How to network as a student (without seeming opportunistic)

[seconddegreebsn]

I'm going into my senior year and really looking towards the future and EMPLOYMENT, the prospects of which terrifies me. I've really made a point of being helpful, friendly and competent at my clinicals (we do 14 hours a week), but the biggest problem is that we rotate, so I only get to spend one 8 hour day in a unit every other week, and the chances of getting paired up with the same nurse again is very low (hasn't happened yet). I always volunteer to help with grunt work, talk with the CNAs, get to know the unit manager and try to be friendly (which can be scary when you're shy and surrounded by strangers). I don't get a lot of repeat visits during which I can build strong relationships, just one or two day stints during which I have to wow everyone.

I'm so terrible at networking (always have been) and I'm wondering what is the appropriate way to thank the nurses I work with during those one day shifts in a way that doesn't seem overly opportunistic. I've heard rumblings of people who are wary about those just looking to get an easy in since the market is tight, and I have misstepped in the past (I bought a certificate for a free coffee and put it in a thank you card for someone who wrote a recommendation letter for me, she seemed to get upset and hinted I was buying her off?) so I'm trying to keep it appropriate here. If I work with someone for one day, is carrying thank you notes on me and writing one at the end of the day a good move, or is a verbal thank you for their help and time sufficient? Should I send a thank you note to the nurse educator (who I haven't met) at the end of the clinical thanking her for hosting our school, or would that be disrespectful to my preceptor (who I intend to thank as well). I want to people to remember me as grateful, helpful and someone who has potential to be a good nurse, but I worry I'll be forgotten after the madness of the day.

I appreciate everyone's advice on networking tips and what worked for you.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Bless your heart for being such a well-bred person. Certainly thank everyone who helped you with a smile and a specific at the end of the day ("Thank you so much for your time today! I never saw/did XYZ before and I learned about it from you").

At the end of the semester/rotation, remember this: Thank you notes are a much-neglected item in the art of social lubrication. Having something to hold in the hand and put up on the board in the break room is so much better for a manager than an email or a "Thank your staff for us!" only.

What you want to do is write a thank you note to the nurse manager specifically mentioning something good you learned or observed from each of the people you worked with. It might be that Jane Doe RN was very generous with her time explaining why a patient with CHF got a particular medication, that Sally Roe LPN was such a good role model on how to be graceful under pressure, that Mary Smith CNA was helpful when you couldn't find supplies your very first day, that Leslie Lucky, the ward clerk, showed you the ropes around the nursing station. Whatever. If you haven't been keeping notes, sit down soon and write down names so you don't miss anyone. You can always say you hope you haven't left anyone out and that you'll remember your time on MedSurg 4 with gratitude. CC the HR department, too, and make that clear on the bottom of your note.

[seconddegreebsn]

Thank you! I asked my fellow students what they did, and the consensus was "just say thanks at the end of the day and go home", which is fine, but I really want to stand out. I think I'm going to write a thank you letter to the unit manager for the departments I visited and mention how wonderful the nurses were, but how ESPECIALLY great certain nurses were - I hope that's okay, I worried about people feeling left out, but I worked a lot more closely with some more than others. I'm also going to write a quick thank you to the nurse educator as well. It seems rare so I wanted to make sure I wasn't overstepping myself, thanks for the feedback.