Clinicals

[YasminLassiter]

To all the currently liscensed nurses who have been on the job "forever", one day you will come across a student who someday wants to be where you are. It would be nice if you took that into consideration and treated them like a human being. A guest in your house who just wants to feel welcome. Believe me we are quite aware that we have some learning to do and that is what clinicals are for. If you block out your future coworkers where is that getting you? Today has topped all of my clinical experiences as the worst. I am a student in a small southern town. My heritage is African American and my religion is Islam, yes I am a muslim. I felt like it was the 1960s I was ignored for an entire day and cheated out of my clinical experience. It was hurtful and shocking that in all this time many of us have gone no where when it comes to progessing while working in one of the most of the most progressive fields. I will not let prejudice stop me it will only help to motivate me.

[krisiepoo]

I've had this happen and I"m a white with blonde hair and blue eyes. sometimes the nurses jsut dont' want to be bothered by students. so what I did was bust my butt on my patients, answered call lights, showed them all (even though it was just one who acted like this) that I was business, wasn't afraid of a little elbow grease(or whatever, LOL) and by the end of my 8 weeks, I was finally accepted. not saying it's not because of your race, but I wouldn't automatically pull the race card because you had a bad go at one hospital

[schnookimz]

Just to give the nurses a little credit, they are slowed down by students, students can get in their way, bother their patient, and they aren't paid any extra to help a student.

So while I understand that we were all students once and they should be polite and helpful, sometimes they aren't and I don't blame them because they don't get much out of our being there except another person to watch out for during the day.

[LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN]

Hmmm.... seems like more to this story. No way are we allowed at clinical without an instructor, first of all. And yes, my instructors do have nine students in their clinical. The instructor is always busy with someone so if you need her, you go find her. I tend not to pester the nurses who are assigned to my patients, but I listen, follow when they go into the patient's room, and do what I can as far as what I've been checked off on. You can't take things personal, the nurses and the instructors are busy..... I seriously doubt if it had anything to do with your race, ethnicity or anything like that.

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

The only "clinicals " without a school instructor present were community observation where were observed/worked with a RN pre-approved by the school. We performed no clinical skills but observed how the nurse functioned in a particular role such as a nurse at the juvenile detention center, a school nurse, nurse diabetes educator, health department, outpatient FHQ clinic, free standing surgicenter, nurse in an outpatient detox or mental health center. We had spot inspections by one of the clinical instructors/adjunct instructors each day of community placement.

We had to have signatures by the nurse verifying attendance and write a journal entry about our observations.

[NurseDirtyBird]

Or, you know, racism. Sometimes a horse is a horse. Nurses aren't immune to racism, or any other prejudice. We are humans after all.

[CaringGerinurse525]

I've had this happen and I"m a white with blonde hair and blue eyes. sometimes the nurses jsut dont' want to be bothered by students. so what I did was bust my butt on my patients answered call lights, showed them all (even though it was just one who acted like this) that I was business, wasn't afraid of a little elbow grease(or whatever, LOL) and by the end of my 8 weeks, I was finally accepted. not saying it's not because of your race, but I wouldn't automatically pull the race card because you had a bad go at one hospital[/quote']

This! Some nurses don't care to have students with them. When I worked on the pediatric floor there was a nurse I shadowed that was either ignoring me of yelling at me. It is what it is. I am Caucasian with blue eyes and brown hair and so was the nurse. There are just some people that aren't very kind. I would hesitate to jump into thinking it was racism unless she specifically made racist remarks, in which case, shame on her. Anyone can be a jerk no matter the color of their skin.

[NICUmiiki, DNP, NP]

To be fair, in my state we don't practice nursing under our instructor's license. We go through a background checks through the BON and are granted permission to practice nursing as a student nurse by the BON.

I can't believe you would be allowed to be at clinicals without an instructor. Whose license were you there under? Your instructor's job is to make sure you are being provided learning opportunities.

But our instructor has had to pull nurses aside and tell them to stop being so difficult with the students. This semester, one nurse would grill and belittle students in the patients' rooms during round, and another nurse told students not to chart on her patients.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

Or you know, racism. Sometimes a horse is a horse. Nurses aren't immune to racism, or any other prejudice. We are humans after all.[/quote']

True...and I agree; however, I would like to find out what else occurred FIRST; I don't want the OP to pigeonhole this experience when there are people that act like his ALL the time in our business, regardless of race...I've experienced Asian, Hispanic, and African American nurses behave this way to students of their own race, and have attempted to do this with other races in my clinicals; once they only treated a few that way they either eventually warmed up, or others were simply burned out or had deep personality flaws an issues they decided to share with the world; it wasn't race-related, it was a personal struggle/personality issue that these nurses had; we are human, after all...

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

There are just some people that aren't very kind. I would hesitate to jump into thinking it was racism unless she specifically made racist remarks in which case, shame on her. Anyone can be a jerk no matter the color of their skin.[/quote']

^The only caveat is even people who are racist do not always make "blatant racist" remarks; there are "code words" and other aspects that occur; a lot of them are non-verbal; it could be the avoidance of wanting to be touched by a person of another color; making up excuses of why they want another nurse-one time I got I was "too young to be a nurse" from a 20 year old-I was 25 btw...there's more to the story...this patient avoided being around people of my race; he knew my age; and tried to have "code conversations" with other white counterparts that they ended up offended and complained...so there was a "racial" issue.

There are other nuances that are more blatant; and some are very obvious. I have an African American patient that doesn't like my white coworkers, including my nurse manager; the pt. will yell and curse, and if one of them states "Good morning" or tried to start a conversation, the pt. either ignores them or yells at them or is rude; yet will not yell at me at all, as well as the CNAs if we approach the patient the same way...most are African American; the patient is very pleasant, manners, no issues. The patient doesn't say "I don't like white people" or any other statements to me or any other peers or slurs at them or states stereotypes; it is based on the patient's pattern of behavior, and it is suspected as some form of racism...

[CaringGerinurse525]

^The only caveat is even people who are racist do not always make "blatant racist" remarks; there are "code words" and other aspects that occur; a lot of them are non-verbal; it could be the avoidance of wanting to be touched by a person of another color; making up excuses of why they want another nurse-one time I got I was "too young to be a nurse" from a 20 year old-I was 25 btw...there's more to the story...this patient avoided being around people of my race; he knew my age; and tried to have "code conversations" with other white counterparts that they ended up offended and complained...so there was a "racial" issue. There are other nuances that are more blatant; and some are very obvious. I have an African American patient that doesn't like my white coworkers including my nurse manager; the pt. will yell and curse, and if one of them states "Good morning" or tried to start a conversation, the pt. either ignores them or yells at them or is rude; yet will not yell at me at all, as well as the CNAs if we approach the patient the same way...most are African American; the patient is very pleasant, manners, no issues. The patient doesn't say "I don't like white people" or any other statements to me or any other peers or slurs at them or states stereotypes; it is based on the patient's pattern of behavior, and it is suspected as some form of racism...[/quote']

I understand this. I was just trying to state that since many nursing students have had the same issue with nurses at clinical sites that I wouldn't call it racism right off the bat. If this was the first and only encounter with the nurse it would be hard to assume it was racism. Regardless of what it was, the nurse was in the wrong for treating anyone let alone a student that way.

I hope the OP has better experiences throughout her clinicals.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

I understand this. I was just trying to state that since many nursing students have had the same issue with nurses at clinical sites that I wouldn't call it racism right off the bat. If this was the first and only encounter with the nurse it would be hard to assume it was racism.

I understand that you are aware...I have stated in my previous posts that people do treat people with this behavior regardless of race; however, there are people out there who think unless someone who is blatantly spewing stereotypes and other forms of bitterness towards an ethnic group that one is not racist; and there are parties out there to justify such behaviors that are in the same camps of the extremes; no harm in enlightenment; my post was more of a support than anything else. :)

[Mully]

I'm a white male and boy have I worked with some nasty female dogs to put it nicely. Rudeness transends all color, sex, religion, and whatever other modifier one may have. More than anything medical, nursing has made me extremely resilient to rude people. I flat out no longer care what people think. Trust me, there's nothing worse than being a student. You're treated as the scum of the earth. It only gets better! Just get through it. And you can come follow me around anytime you want :).