Losing respect for nursing students

[kjnsweets]

I've always been one that enjoyed having students. Im not one to eat the young. We were all there once. But I feel like I'm losing respect for some of the new students coming out. I guess I'm old school but we did not sit when we were students and we did not stand at the desk and gossip. You did not see a nurse or a doctor standing and a student sitting. Uniforms that look disastrous and hair hanging down. They are at times loud and unruly. Is the respect for our profession gone? Or is it just me?

[Geslina, BSN, RN]

This is a good post. If and when I ever do train a new nurse or student, I will be sure to thank them as well, because most of us do work hard, and we need the assurance and appreciation - it helps to build our confidence.

As for the dress codes, it was the same at my school. But, by the second or third week, many were wearing whatever jewelry they wanted, nail polish, etc. The only infraction I ever saw someone reprimanded for and eventually dismissed was a tongue stud. She refused to remove it, and tried to hide it....but she had other issues as well, a bad attitude and then a med mistake. That is what really did her in. Mostly, though, the teachers looked the other way when it came to uniforms and violations. I stuck to the rules, mainly because I figured if I made a mistake in another area, at least no one would be able to say..."and look, she isn't following the uniform rules EITHER!!" - know what I mean?

[KJM-RN, BSN]

I would just like to say that my instructors wouldn't put up with that crap. One told us a story of a block 2 student who refused to do a bed bath for his patient because he did that last semester. Guess what he did ALL DAY LONG??? Bedbaths. For everyone. All day.

Our uniforms have to be clean and pressed. No cell phones on your person. No earrings or necklaces. No nail polish. All white shoes and socks, and I mean ALL white. Hair up and out of your face. Tattoos covered.

It may be just that school or that instructor. Ours takes our appearance very seriously.

My school is exactly the same, but we're allowed cell phones. Not for making calls and texting, but for looking up drugs and info on diseases or whatever the patients may have.

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

No but you said that students do some of our work. I think the majority of people would assume that you are insinuating that since you are doing some of our work, that our load is somehow lighter.

In my program, it isn't the RNs who are supervising us with med passes and procedures, it is the clinical instructor. And for the senior-level nursing students, depending on their clinical setting, they will oftentimes pick up the nurses' patient load and do the majority of the workload, with the licensed RN supervising them.

So yeah, students DO some of your work...

[roser13, ASN, RN]

After reading this entire thread, I'm more convinced than ever that the diploma mills are majorly on the hook for this situation. Of course every generation of students has its share of the good, the bad, and the ugly. But before the "nursing shortage" (which doesn't currently exist and hasn't for years) caught fire in the media and the for-profit schools started popping up everywhere, nursing school would take care of the bad and the ugly. Either they'd be taught to change their ways before they got to clinicals or they wouldn't even make it to clinicals.

Another issue: There are good, bad and ugly in nursing instructors as well. When I was in nursing school 15 years ago, an instructor with an advanced degree earned less than a floor nurse. I don't know if that has changed, but I doubt it. In fact, I suspect that nursing instructor salaries may currently be even lower, relatively speaking. I also suspect that many quality would-be instructors have bailed on the teaching aspect of nursing due to the outrageous costs of education, coupled with poor salary potential. Who do you think the for-profit schools are hiring to teach their students? An experienced doctorate-prepared instructor with 20 years of nursing experience? Or a newly-minted MSN who comes cheap but literally has no nursing experience except for clinicals?

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

My post was quite a few comments ago, but what I meant by "sitting" was the students who are only there for a few hours, yet take up all the seats in the report room. We get report on all patients, not just the ones you will have. If I am going to be there for 12 hrs., and I have to take report on 35 patients, then yes, I would like to sit down. If you are getting report on just one, or a few, and you are a student, surely you can stand.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

Yes, Roser13, I agree part of the problem might be instructors who have very little clinical experience. I have met quite a few of those. I never wanted to teach, or to go into management, because I can make more money working as a staff nurse, plus I don't have to take my job home with me, and I don't have to work 5 days per week. One of my best friends graduated from nursing school, then immediately got a job teaching clinical to students. I am glad I took my time choosing my nursing school, because all of my instructions had advanced degrees, and most still worked at the hospital, too.

[ReinventingMyselfAgain, MSN, RN]

When I was in nursing school 15 years ago, an instructor with an advanced degree earned less than a floor nurse. I don't know if that has changed, but I doubt it. In fact, I suspect that nursing instructor salaries may currently be even lower, relatively speaking.

It hasn't changed. You are correct.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

In my program, it isn't the RNs who are supervising us with med passes and procedures, it is the clinical instructor. And for the senior-level nursing students, depending on their clinical setting, they will oftentimes pick up the nurses' patient load and do the majority of the workload, with the licensed RN supervising them.

So yeah, students DO some of your work...

Not all schools work that way; some have one clinical instructor supervising students on multiple floors and therefore the primary nurse functions as the student's direct supervisor. Again, the nurse assigned to that patient is legally responsible for the care. That means we have to make sure you did everything and did it right. It does not lessen the workload.

[SwansonRN]

I'm fresh out of school, myself. Actually almost a year in a few weeks . Teaching is part of my hospital's culture. I'm not in the position to be percepting yet, but I'm excited to start. For the students I see they take their experiences very seriously, but are timid and shy. They always appreciate if I bring them to a code or show them something interesting happening with my patient. I really can't complain! As far as professionalism, I bet people would think I looked unprofessional after a 12 hour shift (usually look like the crypt keeper). I tend to find people that yammer on about perfectly white shoes and pressed scrubs to be annoying. Just don't look dirty and don't spread germs like a wildfire and do your job. You're about to be elbow deep in dirty drawers anyway

[NurseJoy33]

I am a new grad LPN, graduated from a technical school. They were very strict on dress code, finger nails no longer than top of finger, hair up always no exceptions, uniforms neat and clean. We had to perform "complete" nursing care. Head to toe assessments everyday, bathing, dressing everyday. Meds were assigned usually every other day, due to instructor had to supervise as per policy, and with 9 students within 3 hours it was impossible to do them everyday. When we completed our assignment, if we had time we could sit in the designated area to do our care plans. We could then grab the chart, research the patient and so forth.

I noticed the students were definitely lacking in certain areas that was very surprising to me. I am 50 yrs. old, so I thought it was due to my age, but after reading some of these posts it's clearly not me. The lack of good studying habits, compassion, common decency was truly disturbing. One student applied for the police force , and was called to take the physical during school. Failed physical due to drug test came back positive for marijuana. My feeling was number one that a nurse shouldn't be smoking pot on a daily basis ( she came to school high quite a bit). Secondly wanting to become a nurse, and also a police officer is kind of odd, totally different spectrums. Just a very odd bunch, made me fearful for the future patients out there, if this is what is filling up nursing classes.

[RhodeIslandMSN]

A few years back, I had a nursing student take a chart out of my hands and very rudely said 'uh I'm a nursing student, BSN program, thanks'. I was appalled. I was working in CDI at the time and our charts were a hybrid of electronic and paper. I was clearly reading the chart and writing queries. I went over to the student and said 'I'm an employee here, MSN, kindly wait your turn'. That clinical group did things that never would have flown at my school. Yelling at instructors - coming in late - not prepared - expecting staff to give up charts so they could review their patients - it goes on and on. To the instructors credit, she stood her ground with the students and sent some of them home.

[chrisrn24]

A few years back I had a nursing student take a chart out of my hands and very rudely said 'uh I'm a nursing student, BSN program, thanks'. I was appalled. I was working in CDI at the time and our charts were a hybrid of electronic and paper. I was clearly reading the chart and writing queries. I went over to the student and said 'I'm an employee here, MSN, kindly wait your turn'. That clinical group did things that never would have flown at my school. Yelling at instructors - coming in late - not prepared - expecting staff to give up charts so they could review their patients - it goes on and on. To the instructors credit, she stood her ground with the students and sent some of them home.[/quote']

That person is just plain rude.

There are rude people in every profession, believe it or not, just not nursing!