Students ahead of the game!

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I am not sure how to approach this situation, but I feel I need to get it off my chest and request some advice. I am not one to lose sleep, but stuff like this gets me thinking. I am a first semester student and my CI seems to have a couple of favorites. I have just recently gotten tired of biting my tongue. I am fine with the fact that my CI finds these certain student more advanced in their knowledge and skill, but my biggest concern is that our CI is allowing them to do procedures that we have not even covered at all. In fact, these are procedures that we will be learning in our second semester.

We are only suppose to pass oral medications w/ supervision and most of the time the CI is never to be found to do so. Second, we can observe but we have not been instructed on flushing/pushing ANYTHING through an IV and/or PICC line. The reason why I am so concerned is that one of the students did push dilantin with the CI through a Picc line. At our meeting however, that same student admitted to not having done an injection or even a gluco check since the semester started 3 mos ago. Ummk!

I do not feel that we have been taught and observed effectively being first semester students, and we should be on the same page by performing what is covered in class. It has been very frustrating and I have been afraid to speak up. Is this something I should just slough off?

Please share any thoughts and stories.

Specializes in ICU.

I think if the student was pushing something WITH the CI (as you stated), then if anything happens, it will fall on the CI's license. But, it's not unusual for CI's to allow students (plural) to do more advanced things (if the CI feels comfortable allowing the student to do it). We only get so much clinical time and I like the extra experience. It sounds like you want to do these extra things, but then it sounds like you are not ready (because it seems like your preoccupied with staying on your level moreso than getting extra experience). If there is favoritism going on then that's wrong, but it may be that the CI feels your not open to trying advanced things whereas others are. Just think about it for a minute before you get angry. Also, if the CI feels that you will report this, they will definitely NOT let you do extras.

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The OP stated that the clinical instructor was there when this occurred, just that they had not covered this in class. The CI was there and I assume giving instruction as the procedure was done.. thus teaching the procedure and making sure it was done correctly by the student. Personally I think either watching something being done or being walked through it is loads better than watching ( in my program) a bad 70's or 80's video describing a skill as a way of learning it and then testinmg off on a dummy.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, IM, OB/GYN, neuro, GI.
The OP stated that the clinical instructor was there when this occurred, just that they had not covered this in class. The CI was there and I assume giving instruction as the procedure was done.. thus teaching the procedure and making sure it was done correctly by the student. Personally I think either watching something being done or being walked through it is loads better than watching ( in my program) a bad 70's or 80's video describing a skill as a way of learning it and then testinmg off on a dummy.

I agree epecially the part about the bad video's. We have a list that we follow when we are in clinicals also. This is what we are allowed to do during that rotation. Several of us have had the opportunity to do procedures that were not on that list. If it was something we wanted to do we would tel the nurse that we had to see if it was ok and asked the instructor if we could. If we were allowed because it was something that was covered in class she would allow us to do it in front of her. If one of the nurses came up to us with a procedure that was not on the list and we didn't want to do it all we say is we would like to but we aren't allowed but can I watch you do it. The staff doesn't know what we are and are not allowed to do and the instructor is not always on the floor so she doesn't know the things that we get offered.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
I disagree with this...with first semester students (of which I am one) I see this as a very dangerous practice.

To me, there is a difference between a fully trained, licensed RN being handed a sheet to learn a procedure and seeing a video, etc. vs new students that have no such training.

If the clinical instructor isn't around, and no instruction is given...HOW can you call this practice safe?

To me, it isn't safe just b/c someone didn't get injured.

As a first semester student, you may not be ready for more advanced clinical experiences. That's OK. However, some students ARE ready and eager to learn at a faster pace than some other students. As long as the CI was there and taking the student's level of knowledge and skill into consideration -- as was described in the orginal post -- there is nothing wrong with allowing an advanced student to move ahead a little bit with appropriate supervision.

Certainly if the CI is not around and no instruction is given, then that would not be safe. But that is not what I am advocating. Please re-read my post and clarify that in your mind.

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