Problems with Rn's in clinicals

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 25, 2005

I am so sorry you are encountering this. I did in some of my clinicals, too. A lot of what they say about being overworked and understaffed is so true, but no excuse to treat students poorly. All you can do is resolve these things:

1. not to take it personally! Learn this one well, as you will need it when you are a nurse. Believe me.

2. report TRUE abuses to your instructors...no one deserves to be out and out abused by any other.

3. do not enter the unit "entitled", meaning, be willing to do your OWN research, fact-finding, lab reading, leg work, etc. Don't ask a busy charge nurse or primary nurse for things you can find or do yourself. (I know this is common sense, but I have learned common sense is not always that "common"). And be willling if you have an extra minute to help out anyway you can. Don't be afraid to offer to help do things like water passes/bed changes runs to lab, etc. IF your instructors permit. WE will be ETERNALLY GRATEFUL. NO that is not what you are there to learn and do, I know--- but if you DO have a minute, please try. It does make all the difference.

4. Remember those who DO treat you well and emulate them. Remember those who did not, and resolve never to be like them.

5. Enjoy school while you can. It's not "greener" on the "other side" always. Enjoy that safety net of your instructors while you have it and learn all you can while you are in school. Take every opportunity to grow.

6. Remember, nothing is forever, even nursing school. It WILL end and you WILL be a nurse one day and you WILL be able to look back on all of this and learn from it.

(((gentle hugs))) To ALL students here.

Bruucebuff · Mar 25, 2005

Seems nurses and PCAs are only being taught to take BPs with whatever machine is handy. We get LPN and RN students at my hospital and most of them don't even come in with a stethascope. How can they do an assessment?

Last week I assesed my patient, took vitals, got my meds ready and then got my instructor. My patients b/p med was dependent on one med and I got 90/62. The machine was used by the Aide just after me and it showed 82/60. The patients med was to be held if the sbp was below 90. My instructor told me that because 'my' reading was so close we'd take it again but my nurse had told me to hold the med. We took it again and I read 90/58 and my instructor told me I should be giving that med. My instructor (who works full time as an educator at this particular hospital and just part time teaching clinicals for the school) went and asked the nurse again and she said No..hold the medication. The machine read the pressure too low. I can tell you that my instructor returned to me, muttering under her breath and told me we were holding it because of the nurse and to note exactly what the pressure was. She repeated to me what I had already knew from working as an aide myself.....manuals are much more accurate!

NO1_2NV · Mar 25, 2005

As I sit here reading both student and RN posts I can't help but feel very sad inside. As a student, I have certain expectations yet, as an older adult, I have the reality of life's lessons. First let me say that I find clinicals very difficult. I see problems abound from all sides. Nurses aides a.k.a. assistants are generally non-helpful to students. Why you ask? For many reasons but I generally tend to look at the social economic perspective and rationalize that they too would have liked to have been an LPN or RN The argument could be made that they should go back to school. How quickly we forget the sacrifices we made to get into nursing school and not everyone is in a position to do that. Every day that I leave a LTC facility, I say a prayer for them. They don't know it but they truly are some of the most important people giving direct care and we fail to let them know that.

As for some RN's, my heart sinks when I read posts such as a few posted here. It would appear that expectations are misaligned. RNs currently working on floors are looking for a solution to their blight while nursing students are looking for solutions to their clinical learning experiences and often times these expectations just don't line up. Given that a student may rotate between four or five facilities, learning the climate of each can be just as mind boggling as giving complete patient(s) care. I spend so much time trying to find supplies, looking for equipment, learning the routine of the facility, learning what is behind door number 1, 2, or 3, going through incomplete charts and then tracking down the information needed via the RN who is generally more then annoyed by questions, etc. coupled with the fact that I am indeed a student and that I am not sure of my abilities just yet. I need someone who has experience and is in the know to reassure me and correct me when I am wrong with an explanation of why my reasoning wasn't on the mark so that I am able to function independently next time but to expect me to function as an RN the minute I hit the floor is not only unfair to me but it is unfair to you and most unfair for the patient who expects and deserves to receive the best care we can possibly provide.

So who is to blame? Is it the schools or is it the clinical sites? There seems to be much finger pointing and complaining but it would seem no one has taken any responsibility. As RNs at a clinical rotation site, have you ever looked at the problems you feel students on the floors are creating and then presented a real solution to management or even the clinical instructor? And complaining doesn't count as a solution. What about rotating within your ward as to who is assigned students each semester? What about attending the briefing that students have before and after clinicals each day? How about providing a written map to where supplies are located and even a list of phone numbers as to whom to call when things are needed? When was the last time you asked the clinical instructor for a copy of the paper work and assessments that the student is responsible for? To begin finding a solution to a problem one must first understand the other person's blight.

As a student do your leg work and do it well so that when you ask questions the answers are truly meaningful. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and support you outside of school so when you do run into less then helpful people you are confident. Believe in yourself.

Best of luck and huge ((((hugs)))). It isn't easy being a student nurse.

bonnieL123 · Mar 25, 2005

Could you be more specific?
I personally have been rather annoyed at the latest crop of nursing students.
They want a separate report, instead of waiting to get report with their preceptor. This is completely out of line, not to mention time-consuming - time I do not have.
Sorry, I do not have time to give two separate reports in the A.M. after a 12-hour shift on a busy Med/Surg unit. Especially when it's 6:45, and I'm running around, trying to get ready to give report anyway! :angryfire
Plus, some of them have an "attitude" ~ pointing things out to me. Well, hey, if I had the luxury of being a student again and not having five other ACUTE patients, maybe I could sit around and theorize about why Patient A. acted this way...blah, blah...but thanks for pointing it out to me!

:stone We do not get separate reports, that would be senseless. We are a signed patient's and make our own notes, and care plans. We listen when the nurses are giving report and do not interfear. We do not have attitudes to nurses that already are nurses and have the experience, we are there to learn and to help the nurses and not hinder them in doing there job. We just want a little respect while we are trying to learn as once they also did. And do a job of caring for patient's and for the money. I am sorry you have had a bad experience with student nurses, we are all not that way.

kcortez · Mar 25, 2005

I am a nursing student that has been knock out of the nursing program! with a 79% grade. what do I do now I have been in school for 4 1/2 yrs to be told i can not complete this is wrong. What now?

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2005

We do not have attitudes to nurses that already are nurses and have the experience, we are there to learn and to help the nurses and not hinder them in doing there job.

I'll remember that the next time a BSN student sticks her nose up at me, when she finds that I "merely" have an ADN, and doesn't think that she should be assigned to any of my patients.

Jo Dirt · Mar 25, 2005

A lot of hospitals are high turnover for a reason, and adding the stress of being expected to kiss the a$$ of students and coddle them makes it even more stressful. When I was a student I was taken back by the attitude of some of the nurses, and honestly, while there are nurses who do have enough attitude for the whole building (and I'm not vouching for those types) I can understand why nurses would see it as a burden.

On top of that, when the real world nurse has to be followed around by a student who doesn't realize what the real world is like she has to worry about every move she makes, as likely she will be served up on a platter at the next student meeting about how she dropped a pill on the cart AND THEN PICKED IT UP AND PUT IT BACK IN THE CUP!!! Or how she TOUCHED a pill that she gave to a patient...a lot of students are living in a fantasy world.

LPNer · Mar 25, 2005

I am a nursing student that has been knock out of the nursing program! with a 79% grade. what do I do now I have been in school for 4 1/2 yrs to be told i can not complete this is wrong. What now?

I am very sorry for you, but most schools do not make a secret of the GPA required for graduation or even progression to the next semester. I think you should have been worried about this long before now.

Again, sorry for your loss, I don't mean to sound heartless, but it seems that a little reality is what you need about now.

Now back to student nurses who have to deal with rude nurses.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2005

I am a nursing student that has been knock out of the nursing program! with a 79% grade. what do I do now I have been in school for 4 1/2 yrs to be told i can not complete this is wrong. What now?

I suppose that you will have to go on to other avenues.

Katmease · Mar 25, 2005

I always enjoy working with student nurses. I've always believed that I'm never thru learning & would want to be treated respectfully if I ask a question or want to watch a new procedure. Besides, the student might be more aware of something going on with a patient as where I work, they get to stay with just 2 or 3 patients as opposed to if I'm on the floor, I'll have 6 & may not have the time I'd like with each patient. When I'm in the ICUs, I only have 2 (3 in a pinch) but have never had a student nurse in that situation but I'd still be happy to have them there.

I'm very glad to see that they are teaching manual BPs, as some schools don't teach that anymore.

Thank you for being a nurse. There are too few of us so hang in there.

KrisRNwannabe · Mar 25, 2005

While I indeed know how to take a manual BP since that is what is taught in our lab. There are no manual BP cuffs hanging around. Besides our BP machines contains thermometers and pulse ox gauges. without the machine how am I to get the rest of the vitals?? If I had the equipment seperatly i would gather it and do it that way but unfortunetly i must work with what i have. i wish they had all of these things seperatly but we have 15 2 person rooms and 4 privates with only 2 BP machines so the chances of them buying other equipment is slim to none.

kcortez · Mar 25, 2005

I am very sorry for you, but most schools do not make a secret of the GPA required for graduation or even progression to the next semester. I think you should have been worried about this long before now.
Again, sorry for your loss, I don't mean to sound heartless, but it seems that a little reality is what you need about now.
Now back to student nurses who have to deal with rude nurses.

any suggestions for me now. on what to do differently