Dealing with clinical sites

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I was wondering if anyone has difficulties dealing with personnel on clinical sites? I have a group of high school age students who are trying to complete their hours at a Veterans facility. The staff is less than thrilled that they are there. When I approach them regarding the patients we will be caring for, they stare at me like a deer in headlights. They make rude remarks about the students being there and express a great deal of unprofessional behavior.

After following the chain of command, no one is available to discuss this matter. The care sheets (kardex) are out of date, so it's incredibly important I have up to date information on how to care for these patients. I've done nothing but try to kill the staff with kindness and communicate nonstop in a professional way.

I'm not the "train the trainer" instructor for this and have minimal say with what can be done. I am dreading taking these young kids back to this floor tomorrow. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

I find it appalling that high school students are doing patient care at all. They are minors and cannot sign a HIPAA confidentiality form that means anything. And they are exposed to infection & injury, which puts the hospital at risk. And they get in the way, make too much noise, huddle together in the hallway, play with equipment, take up the few chairs that exist for the staff --- we finally stopped them from doing anything related to direct patient care for all the above reasons. One girl was standing at the nurse's station in LD supposedly learning about the fetal monitor, when a new patient was wheeled by. She grabbed her cell phone (another irritation!) and said "You will never guess who I just saw". So much for privacy. Now we go to the high school or they come here for classroom instruction only. They created way too much stress for the staff.

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I'm sorry- I feel that your response has nothing to do with the original post.

We run a very tight ship with our students and they have to meet strict guidelines (HIPAA training included) to attend the work site. Most of them are 18 and after what I've seen, act a whole heck of a lot better than the staff. There is a 1:5 ratio and we take what we do there very serious.

I was just asking if anyone ever had problems/solutions with staff while trying to prepare students for the workforce. I could care less what age is involved.

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Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.
I'm sorry- I feel that your response has nothing to do with the original post.

We run a very tight ship with our students and they have to meet strict guidelines (HIPAA training included) to attend the work site. Most of them are 18 and after what I've seen, act a whole heck of a lot better than the staff. There is a 1:5 ratio and we take what we do there very serious.

I was just asking if anyone ever had problems/solutions with staff while trying to prepare students for the workforce. I could care less what age is involved.

Yes, during my 2nd semester of teaching nursing, I had a "clinical from hell" on a med-surg floor in a very poorly-run community hospital. The experience was so traumatic, it almost caused me to quit nursing education. Although it was 6 years ago, I still remember the events vividly. The nurses were the antithesis of professionalism and acted rude and antagonistic towards me, the instructor, and, more importantly, the students. So I definitely feel your pain. I did what I could during that semester to effect good relations with the staff, but nothing worked, as the clinical site was a viper pit. I also felt very little support from my nursing program or fellow clinical faculty during this time, which added to the hurt.

My solution - choose another clinical site and never go back. This worked well for me! Every other clinical site during the past 6 years has been wonderful. I have now been to numerous facilities, floors, and units with students. I never again encountered the horrendous conditions that I encountered on that floor. (Sure there are always minor problems to work out, but everything pales in comparison to the mistreatment and disrespect on that med-surg floor.) I'm also employed now as a nurse educator for a large university nursing program, rather than the small community college program, which offered so little support to faculty during the time I was there.

As for the HOSA students, we have them in my secondary employer (my local community hospital) and they are well-received by staff. The students also go through a hospital orientation (including HIPAA) before they are ever allowed contact with patients.

Hope this response helps! Hang in there and please keep us posted on how things are going for you. We care :redbeathe

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VickyRN - Thanks for the support! Today the lead instructor went to the floor with my group of students. She received the same reception that I had and immediately pulled the students out and found another floor that welcomed her with open arms.

I am only a "delegated" instructor and have no say with where we can go to clinicals. After this experience, the program coordinator finally has realized it's time to open the lines of communication with other facilities.

Thanks again for your thoughtful response.

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Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.
VickyRN - Thanks for the support! Today the lead instructor went to the floor with my group of students. She received the same reception that I had and immediately pulled the students out and found another floor that welcomed her with open arms.

I am only a "delegated" instructor and have no say with where we can go to clinicals. After this experience, the program coordinator finally has realized it's time to open the lines of communication with other facilities.

Thanks again for your thoughtful response.

Glad to hear that! Hopefully the new clinical site will give your students (and you!) a much more positive experience :)

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Specializes in critical care ,Home health,cardiac rehab.

The VA can be both challenging and rewarding for clinical. I have found that there is a lack of communication between staff and managment.The nurses at the VA wear many hats, their responsibility sometime are so over whelming that they are just task oriented. But this system is changing for the better.

So many students lose their interest in nursing due to the unprofessional attitude and unsafe practices. Sometime I think that many of the nurses have forgotten how it feels to be a student. With no one willing to share their knowledge, if you do not know something when the student question you look it up.

I am pleased that your students were able to find a better clinical site. Nursing is complex and having a bad clinical orientation /rotation can destroy a new nurse's point of view of the profession.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

Sorry, but the age DOES make a difference. Dealing with immature people who are literally in the way while you work creates stress.

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