I am in my second semester of an ASN program. We started our first hospital clinicals a few weeks ago. Things were fine when I was in observation on other units, but when I was put on the Medical/Surgical unit to participate in patient care, everything went down hill! The nurses on the unit are SO VERY RUDE! The nurse manager actually yelled at another student in front of a patient! And the student had done nothing wrong (truly, the instructor even said she was not doing anything wrong). This manager also was very hateful with me. The nurse responsible for my first patient brushed me off, telling me to go find something else to do and she would find me when she was done with report (I was supposed to get report for the patient I was assigned to) and then walked past me, ignoring me when she was done. She wouldn't have anything to do with me the entire shift. Then today, I had the same issues, being ignored and feeling lost because I didn't know what to do. I tried to find the instructor but she must have been off the floor, couldn't find anyone to be nice to me. I told a girl I was sick and left. I just finally stopped crying. I am miserable at this clinical site. We have 9 left (2 a week) then switch to OB/Peds which I have heard the RNs are even worse! A group actually pulled out of their clinicals here on Med/Surg because the instructor refused to go back to the hospital. They transferred to another facility. I have heard there have been numerous problems with this hospital. I live in a kind of rural area, so clinical space is extremely limited, which is why I am assuming we are still here. I have heard there have been meetings betweeen the school and administration at the hospital, but nothing is being done.
I can't quit over something like this. I know that I will have to learn how to deal with people like this because they are everywhere. I have worked in Dr. offices and have been cornered and yelled at by some pretty mean docs. That I can deal with. But when I am in a setting where the RNs are supposed to be our teachers and take us under their wings, remember their own experiences, and helping us and they don't and are down right rude, I have a really hard time dealing with that! Anyone have any advice? Anyone had any similar experiences? I am at a loss. The only thing I can think to do is go in tomorrow with the attitude that it's going to be a better day and not take anymore crap! I am normally a person who can't bite her tongue, but as a student there is a line that I am afraid to cross, but I am ready to say screw that line and just tell them how it is!
If nurses are so opposed to teacing students, why would they choose to work at a teaching facility? If they are so worried about a student caring for their patient, why would they choose not to communicate effectively with the student? I do not get it.
Nursing students often have clinical rotations at any nearby facility, not just facilities that are officially designated as "teaching hospitals." So a nurse at any random community hospital still might find students on their floor. With 8 students each taking 2 patients, nurses may not have the option of saying no to some of their patients being assigned to students. If it's an area with lots of nursing schools or with few facilities, some floors might seem to always have students coming and going. Many students are only there twice a week for just a few weeks and so there's really no time to get to know the students before they are on to another rotation.
Unfortunately, often due to tight budgets, nurses are often overloaded with work and so making time to communicate effectively with the student while also making sure that their patients are properly taken care of can be difficult. If there's not enough time to do everything, the patient needs will always come first. So students may end up feeling extraneous or ignored or in the way in such cases. I don't blame the nurses or schools for this unfortunate reality. I just wish there were a better way.
jjjoy, LPN
2,801 Posts
Nursing students often have clinical rotations at any nearby facility, not just facilities that are officially designated as "teaching hospitals." So a nurse at any random community hospital still might find students on their floor. With 8 students each taking 2 patients, nurses may not have the option of saying no to some of their patients being assigned to students. If it's an area with lots of nursing schools or with few facilities, some floors might seem to always have students coming and going. Many students are only there twice a week for just a few weeks and so there's really no time to get to know the students before they are on to another rotation.
Unfortunately, often due to tight budgets, nurses are often overloaded with work and so making time to communicate effectively with the student while also making sure that their patients are properly taken care of can be difficult. If there's not enough time to do everything, the patient needs will always come first. So students may end up feeling extraneous or ignored or in the way in such cases. I don't blame the nurses or schools for this unfortunate reality. I just wish there were a better way.