care.!

Exactly! and YOU don't have a license to protect... You are working UNDER the RN's license. So no, you are not doing their job while they are taking their well deserved break. Sorry, it doesn't work that way.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psychiatry.
Wow, that's a demonstrative attitude!

Nope, it's called reality.

"Until you have walked a mile in our shoes......"

Diane, RN

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.
I didn't know that it wasn't an expected part of their duties at most hospitals. At our clinical site, teaching is considered a part of the nurses duties as much as patient care is.

i work nights, so i don't see too many students... but i did work days for a short time where i did work with students. it is not a part of our job description to teach nursing students, that is what your instructor is there for. they are there to teach and supervise you. we are there to care for our assignment of patients for our shift and are ultimately responsible for each and every thing that happens with that patient and their care until we report off on that patient.

while you guys are pre conferencing, post conferencing and taking lunch breaks, we are charting nonstop, entering orders, talking to family members, dealing with doctors, planning discharges, educating patients, monitoring for changes in patients baselines, etc. our work is never done. having a good student is helpful.. but you do have to know where your boundaries are.

when i was a student, a patient i was assigned to crashed, and the nurse i was working with was so new out of school she cried and ran out of the room, and because i was a paramedic, i knew what to do--but i still went and got my instructor and we worked the rapid response together. i had the respect for her, and for the nurse, to know i was working under their licenses.

students have been very helpful to me for the most part, but there were a few that i absolutely didnt trust... and its my right, because its my license. if they were passing meds and couldnt tell me what it was for and how it worked, no they couldnt give it. i would not expect anything of a students behavior that was not expected of me as a student.

i do love to teach, but it's only my job to teach patients and families--what i choose to teach a student is an extra step that i take if i think it will be a benefit to them....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in IMCU.

Since when did a student work under the license of a staff member? I though it was the instructor's license?

Also, I have to say that if you want to "correct" what you deem to be misinformation I think it can be done without the unpleasant tone of some of the posts I have read. They are really only serving as an indicator of resentment.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Nope, it's called reality.

"Until you have walked a mile in our shoes......"

Diane, RN

Tha facts are irrelevant. Your attitude is the issue. A student may be difficult, but as an RN you should be able to manage the situation. If that means telling the instructor to limit the student's activity or to tell the student to do things that are safe instead of getting in your way.

I think you need to step into the student's shoes.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psychiatry.
Your attitude is the issue.

I think you need to step into the student's shoes.

Oh, really? That's the first time on this message board someone has told me I have an attitude. Hmmm... not sure how you came to that conclusion. Oh well.

Anywho,as far as "stepping in a students shoes", how the heck do you think I became a nurse??? Been there, done that. Thanks.

Peace,

Diane

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment