My day in the ER... (vent)

paramed1 · Mar 3, 2011

In rotations where you're on your own you just have to interject yourself into something. It is rather awkward, but the more you're around them the better rapport you'll have and it'll be easier.
The entire two years of EMT and paramedic school were like that for me. Imagine being a 20 year old kid, walking into an OR and announcig "Hi, I'm a paramedic student. I'm here to intubate and monitor your patient." Awkaward! Lol. I did it though and was good enough to build rapport fairly quick. The next few weeks were much easier.

Amen to that one ImThatGuy! I think nursing students get a horrible clincial experience compared to paramedic students though (:

Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN · Mar 4, 2011

I have to wonder if any one ever ASKED the "nurse with the bad attitude" if she wanted a student to shadow her? Did anyone ever take a few minutes to tell her about your skill level, what you can/cannot do and so forth.

I know I've had days where suddenly at 7:30 an instructor arrives with a pile of students and suddenly I have a shadow for the day. And there I am. I have no idea what this student can/cannot do. I don't know their skill level etc. And I don't have time to ask because I have so much that needs to be done that there just isn't time.

I love students. I love having them, instructing them etc. What I don't like is having one given to me without warning. And dispite what you students thing, you slow me down. I have to take extra time to explain things to you. I have no problem with that, but a little advance notice so that I can work that into my day would be nice

I find so many student come in complaining that nurses have 'bad attitudes" without ever giving any consideration to the nurse's side.

I ask this of all students: How would you feel if when you arrived at clinical today you were told "here is a high school student who will follow you around all day and watch everything you do".

maryray · Mar 4, 2011

"I ask this of all students: How would you feel if when you arrived at clinical today you were told "here is a high school student who will follow you around all day and watch everything you do"."

I for one always think of this. Especially when I see a look of contemptment on the nurse's face. I have no control, nor do I know whether the nurse was informed or not. It's a difficult position for the nurse, and a horribly uncomfortable position for the student. Communicating skill levels and making the best of the situation seems to me the best way to handle it. I am always very appreciative to the nurses. I also know what it is like to show up for work and find I am orientating a new employee. If I were to have a problem with this, I would speak to my employer, not take it out on the orientee.

ImThatGuy, BSN, RN · Mar 4, 2011

Amen to that one ImThatGuy! I think nursing students get a horrible clincial experience compared to paramedic students though (:

I agree. In nursing school a student generally seems to be chained to one patient with most of that time spent on a medical/surgical-type unit. If very little is going on with that patient then there isn't much to learn during the rotation other than the administrative (read: paperwork) aspects of that specific institution. It doesn't take much skill or thought to change sheets or wash a body off which are the only things consistently given to us in med/surg.

In paramedic school, however, we bounced from patient to patient and even department to department doing H&P's, seeing procedures done, giving pills, shots, IVs, bandaging, splinting, etc, and in the OR even tubing. Like I said though there was an awkwardness to it. You really had to go in enough to be seen and establish some rapport with the employees, plus very few hospital employees actually knew what paramedics did, could do, or were trained in. You couldn't be shy about it. We had so many more hours of clinicals as well.

There's some good stuff in the nursing books that didn't make it to the paramedic books. Nurses at least have the material and opportunity to learn a lot more in didactics, but in the clinicals they don't hold a candle to what we had in paramedic school. I now understand why so many student nurses say they're uncomfortable around patients.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Mar 4, 2011

I have to wonder if any one ever ASKED the "nurse with the bad attitude" if she wanted a student to shadow her? Did anyone ever take a few minutes to tell her about your skill level, what you can/cannot do and so forth.
I know I've had days where suddenly at 7:30 an instructor arrives with a pile of students and suddenly I have a shadow for the day. And there I am. I have no idea what this student can/cannot do. I don't know their skill level etc. And I don't have time to ask because I have so much that needs to be done that there just isn't time.
I love students. I love having them, instructing them etc. What I don't like is having one given to me without warning. And dispite what you students thing, you slow me down. I have to take extra time to explain things to you. I have no problem with that, but a little advance notice so that I can work that into my day would be nice
I find so many student come in complaining that nurses have 'bad attitudes" without ever giving any consideration to the nurse's side.
I ask this of all students: How would you feel if when you arrived at clinical today you were told "here is a high school student who will follow you around all day and watch everything you do".

I completely understand what you are saying and I feel for the nurses that aren't given a choice. BUT it's not the students fault that the school, hospital, instructor and so on did not give the nurses warning. The student can not give advance warning. They don't know what nurse they will be with. Much like Nurses don't want to be blamed for things that aren't in their control, students shouldn't be treated like crap or given the cold shoulder for something that is not in there control. They are there to learn and if it's in a teaching facility especially, it's to be expected, they can't learn if they have someone that is going to hold a grudge against them for simply being a student.

I thankfully have not had to experience this though. I have gotten along with all of my co nurses and some that did seem cranky, within an hour I had them in a better mood. I always make sure to show appreciation and thank them and apologize if having a student is hindering them, I try to make myself useful and stay out of the way if I sense the nurse needs some "alone time". I have seen a few co-nurses though that were terrible and it was of no fault of the student.

I think the frustrations the nurses have should be brought up in the proper channels and not taken out on the students. Granted sometimes it's just a really crappy shift and everyone is entitled to a bad day.

CrazierThanYou · Mar 4, 2011

We don't surprise the nurses and departments with our presence. They are aware ahead of time that we're coming. Our instructors are very careful about stepping on toes. The nurse was all sunshine and rainbows when my instructor was in the unit, totally different when she wasn't.

I also agree with the post that even if they didn't know we were coming, it isn't our fault. I worked in same day surgery with some really great nurses and some that weren't so great. One told me many of them had forgotten what it was like to be a student and advised me to steer clear.

Thank you for your responses!

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Mar 4, 2011

We don't surprise the nurses and departments with our presence. They are aware ahead of time that we're coming. Our instructors are very careful about stepping on toes. The nurse was all sunshine and rainbows when my instructor was in the unit, totally different when she wasn't.
I also agree with the post that even if they didn't know we were coming, it isn't our fault. I worked in same day surgery with some really great nurses and some that weren't so great. One told me many of them had forgotten what it was like to be a student and advised me to steer clear.
Thank you for your responses!

Ours know too we are coming, their is a sheet posted on the unit, but the particular nurses might not know they are getting a student that day until they come to start the shift.