delegation and the nursing student

LPN1974, LPN · Feb 10, 2005

As a nursing student I am having difficult with delegating to LPNs and CNAs. Do you have any advise or experiences to share?

Am I sure I understand you correctly??

You are a nursing student and you are DELEGATING to LPNs and CNAs???

KCRN13 · Feb 10, 2005

Am I sure I understand you correctly??
You are a nursing student and you are DELEGATING to LPNs and CNAs???

As a nursing student on the hospital floor for our clinicals and preceptorship we are suppose to work on our delegation skills while caring for our patient assignment. Such as asking a CNA for help with feeding a patient or having them do vital signs, or needing a LPN to do a bandage change, ect. I'm having trouble with the delegation mainly because I'm finding that the staff is not a receptive of delegation when it comes from a student and they make me feel as though I'm just being lazy. Please help!

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Feb 10, 2005

We weren't allowed to delegate to CNAs because that was up to who actually WORKED there. When we were assigned to a floor, we shadowed the charge nurse, or the floor nurses. If we were assigned pts., we did everything for them.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Feb 10, 2005

It is perfectly reasonable as a student, since you are doing all things connected with the role of RN, (passing meds, assessments, treatments, etc.) that you also delagate.

Be prepared though to be ignored and meet resistance, I see the CNAs here virtually ignore the patients in their assignment that the student nurse has, thinking it's the student's job to do everything.

Personally, I didn't delagate much when I was a student. I was much too timid. Now I'm an excellent delegator...LOL...but can't really tell how I do it.

Just be diplomatic and fair. I would ask for help, rather than order things to be done. People don't mind helping if they see you're working hard as well.

Good luck in school.

I do know that LPNs

totallytheresa · Feb 10, 2005

We have to do the same thing at my school. Most people are pretty cool, they know that we're going to be RN's soon, and respectful of that, especially since their supervisors have already TOLD them that is an expectation of them to cooperate. I just ask in a nice and polite way, or I say, oh could you please just, ........ they know what is in their job description already. It's not like we as students are trying to put things off on them that we don't feel like doing, it's that we have other things that we are responsible to get done and to learn. :)

rebeccainlv · Feb 10, 2005

I'm second semester BSN student and I don't delegate to anyone except a classmate if I'm the team leader that shift.

When I'm assigned to patients, I do EVERYTHING for them, unless the CNA forgets the patient is mine and they do vitals or something. That is why we only get 1-2 patients. We have the time to do everything.

We do take turns as team leader so that we are practicing our management skills. In Las Vegas, the ratio between ADN and BSN is huge. All of the BSNs are charge nurses or unit supervisors so it's important that we learn management skills early in the game.

NearlyRN · Feb 10, 2005

I just graduated from a BSN program in December and was expected to delegate to CNAs and LVNs, particularly in the last semester of clinicals (don't really remember having to do it before then). In fact, it was one of the main things we were evaluated on; my teacher said it was part of functioning as a "graduate nurse". Of course, it was very uncomfortable...I kinda felt that if I was an LVN with 20 years of experience and a student tried to delegate to me, I'd be irritated (a nice way to put it).

Basically, I did what I could myself, and only delegated when I aboslutely needed it. Then, I would ask (never TELL), very politely for help.

Most people will help others when asked nicely, whether in a nursing role or not.

Good luck, I know it's a weird situation!

lilbiskit78 · Feb 10, 2005

I am a fourth semester RN student and this is a requirement of our clinicals, also. I think that I am going to have a hard time doing this, as I'm sure we will probably meet some resistance from the staff. I can understand how they feel about it but we are trying to learn our role as RNs and are required to do this. We'll see how it goes in about a week!

bonjovigirl · Feb 11, 2005

We were told to pretty much start doing this this semester. Starting next month ( our last quarter, wow) we will be functioning as a "graduate nurse" ., and yes, delegation is mandatory. We were told to stop thinking and saying "i'm just a student" (within legal limits, of course) Now, it was already beaten into our heads to ALWAYS BE DIPLOMATIC. Never act like you're better than anyone because we are in fact at the bottom of the totem pole, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be practicing that move up. Just respect people. We've all seen the RN (or LPN) treating a CNA or tech like dirt and likewise we have all seen the CNA treat the Rn (and unfortunatly the pt) like dirt. Our clinical instructors have always said we are in clinicals to learn how to do things, and how NOT to do things. Just start acting like the Rn you want to be ( instructors advice). And be prepared to have the CNA's not like you. I wouldn't like a student nurse telling me what to do if I have been a CNA for 20 years, or 2 years for that matter. I don't know how I am going to do it. For the most part I have been in awe of the CNA's I have come across, and don't need delegation, they know their job, much better than we do, and they are good at what they do. I have to admit, this what scares me the most about the next semester.

URO-RN · Feb 11, 2005

it is perfectly reasonable as a student, since you are doing all things connected with the role of rn, (passing meds, assessments, treatments, etc.) that you also delegate.
be prepared though to be ignored and meet resistance

he is absolutely correct.

most employees understand that you are a student nurse and are there to practice your skills. the majority doesl understand this, but there will be others who refuse, for whatever reason, to take orders from students.

jeepgirl, LPN, NP · Feb 11, 2005

As a nursing student on the hospital floor for our clinicals and preceptorship we are suppose to work on our delegation skills while caring for our patient assignment. Such as asking a CNA for help with feeding a patient or having them do vital signs, or needing a LPN to do a bandage change, ect. I'm having trouble with the delegation mainly because I'm finding that the staff is not a receptive of delegation when it comes from a student and they make me feel as though I'm just being lazy. Please help!

It is very hard to delegate as a student nurse. In my program, it was only in dire straights could you delegate without getting you butt chewed. So, no one ever did it.

Not to mention the fact that the CNA's would run and hide... or better yet, they would act like they were deaf. :angryfire

I even found it hard to delegate as a new graduate nurse. However, this gets better! I have a thread about this in the GN forum... I'll post it in a minute.