Dear Precepting Student:

Nursing Students General Students

Published

Specializes in being a Credible Source.

While I understand that you're proud of your clinical skills derived from your prior experiences, if they are beyond the scope of the license for which you're currently a candidate, they have no bearing on your current preceptorship and frankly, your continual reference to them is tiresome and makes you appear insecure - or even condescending.

I understand that you were a super suturer and a fabulous intubator as a military corpsman or paramedic but those skills are beyond the scope of what we're licensed for here so please spare me the continuing commentary and instead focus on what we're doing *here*.

Thank you.

Signed,

Your Preceptor

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Specializes in CNA.
While I understand that you're proud of your clinical skills derived from your prior experiences, if they are beyond the scope of the license for which you're currently a candidate, they have no bearing on your current preceptorship and frankly, your continual reference to them is tiresome and makes you appear insecure - or even condescending.

I understand that you were a super suturer and a fabulous intubator as a military corpsman or paramedic but those skills are beyond the scope of what we're licensed for here so please spare me the continuing commentary and instead focus on what we're doing *here*.

Thank you.

Signed,

Your Preceptor

Thanks for the note. I would be the opposite student. I start a preceptorship in the ICU in a couple days and I am scared crapless. I ain't so much as touching a light switch unless someone gives me the okie dokie.

Your student.

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It is very true that nurses eat their young, dear Preceptor. Have you ever been a new grad yourself?

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Specializes in CNA.
It is very true that nurses eat their young, dear Preceptor. Have you ever been a new grad yourself?

I didnt really see the OP as being mean. Exasperated but not mean.

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Specializes in IMCU.

We have people like the OP refers to in my class. They are a pain in the bum and generally unteachable -- how can you teach someone who projects the idea they know everything. I am sorry she has a poop of a student and hope it doesn't color her perception of other people coming behind.

Thank you for being a preceptor.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.
It is very true that nurses eat their young, dear Preceptor. Have you ever been a new grad yourself?

Huh?????? :confused:

OP, thank you for precepting. You are right, it is insecurity and a desire to be seen as competent that makes someone like that brag and a bit of social awkwardness that they don't realize it just makes them look bad.

I would love the opportunity that student is having. Sorry you got a frustrating situation. I hope it improves.

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Dear Preceptor:

What's with the "holier than thou" attittude. When you interviewed for this job, didn't you know that you'd have students performing tasks for THE VERY FIRST TIME and might be unsure of themselves? Why do you yell at them in front of patients? Why do you roll your eyes if they don't do something your way? Why did you take this job? Yes YOU make us nervous, with that grumpy look on your face, the eye-rolling and just standing there with your arms crossed when we ask for help. Why on Earth did you choose a PEOPLE oriented profession when your people skills are those of a barbaric tyrant?

Love,

A student nurse.

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
What's with the "holier than thou" attittude.
Huh? "Holier than thou?" No, just making an observation. Most of the students don't self-aggrandize just as most aren't lazy and unhelpful. For those that are, I'll call it as I see it. And no, I didn't do those things when I was a student... probably the reason that I got on so well with the clinical faculty and the staff nurses.
When you interviewed for this job, didn't you know that you'd have students performing tasks for THE VERY FIRST TIME and might be unsure of themselves?
It's not about being unsure or tentative. That's fine. The problem is with being cocky and arrogant and his/her wasting time with the incessant stories of how advanced are their skills from prior experiences when said skills are completely irrelevant to what we're doing.
Why do you yell at them in front of patients? Why do you roll your eyes if they don't do something your way?
Ummm, I don't?
Why did you take this job?
I volunteered to precept out of a genuine desire to provide to others what was given to me. The student in question is not "mine." My student is much too smart to swagger around the place like a puffed up peacock. My student listens and asks questions. My student works very hard. My student actually tries to make my workday a little easier.

You do realize, don't you, Tyler, that we are not compensated at all for being preceptors; that we do it as volunteers, in an effort to give back to the profession? You do realize that, while students can be helpful, they also slow things down at times when we can ill-afford it.

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So, do you believe a student is SUPPOSED to know how to insert an IV out of nursing school? Because if that's the case, the law is being broken. Only an RN, not a student is allowed to start an IV. (And remember, you're not a nurse until you pass the NCLEX). You could be a graduate of a nursing program, but not an RN. So if you expect said student to start an IV right away, the law was broken somewhere.

And if you're volunteered as a preceptor, you could always JUST SAY NO.

I call 'em as I see 'em, too.

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Specializes in Step-down, cardiac.

Um, no. I am halfway through my first semester of nursing school, and we learned two weeks ago how to start IVs, and have been cleared to start doing them with supervision by our teacher or an RN in clinicals. At least 15% of the students have done them already, and we've only had 3 clinical days since we got the okay. What on earth do you do in your clinical time if not practice nursing? We're also passing meds, putting in Foleys, and doing physical assessments and discharges. Not only is all of that perfectly legal, but it's required by North Carolina as part of our program. The idea of waiting to actually practice skills until the very last semester is insane.

So, do you believe a student is SUPPOSED to know how to insert an IV out of nursing school? Because if that's the case, the law is being broken. Only an RN, not a student is allowed to start an IV. (And remember, you're not a nurse until you pass the NCLEX). You could be a graduate of a nursing program, but not an RN. So if you expect said student to start an IV right away, the law was broken somewhere.
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Specializes in Utilization Management.
So, do you believe a student is SUPPOSED to know how to insert an IV out of nursing school? Because if that's the case, the law is being broken. Only an RN, not a student is allowed to start an IV. (And remember, you're not a nurse until you pass the NCLEX). You could be a graduate of a nursing program, but not an RN. So if you expect said student to start an IV right away, the law was broken somewhere.

And if you're volunteered as a preceptor, you could always JUST SAY NO.

I call 'em as I see 'em, too.

Yes, I do think students should know how to start an IV out of nursing school. It's a skill that's taught in most, if not all, RN programs and some LPN programs also. Why wouldn't a student be allowed to start an IV with RN supervision? How is that breaking a law? RNs are most certainly not the only healthcare professionals who are able to start IVs.

As for saying no after being volunteered by someone else...that is not always an option, unless you don't have a problem losing your job or making unnecessary waves your workplace.

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We're allowed - and encouraged - to start IVs in clinical under supervision of a nurse or instructor. So, no laws are being broken.

However, I can easily see working with a preceptor while never having performed some skills on a patient. Our clinicals have a "luck of the draw" component to them...there are many skills I have yet to perform on a patient simply because the opportunity has never cropped up during my clinical day. Typically we are viewed as an extra set of hands for the techs and are used as such. I graduate next semester and am still pretty much spending my whole day giving baths and running meal trays to soiled utility. So before you go blaming the student for being fearful or inexperienced, perhaps you should look at the instructors who were supposed to provide these teaching opportunities in clinical but neglected to do so. Some of our students have had multiple opportunities to cath patients or start IVs, etc., while others haven't had a single chance. The instructor should be tracking who has done what and letting the staff know that if an opportunity to practice a new skill comes up, they can let her/him know so she/he can grab a student who hasn't done it yet.

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