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?

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

Students always help my floor out by performing baths and toileting patients. I am always happy when they are scheduled to come.

If you find that your workload is overburdened by the presence of students, you may need to work on your time management and priority setting. Alternatively, you may not be skilled enough to have a student caring for your patients yet.

I've been nursing for over 25 years, so I think I am quite skilled to have a student. That doesn't mean that I have 15 minutes to waste explaining why an elevated INR is an expected result of being on Coumadin. Not know this indicates to me that the student has not done enough research into the meds their pt is on, or the pts past medical history.

[patriece1991]

I am a BSN (my first degree, straight from high school) getting ready to graduate this May! I can say that I think a lot of the way students act have to do with the school they come from. My school, Eastern Kentucky University, has a great reputation for their nursing program. Therefore, we are held to very high standards! Our uniforms were also inspected before clinical our very first semester, and my program mandates the shop we buy them from so that all of us look the same and professional.

Also, most of the people in my class, although we are mostly young first degree students, are very respectful of other nurses. We understand what nurses go through and we understand how hard they work...even in my preceptorship when I was also working 12 hours with a nurse, I would not sit and let a nurse stand! I have never seen any of my peers sitting when a nurse is standing or standing around gossiping. Our instructors would not allow this, but also, I feel students in my program are very respectful and mature. The pressure that is put on us because of our schools reputation is a lot to handle, and I think our standards are set very high...and we all know that! I have, however, seen students from other programs doing this and it makes me so mad! So, no, I don't think it has to do with the profession or the age (the students I have encountered being disrespectful and acting like they know it all have surprisingly been some older students, and some who already have a degree who feel they already know it all...like I said, some, not all, so I am not judging)! It has to do with, somewhat the program they come from, and what kind of person they are. If they act like that as a student, I'm not going to want them as a co-worker!

But anyway, I wanted to put my experience as a student on here and say that I hope you will not think badly of all students. As a student who really enjoys learning and getting new opportunities, I do not want nurses to feel like this about me and avoid me because of the way they think I will act. It is hard to be a student because we do really feel like burdens sometimes even though we are just trying to learn. Not all of us are duds! : )

[ImKosher]

I am very happy to help nursing student. However, the student needs to know that helping them takes a lot of extra time and effort on my part, so a little appreciation would be nice.

I agree. Everyday before I leave home, I always tell my nurse thank you. To my blessing, I've always heard those kind words returned "Thanks for helping me today." It's just frustrating to find a nurse who generalizes all nursing students as an inconvenience. When I walk into clinicals I will get my assessment done and then try to help out as much as I can within my scope of practice as a student. I just feel that if a nurse has come down to thinking of students as an incovenience, she needs to tell the nursing instructor "no, I do not want a student." It will be better off that way for both the nurse and student.

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

I'm a student. There are times that I'll sit at the nurse's station at a computer. It's because I'm charting or I have to look up a med or something necessary for patient care. I'm not going to sit at the station just to hang out. Ever. In a way, I'm on the clock, just as the regular staff is, except I'm not being paid - rather I'm paying my dues and learning about the basics of nursing. Since we have COWs, I'll usually use one of those because it's often more convenient for me to use that instead of a computer at the station. And I would never consider taking a seat from a regular staff member (no matter their position). If I'm sitting, I'm not there long... I'm on my feet and moving most of the day. Why? It actually keeps me awake, and I don't like standing around. Doing that makes me look like I'm doing less than nothing...

And I always ask the nurses at the station to let me know if there's a better way of doing something... because even if I'm doing something right, if there's a better way, I want to know. That includes some of the little details that often don't get passed on until you're an employee. And I always thank the nurses for having me there that day, and I know that often, students are an extra burden for a lot of reasons! I probably also sound like I'm checking in with the nurse a whole lot... it's because I'm letting them know what's going on so they're not surprised.

[Morainey, BSN, RN]

Depends on the individual nursing student, although some programs/instructors seem to run a tighter ship than others.

[Ruas61, BSN, RN]

How many of the floor nurses are asked if they wish to have a student nurse? Is it a choice? Or does it just get assigned if that patient is yours?

I am a desk job, so no students for me.

[lmccrn62, MSN, RN]

It's a part of our professional responsibility to teach our young nurses. But the attitudes of some nurse I wouldn't want to expose a young nurse to the poor attitudes. It's called eating our young, bullying or horizontal violence. Lets all be the professional we should be.

[JBudd, MSN]

There isn't much choice about whether or not you have a student. Usually, the student is assigned to specific pts the night before, so they can prep. The nurse gets assigned at the beginning of the shift. Don't want students? tough. Unless of course you think the student should simply be assigned to a different pt, one they didn't prep for?

In short, having a student with your patients isn't optional. Some do well with it, some show their unhappiness, some are delighted. Depends on the attitude of both sides; and previous bad experiences with students set up the new ones, who then have to prove themselves.

As a CI, some of my students were great, others were a problem. Somehow the problem set took up so much time I didn't get to encourage the good ones nearly as much as I wanted to. But the rules were clear; stand up, staff get the chairs, charts are at the desk, and if you're caught up, go help somebody else. Didn't stop the problem "children" from acting out, but it gave me the basis for disciplinary actions as needed.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

I am always shocked (maybe I shouldn't be anyone) at the number of students (both here and in clinic) that just want you to give them the answer. They don't want to understand it. They don't want to work through it themselves. They just want the quickest and easiest way to the answer. It makes me worry.

I have had some great students at both the undergrad and grad level. I have had some awful ones. I think nursing needs to be better at weeding people out. I honestly thought grad students would be better, but I can't really say that's true. I have become much more direct when I don't think a student is going to work out.

[I♥Scrubs, LPN]

I am a PN student and I have to say I see it from both sides. I have seen some of my classmates be very disrespectful in front of patients and to staff, but I have also seen some nurses who were just plain out rude for no reason to my classmates and our instructors....some even to the patient and the patient will actually talk to me about their nurse. Granted I know you are all extremely busy, and sometimes we ask what seem to be stupid questions, and some of us are "needy" and have tons of questions, but sometimes there is no reason for it. Fortunately, I have not had any quarrels with the nurses I have worked with. But I also go to them and keep them updated periodically throughout the day on what has been done and documented in the computer just so they are aware. And most of the time I love the nurse I am with and when my patient is cared for and doesn't need anything, I will ask if they need help with another patient or need anything else done. I honestly think it is my generation though. A lot of kids around my age in my class (I am 22) will try to hide out in the break room or near the bathroom to avoid doing things. However I am always late to lunch and late to post conference for helping patients and/or helping an aide somewhere. The result? My classmates all HATE our instructors and say the instructors "ride them" the entire day...however these instructors and I do not have problems, mostly because they see me busting my butt while my classmates are all chatting outside in the hallway, and they leave me alone because I am not just standing there idle with nothing to do. My instructors will make you find something to do if you are not busy hence the other students saying the teacher is riding them. So I apologize for those of you who are annoyed with students. We aren't all bad, some of us do ask if there is anything we can help with. And some of us do try very hard!

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

How many of the floor nurses are asked if they wish to have a student nurse? Is it a choice? Or does it just get assigned if that patient is yours?

I am a desk job, so no students for me.

At the hospital I'm currently at, the nurses don't have a choice. It's a teaching hospital and they're required to take students. I've yet to experience a nurse that's adamant about not having a student there. Most of the nurses I've worked with are either happy to have students OR they're all great actors... At other hospitals that I've done clinical at, I've had one or two nurses (at most) refuse to take a student. I think that in all, I've actually had more patients refuse to have a student take care of them than I've had nurses take a student.

[Ruas61, BSN, RN]

Wow, I think that would be a tough one to deal with no choice in the matter about having students assigned with you.