From a student, to, hospital floor nurses...

[mindlor]

If you want to ignore me and look at me cross eyed when I ask for report or try to give you report, or if you want to just flat look through me as if I were not even there, then guess what?

Do your own vitals!

Do your own code browns.

Make your own beds with the patients

I will sit and practice therapeutic communication with them while you wipe them down.

Now if you want to engage with me and show me a little respect/kindness then,

I will do all your vitals.

I will do all your code browns.

I will make your life a breeze.

The choice is yours.....

[morecoffeepls, BSN, RN]

Roy Fokker just hit a walk-off home run. This thread has concluded. Drive home safe.

[DanaLPN]

I love most of my students, but a lot of them are just in. the. way.

Frankly, it's your attitude that gets our backs up a bit. At the end of the day, we are still responsible for student's actions and we have to clean up a LOT.

I can't even tell you how many times I've had to stay late to re-chart, re-check all of my orders, re-count narcotics, re-make beds, (yes, even beds I've had to re-do because two sheets do not equal a blanket) re-re-position my patients, etc. When we leave, it falls on to the next nurse from us. When students leave, they're off for the day (or to do whatever assignment they can do while watching TV ) And don't even get me started on how many students take pleasure correcting the way of nursing I have worked at for over 10 years because their one addition of a textbook says to do step 6 before MY step 5.

If you haven't figured it out yet, a lot of nurses will eat their own young. We get territorial and see rotations come through far too often for our own liking at times.

I understand it's frustrating, we were all students, but you will be a student for far less of your nursing career than you will be an actual nurse. You will come to realize that students often prove themselves to be a hindrance more than an advantage at times.

With that said, good luck. Please try and be as helpful as you can and maybe, just maybe, these nurses will warm up to you.

[MizzERRN]

Fyi, we don't NEED you to help us. We were taking care of our patients just fine before you came along. And with that **** poor attitude you have, id rather you just leave my patients alone

[SweetOldWorld, BSN, RN]

If you want to ignore me and look at me cross eyed when I ask for report or try to give you report, or if you want to just flat look through me as if I were not even there, then guess what?

Do your own vitals!

Do your own code browns.

Make your own beds with the patients

I will sit and practice therapeutic communication with them while you wipe them down.

Now if you want to engage with me and show me a little respect/kindness then,

I will do all your vitals.

I will do all your code browns.

I will make your life a breeze.

The choice is yours.....

You're not there for me. You're there for the patient.

[yuzzamatuzz]

I am a new grad and just six months ago I was a student myself. On my first day off preceptorship with my very own patients I had 5 patients, 2 who were possible transfers to the ICU. And I had a nursing student. That student had no idea that that was my first day on my own as a nurse, or what my other patients were like. I had very little time to teach her, because my patients are my priority and responsibility. I personally love to teach, and in an ideal world I would love to have students working with me. But unfortunately that is not always a reality. I will never be rude to you, but if I am crazy busy then I won't be able to give you the time that you deserve. I love students who are ready to learn and understand that when my day is busy they aren't a priority. Fortunately I have not had a student who had the attitude that they are free labor because that would just downright turn me off to teaching them. I am sorry that you had a bad experience in your clinicals and I hope it gets better for you. I would advise you to make the most of your day when you have a nurse who doesn't want to teach, read the chart and learn everything you can about your patient. Don't take it personally when a nurse is ignoring you, most of the time they do not mean to be rude to you even if it comes off that way

[NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN]

OP you are a brave soul to post this... Too bad its 7:24am and I'm on my way to school. Will definitely bring the popcorn and drinks to continue to read this later tonight.

Have a nice day everyone and play nice til I get back.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

The original post reminds me of my son as a toddler trying to tell me he won't love me anymore if I won't do what he says. Big bundle of frustration with zero power or frame of reference, just trying to be important and get his way.

From one student to another, I suspect you will be warmer recieved if you express a desire to do anything and everything that may be of assistance to your nurse rather than threaten to take away the few measly things within your power if she doesn't do what you want.

Hang in there. Watch. Listen. Learn. Yes, you have zero respect right now. You just haven't earned it yet. That comes with time. You obviously had a frustrating day at clinicals. Deep breath, shrug it off. The next one is a whole new day with no mistakes or frustrations in it yet.

[KeechieSan]

Your attitude is the problem, not the nurses.

[OCNRN63, RN]

If you want to ignore me and look at me cross eyed when I ask for report or try to give you report, or if you want to just flat look through me as if I were not even there, then guess what?

Do your own vitals!

Do your own code browns.

Make your own beds with the patients

I will sit and practice therapeutic communication with them while you wipe them down.

Now if you want to engage with me and show me a little respect/kindness then,

I will do all your vitals.

I will do all your code browns.

I will make your life a breeze.

The choice is yours.....

Learning to deal with difficult people (including staff) is part of nursing school. You don't just get to pick and choose what you will/will not do based on whether you think a nurse is nice enough to you. You're supposed to be a mature adult; your plan is very childish and will probably cause you grief down the line.

[OCNRN63, RN]

As I student I am asking why there are so many nurses that complain about being "underpaid". Can someone please describe whether by underpaid you mean not paid enough for the job your doing because it's stressful, tiring, and you have an overload of patients, or do you mean that you are just not paid enough at all like you are making under 20 an hour? You can't afford to feed your family or pay bills? Because when I hear so many nurses saying they are underpaid it really worries me, I have over 20,000 dollars in student loans and if I get out of school and can't pay them because I'm that underpaid I would just like to know now so I can prepare for that.

Depending on where you are in the country, some nurses are making below $20/h. Many times the COL outpaces the income, esp. now with such a dreadful economy.

[wilsonra]

I really hope not all nurses are like that, sometimes I need some reassurance from my superiors. Though I guess they are pretty stressed.

[OCNRN63, RN]

Reading the terse,dismissive replies you've received here,the question which begs answering is "WHO taught them when they came onto the wards as overwhelmed,excited student nurses?"

Some of us had less than enthusiastic staff nurses we were assigned to. The difference: we sucked it up and did what we needed to do for the patient. I still remember the full name of a staff nurse who terrified me...and that was 28y ago. I just tried to stay out of her way and do what I needed to do for the patient. Retaliating just wasn't done. We were expected to be adults and professionals.