My Student is draining me.....

AngelofLTC · Jul 11, 2011

In Canada at a community college for Rpn (your LPN)

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Jul 11, 2011

I don't know your student but I'm willing to bet they work as a CNA somewhere. Sometimes this is a good thing, other times it is not. They've probably heard all the bad habits nurses around him are in and hasn't figured out that it's not good nursing to be so jaded.

I once had a former CNA new hire nurse tell me "Oh, those chart checks they do on night shift are all BS, they just make the nurses do that cause everyone is asleep." Mind you, this was said to me while I was desperately trying to get off nights because..........eh, well, thats another thread.

So, I waited till the new nurse was at the point in her orientation where she took a reduced load of patients and had them all day. I followed her after one such day. Did the chart checks. Yes, there were errors, more than a couple. Wrong labs entered, wrong CT ordered, a med order was scanned to pharm. but never posted but was still signed off by her. I didn't raise a stink, but I knew she was coming in the next day and would have the same patients, so you can imagine what the report was like.

"While doing chart checks, I was lucky enough to find the ordered CMP entered as a CBC so I chagned that. I'm glad I found that cause the pt. is on TPN and they need those labs early so they can order today's TPN."

"While doing chart checks, I saw the CT was ordered to be done with contrast, but the order is for without. Oh my, that would have been bad to give barium to someone admitted with suspected bowel perforation."

"The patient is supposed to begin PO protonix this AM, they D/C'd the IV. I asked pharm. why the changed the order (:oOK, this part, I was rubbing it in but it got my point across) back to IV and they acted like they didn't have a clue of what I was talking about. But, the orig. order is signed off, so sometime during the day it must have been changed to PO, but when I did chart checks........it was back to IV again. But, anyway, they corrected it and changed it back to PO again so all is well, we caught it before they had a dose via the wrong route."

I still work with this girl. Her attitude about night shift is still about the same, but at least she knows enough not to voice it so arrogantly.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Jul 11, 2011

I finished my BSN last year. Two key concepts were drilled into us throughout my 4 years in every course:

Empathy and pain is SUBJECTIVE.

tyvin, BSN, RN · Jul 11, 2011

Sounds like a difference between educational degree's (not mentioning any)
Curious where he went to school-but curiosity killed the cat.

Yes, but didn't you hear ... satisfaction brought it back! :clown:

Rob72, ASN, RN · Jul 11, 2011

Something that most "tolerant" people dislike hearing: "your opinion may be wrong." Sorry. In any position where we have responsibility, we are not "entitled" to be ignorant. One may have an opinion (in the professional setting), but if one cannot validate it, the opinion is invalid.

You like pink scrubs, I like blue. Cool.

You don't believe in pain maintenance or maintenance meds for the aphasic? I would ask why, explore your position, try to gently expand the thinking process...if that didn't work, I'd beat you with facts. If that didn't penetrate, the Clinical Instructor would get a letter suggesting expanded educational opportunities that should have follow-up.

New-comers are will only be as good as their training allows.

ANNIENURSEANGEL · Jul 11, 2011

This is too bad. He already has a bad attitude. Is he doing this for the money, i wonder.

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Jul 11, 2011

I just wanted to add that I have to hand it to you for taking on a student in LTC. I love having students in my spoiled NICU world of one to three patients per nurse, but even then I have to watch out for my own time management when I precept. In LTC, I'm betting that you're spread just a wee bit thinner than that. Can't imagine!