How do Nursing Instructors deal with this? Clinical site RNs don't want us around

[chicagrl]

Hi

I am a first year student. We have clinical once per week and have just started interacting with patients. Today we gave or helped with bed baths. The problem I see so far is that the nurses are definitely not friendly...in fact none of them seem to want us around. We are mostly in the way. I feel that this is an issue my school should deal with, at least our instructor. She finally admitted today that none of the nurses are very friendly. I am not sure what type of relationship she has with them but it does not seem like much of one.

Has this happened to you and how did you deal with it. We were supposed to sit in on report this morning and got "shooed away" literally. "shoo" We ended up talking with the PCT and eventually gave a bed bath . Our clinical instructor came to check up on us and then later told us all the things we "should" have done etc. It just seems like we need to shadow more but our instructor says we will only learn from "DOING" I agree but i had never even seen a heart monitor or leg compression boots until today ...as i was helping a pt get clean.

Any insight would be great . every one in my group is already counting down the clinical days.....we only go once per week ...until DECEMBER . It is obviously our instructors job to teach us - plus we have a skills check off session each week before clinical. It just seems to be very "incongruent"....

[BlueRidgeHomeRN]

i am a first semester student too. i'm sorry, but i do not think we should have to put up with "those" type of nurses. i pay very good money to go to school and learn, .

news flash, dear...the floor nurses are not getting any of your "good money". they are already overworked, underpaid, and don't have time to pee on some shifts. i can see why you have a problem...and unless you change your attitude, its gonna get a whole lot worse.

[BlueRidgeHomeRN]

i feel like there is a stigma on young nursing students, and this coming from someone who is one. but i understand why. i'm only 20, and most of the people in my classes are well into their 30's. i feel like because i'm so young, and not only inexperienced in nursing but inexperienced in life in general, i have something more to prove than the older students. i can sometimes sense that the older students think they are superior to me, and i am trying to change that.. but i still feel like a child (yet dont act like one..) around them. thankfully, i do not talk on my cell phone, i do know where to take a radial pulse, and i know what prn means. i guess i'm in good shape...:loveya:

you'll do great! maturity is an attitude, not just age, and you clearly have a good head on your shoulders. i started college at 16 myself....but it's all in how you carry yourself...good luck!

[chevyv, BSN, RN]

Just go in there and be as confident as you can. Many times that first semester, you will find the cna's to be more friendly. After all, you are basically doing their job at the moment. Let the rn/lpn know to tell you if your in their way. Many times they are in a hurry and have to assess and chart pronto. If your sitting and chatting in the chair they chart in or the alcove, move. Work with them, not against them. If you help the staff, they will help you (even if its letting you know where certain supplies are). Always be more than happy to gather supplies or restock if you have the time. Let the nurse know if anything is going on with your pt. (ie, reddened areas you noticed during a bed bath etc).

I totally agree with op "Kill them with kindness", it usually works. Good luck and remember not to become discouraged by a few stressed nurses. You'll find just as many willing to help you as you move through your courses.

[pinkiepie_RN]

I definitely agree with the statement that the RNs you work with at clinicals get nothing extra for you shadowing and asking questions. Yes it would be nice if they could remember what it was like to be a student, but sometimes we don't make their jobs any easier. There's a contract between the hospital and the school, but the money you pay goes to your clinical instructor alone. The nurses aren't obligated to help you; your clinical instructor is. I'm not trying to validate what these mean nurses are doing, I'm just saying I can see some day in the future, me having a bad day or a student nurse doing something really stupid and everything might not be hunky dory anymore. It might pay to ask one of these nurses why they have such a problem with students. I know some parents on the peds unit won't let us touch their kids and it may be a similar mentality.

[Bortaz, MSN, RN]

I don't agree that RNs or anyone else should only treat people with common courtesy if they get paid to do so.

[luvmy3kids]

Hi there. I haven't read the responses yet, but I'm very intrigued! I haven't done clinicals yet, but I wanted to let you know.... I volunteered at our local hospital for 2 yrs. The first year, the nurses were quite cold to me. They never talked to me, if I asked them a question they just answered it and went on their way.

As the time grew on, and they saw that I kept coming each week and working really hard (yes, it was only volunteering, but I did it well), they started talking to me and were interested in learning what I was doing and why I was there, etc.

By the end of my 2 yrs, we became good friends and they were giving me advice and recommending schools and jobs, etc.

I just think it took a while for them to warm up to me just as if it was any other job. (not specific to nursing).

With clinicals, they see you once a week, for a semester (or less), they hardly get to know you as you'll probably have a different nurse preceptor each time, they are so busy and trying to get everything taken care of, they probably feel that they have so much on their plate, it's hard enough for them to do it themselves without having to show someone else how to do it.

So... my advice, is to just work as hard as you can, when you don't know what to do, go up to someone and ask them what they would like you to do. If you don't know how to do it, ask them to show you (if they have time). Once you stick your head out there and let them see you working and how open to learning you really are, they will open up a bit more.

That's just my experience. Although it has been that way at other jobs for me as well. I just didn't want you to think it is only nurses that feel this way.

Good luck!

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

First of all, it is not your instructor's fault. The instructor is a victim of the situation as much as you are. Be aware of that. The nursing school administrator or someone representing the nursing school negotiates with the hospital so that it's students can have clinical privileges there. Often, the people involved in these negotiations are not the students, the instructors, or the staff nurses. So, when these groups finally do get together, there is a lot of hard feelings about what is supposed to be done as well as a lot of hurt feelings, jacked up emotions and false expectations on both sides. Getting along with people is a game of politics. Students and instructors are very aware that they are visitors and staff feel they are being imposed on. It's often a very awkward and intense situation. Still, you have objectives to accomplish and most staff nurses are aware that they have a responsibility to mentor and teach others (it's in their written job duties). Just be aware that some of these staff people are not going to show a positive attitude and go out of their way help you. You will need to keep your eyes and ears open for learning opportunities. You will get to know which nurses on the staff will answer your questions, find patients you can do procedures on, and go to for advice. On the other hand, you will learn to avoid staff nurses who give you a cold shoulder or don't want to deal with your questions or requests. When you go forth into the working world you will find you also have to play this same political game just about everywhere you go. This advice given to medical students on http://meded.ucsd.edu/clinicalmed/thoughts.htm deals, in a nice way, with those nasty people who won't give you the time of day. . .

"Never be afraid to ask questions. If those that you are currently working with are unreceptive, make use of other resources (e.g. house staff, students, nurses, health care technicians, staff physicians). You can learn something from anyone."

and

"Keep your eyes open for other interesting things that might be going on elsewhere in the hospital/clinic. If there is a patient on another service with an interesting finding, go over and investigate, assuming it doesn't interfere with your other responsibilities and is OK with the patient and [your instructor]. This will give you the opportunity to expand your internal library of what is both normal and abnormal."

[ADPIE10]

I appreciate the RN's at my clinical site. I'd like to think that they feel the same about me.

I agree that older students have an edge over younger students. It's just a matter of quantity, quality, and variety of life experiences.

I recently asked an RN that I assisted to give me pearl of wisdom before I left my shift. She she paused and looked in my eyes, her brown eyes glistened with a slight puddling tears, she then replied "Always believe in yourself..."

[myrose]

news flash, dear...the floor nurses are not getting any of your "good money". they are already overworked, underpaid, and don't have time to pee on some shifts. i can see why you have a problem...and unless you change your attitude, its gonna get a whole lot worse.

frankly, that is not my problem. as bortaz said above, i am a grown adult and i do not have to put up with being bullied by the rn's. my school is directly linked to the hospitals we are in. they hire 85-95% of our graduates. if they want the students that they hire to be knowledgable and prepared when they graduate, then i would hope that they had the opportunity to work in a clinical setting that was condusive to learning.

[AOx1]

I have already noted my thoughts as an instructor. My thoughts are similar when I work on the floor. I work weekends, holidays, and summers to keep my skills sharp, so I have current knowledge to present to my students. We often have students on our floor. Here are my thoughts from that perspective. Communication does indeed go a long way.

It helps when the clinical instructor send a sheet well in advance letting us know when students will be present. When I am charge, this really helps me plan and put students only with nurses who will give them good experiences. Also, if there is a great class, inservice, or surgery that day, I can help them attend that. Just as it frustrates you when you have plans only to have them interrupted, it can be frustrating when you can't plan in advance for students. This is the fault of the instructor. When I am the instructor, I go to the floor IN PERSON, in advance.

When I take students, it really helps when they come ready to work. I have seen the whole gamut of students, both old and young. I could care less about age, what I look for is attitude. I love to have the students who come up to me, tell me what year they are, what they can and can't do (ex- "I'm a first year student. I have never started a catheter but would love to try") and do their best to ask questions. The only type of students I don't like are the ones who hide in the bathroom, skulk about the desk, sit around, and refuse to try new skills "Oh, I'll let you do that" or are "too good" to do routine care, such as mouth care of a ventilated patient. I try to involve them again, and if they won't try, I do let their Clinical instructor know that this has been an issue.

I will always find time to teach, even if it's interpreting what happened after a code occurs, but if someone has no interest, I won't forcibly drag them there. There will be unhappy, mean people at every job you will ever have. Unfortunately, as both instructors and as staff nurses, we can't completely prevent this. The important thing to know is whether it is a pattern. If this is a pattern, and communication doesn't solve it, the rotation at that facility should not continue.

[ErinJane]

I don't give allowances for bad behavior based on how bad of a day someone is having. You choose to play the victim and take it out on other people. I just stay away from the RN at my clinical sight because she is not the least bit helpful.

And I am a traditional student and I don't like generalizations. I choose to go to school right after high school and to prioritize my schooling over relationships and having children. So I work my butt off to make sure I have everything in order. It varies person to person.

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

I'm surprised that the OP only has clinicals once a week. We went twice a week in my program.