In this article, I will share what student behaviors I look for during clinicals. Hopefully, I will also provide insight on what to avoid for a great clinical experience.
One of my favorite job responsibilities as a nursing instructor is nursing clinicals. It is an inspiring moment when a student is able to make the connection between classroom and hands-on nursing practice. As much as I enjoy clinicals, there are situations when student actions or behaviors can bring additional challenges to clinicals. I'll share a few of these and, hopefully, provide you with a little helpful insight.
STEP 1: Appreciate Your Instructor's Responsibilities
Your clinical instructor is legally obligated to safeguard student and patient safety. In addition, they can be held accountable for the negligent or wrongful actions of a nursing student. You can help your instructor make appropriate patient assignments by communicating your strengths, weaknesses and skill level. I have always appreciated students who perform ongoing formal and informal self-assessments on knowledge and skill.
STEP 2: First Impression Really Is Important
You have several "first impressions" to make on any clinical day- your instructor, patients, caregivers, clinical site staff and others.
The dress code is what it is.
There are certain uniform requirements as a nursing student you probably find overly strict, out-of-date or too restrictive for your own personal style. When I started nursing school 25 years ago, we were required to wear nursing aprons. It was an archaic uniform requirement, but it was also just that... a requirement. Updating your program's dress code policy is may be a worthwhile project, but always follow current policy. Students are anxious as it is and a uniform reprimand at the day's start only makes it worse.
Be on time and eat before you come.
First, I would like to acknowledge there are legitimate reasons you may be late to clinical (I.e. sick child, traffic, car problem). In these situations, be sure to follow your program's instructions for notifying your instructor. Otherwise, leave early and allow time for the unexpected. Be sure you eat before you arrive. Asking if you can "go eat breakfast" 1 hour into clinical will probably not be well received.
STEP 3: Value Your Program's Relationship with the Clinical Site
Identifying willing clinical sites for students is challenging and requires active relationship building. You can help your clinical instructor foster this relationship by:
Caring for all patients with dignity and respect.
Following the clinical facility's policy and procedures (I.e. parking, non-smoking campus, patient confidentiality)
Reporting any issues with staff to your clinical instructor immediately.
Being realistic with facility staff expectations. Remember, the nurses are busy and stress levels may be elevated at times.
Always receiving report and giving report to your assigned patient's primary nurse.
Avoiding "hanging out" at the nurse's desk. Talk with your instructor if you are not sure what you should be doing.
STEP 4: Avoid These Cringe-Worthy Faux Pas
I value students who participate and focus on the present clinical. The following student behaviors take focus away from clinical, place your instructor in an awkward spot and should be avoided.
Asking if group can be dismissed early because "no one will tell".
Asking questions about past or upcoming exams.
Talking negatively or gossiping about other students.
Talking negatively or gossiping about other faculty.
Asking if post conference could be "skipped" for the day.
Talking negatively about the overall nursing program.
Talking negatively about the clinical site and/or staff.
Arguing or disrespectful behavior toward facility staff.
Studying or working on outside assignments during clinical.
Asking if the student has to perform patient personal care.
Complaining about "working all night" or not sleeping prior to clinical.
Providing inappropriate information about personal life.
Actions that risk student and/or patient safety.
Finally, always avoid behavior or attitudes that diminishes, devalues or is uncaring towards any patient.
STEP 5: Set Realistic Goals Pat Yourself on the Back
I understand students are anxious and apprehensive. It raises a red flag when a student is overly confident and without any hesitation. Your clinical instructor appreciates a student who asks questions and seeks clarification. At the end of each clinical day, pat yourself on the back and reflect on what fear you overcame, what you learned and how you made a difference in your patient's care.
Do you have tips or stories to share? Would love to read your perspective.
It is my experience that most programs have more applicants than they can accept. In part this is not because the programs have too few students, LOL. It is sometimes because faculty pay, especially for clinical faculty, is ridiculously low, much lower than staff nursing, so it is hard to attract and keep them. Many clinical instructors work two jobs so they can teach, because they love teaching and have a talent for it.
If you continue c this attitude towards hard-working faculty who want nothing more than to prepare you for a successful start to a career, you will be doing the schools a favor to avoid them. Good luck in your future endeavors.
A lot of them can’t get a job as a nurse so they look for work where they precept. They don’t love teaching. They need pay. Keep it real.
Specializes in Physiology, CM, consulting, nsg edu, LNC, COB.
I apologize for being thick here, but I must be missing something.
So you're saying that someone who's not qualified to get a job as a nurse would be a desirable faculty hire to place as a clinical instructor?
Or did you only mean that nurses are in such oversupply so teaching is the only option for some of them?
Or perhaps new BSN grads with insufficient experience in that role can't get hired so they do what-- try to get jobs as faculty?
Looking for work where they precept? Do you mean, work where they can be a preceptor? Preceptors are staff nurses employed by the hospital as staff nurses, not paid by an affiliated nursing program (though the hospital MIGHT give them a differential or points on the clinical ladder for serving in this capacity). They're not paid clinical faculty, so I'm not clear on what you mean.
In the several states where I am licensed, you need at least a BSN to teach clinical, and most require MSN, and one requires a DNP (personally, I think this is overkill).
Do clear these up, please, so we can get what you mean.
Oversupply. The market is over saturated. A lot of people have high private school loans. Most I’ve seen have little to no experience at a hospital and use clinical to network and for pay. I get it. But acting like the student needs to impress you aint going to happen. Just do your job. A student should impress you by doing what they are supposed to do
I am looking into an DNP program, and I will be sure to avoid schools that have instructors like you.
Nursing programs do not cut back enrollments due to lack of students. Lack of faculty is more the operating factor for this as there are ratios that are required by the state Nursing boards for being an approved program. Or perhaps you were thinking of schools losing their state approval because of low board results over several years.
On 2/15/2021 at 6:58 PM, Ace Savanahh said:
Programs are shut down if there are not enough students to keep the program open. Instructors with attitudes not conducive to a productive learning experience were fired after students complained.
Are you speaking from personal experience or just spouting off? Some college professors do deserve the complaints directed toward them. These fields are not limited to nursing science. Progression through a ranking program in a college has definate steps and achievements a professor must meet. Your wide negative generalizations about what a teaching position entails, the abilities necessary to teach, immature views, and downright inaccurate statements show that you really don't know what you are talking about.
If you do decide to go back to school you may find your attitude re. the skills, knowledge and attitude needed to succeed in achieving your goal(s) may need instrospection.
I also do not feel a student must work actively to impress an instructor. All I ask is an open and receptive mind, integrity, politeness and a willingness to do their best. When a teacher and student work together, the goals achieved are worth more than the individual efforts of the two. That is the power of education.
Specializes in Emergency Department, Pediatrics, Home Health.
3 hours ago, Ace Savanahh said:
A lot of them can’t get a job as a nurse so they look for work where they precept. They don’t love teaching. They need pay. Keep it real.
I'm sorry, I don't agree with most of your comments. They are very generalized and detached. The only time where some of what you said might have been true is during the beginning stages of the pandemic. But, most programs have adapted and some are even back on campus part time. So before the pandemic and even now there are not enough nursing instructors. There are so many people trying to get into nursing school it is crazy and competitive. Saying that the nursing instructor should impress the student? I mean, have fun with that...doesn't sound like great advice to me LOL.
Nursing instructors don't do it for the pay, they do it because they love it. They need a BSN in WA state to teach clinical and an MSN to teach theory. They get paid considerably less than what a nurse at the hospital makes. Oh, and they need quite a few years under their belt at the hospital to even apply. Most of the time have to be recruited at the school I went to.
Additionally, the idea that most nurses have high private school loans is...an extremely general statement. Most of my classmates made it out of the program with max 16k in loans and some that made it through with no loan at all. I assume you may be speaking of largely populated areas, where that might be true. For example, Southern California - lots of people tend to be signing up for West Coast University to pay 160k for their BSN. Or, 130k for LPN to RN. That is related to the wait times to get into nursing school down there. The wait is 2 years and that is with a 4.0 GPA. So, I mean everything is relative and depends on where you live.
I'm sorry, I don't agree with most of your comments. They are very generalized and detached. The only time where some of what you said might have been true is during the beginning stages of the pandemic. But, most programs have adapted and some are even back on campus part time. So before the pandemic and even now there are not enough nursing instructors. There are so many people trying to get into nursing school it is crazy and competitive. Saying that the nursing instructor should impress the student? I mean, have fun with that...doesn't sound like great advice to me LOL.
Nursing instructors don't do it for the pay, they do it because they love it. They need a BSN in WA state to teach clinical and an MSN to teach theory. They get paid considerably less than what a nurse at the hospital makes. Oh, and they need quite a few years under their belt at the hospital to even apply. Most of the time have to be recruited at the school I went to.
Additionally, the idea that most nurses have high private school loans is...an extremely general statement. Most of my classmates made it out of the program with max 16k in loans and some that made it through with no loan at all. I assume you may be speaking of largely populated areas, where that might be true. For example, Southern California - lots of people tend to be signing up for West Coast University to pay 160k for their BSN. Or, 130k for LPN to RN. That is related to the wait times to get into nursing school down there. The wait is 2 years and that is with a 4.0 GPA. So, I mean everything is relative and depends on where you live.
You know the CA BRN was sued by American Career College for Limiting the number of students. BRN justified this by saying there are too many nurses.
That’s because you didn’t to read the documents or articles in their entirety
PLease provide the web site. The only law suit was for financial aid fraud and did not involve the California Nursing Board. If you have another, please cite it.
Specializes in Physiology, CM, consulting, nsg edu, LNC, COB.
Years ago there were zillions of posts here by CA grads who couldn’t get jobs for 12-18 months p graduation. Many were from for-profit schools like the one you mentioned. Employers wouldn’t hire grads from some of them. Now the job market is different- and so is regulation of nursing education by state BoNs.
PLease provide the web site. The only law suit was for financial aid fraud and did not involve the California Nursing Board. If you have another, please cite it.
Look up american career college sues ca board of nursing
Ace Savanahh
59 Posts
A lot of them can’t get a job as a nurse so they look for work where they precept. They don’t love teaching. They need pay. Keep it real.