Nasty LPNS AND RNS TO STUDENTS

[Lpnmandy]

I'm an lpn student who will graduating in november of 09. I was just wondering how other lpn or lvn students dealt with cruel nurses during clinical rotation. Just recently i was on the floor and i had a pt that lost a parent in icu at the same time she was in the hospital. When she(my patient) returned from seeing her parent, she was crying and upset. I comforted her until she calmed down (i was on the verge of crying with her). I gave her a moment with her other family member and she stated to me that her morphine (pca) was beeping early in icu and she thought she was out so i told her that i would let her nurse know. So i seen that her nurse was running around like crazy due to a couple of her patients so i stopped her and told her what my patient told me. She said okay and continued what she was doing. I sat and waited for my patients family member to leave so i could ask her if she needed a new gone or anything. My pt's nurses came out of the med room and went straight to my pt's room. ALL of a sudden she comes out saying (almost yelling) " A WASTE OF MORPHINE!" The pt heard her i know because i apologized to the patient for me misunderstanding her but the pt said the nurse had the attitude and it was ok. Another student followed her back into the med room and asked if she needed any help and she said " NO, YOU GUYS WILL JUST MAKE MORE WORK FOR ME". She gave me the EVIL EYE for the rest of the night.

Now i do know it was my mystake for not checking (my instructor actually had to show me where on the pca in the syringe where it was) But dont u think her reaction was alittle to much? IM A STUDENT AND STILL LEARNING AND AT ONE TIME SHE WAS TOO! SHE JUST TAUGHT ME TO DOUBLE CHECK WORK WHICH SHE SHOULD HAVE DONE

[NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN]

I have had nice nurses and mean ones also. the only thing u can do is offer help , stay on top of your work, and kill them with kindness.

[Lpnmandy]

Never mind my topic wrong forum thanks

[Mandylpn]

If this is your first clinical rotation maybe you can learn from the experience. You need to get a thick skin, this does not mean you should stop being compassionate to your patient; which you were. I think this has happened to all of us in a clinical at one time or another. The first time you are really shocked, the second you will try to let it roll off. Just remember to be a professional. Most of us will tell you this happens a lot in the field, even when you get out and you are working, other people lose their cool. You will learn when you become a nurse that you will not treat students (or other nurses) like this. Hope this helps!

[HartfordSPN, LPN, LVN]

my instructor always tells us (her students) to kill them with kindness. it’s sad to say but these types of behavior will come with the territory. it’s not your fault. and i am almost sure that this will not be the first or the last time this particular nurse will behave like this. there’s nothing much you can do when people choose to behave in an unprofessional manner. just keep your head up and keep on smiling don’t let nurses like that get to you. i know it was a not so pleasant experience but there is a lot you can learn from it. just know that everything comes with a choice and you will have to choose one day on how you will treat students and co-workers when you become a nurse:nurse:.

anyways this is just my

:redbeathenina, spn:heartbeat

-88 more days to go till graduation yaaay meee:yeah:

[NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN]

I agree with the previous poster, you kill them with kindness!!! That will eat them alive. I've had some excellent nurses and some crappy ones too. I have to agree, the RN was out of line and I guess the RN forgot that she/he wasn't born with experience as a RN. You just repeated what the patient told you, and you did nothing wrong. When you go back to the facility just greet her and smile. Never deny anyone a greeting, I've learned that from an instructor.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

My classmates and I dealt with a handful of rude healthcare workers during my clinical rotations in an LVN program 4 years ago. The students in my class are now experiencing some rudeness during our clinical rotations in an LPN-to-RN bridge program. The rude people came from all different walks of life (CNAs, housekeepers, LPNs/LVNs, RNs, MDs, etc.).

A fact of life is that rudeness is so pervasive in society that you cannot dwell on nurses who act so repulsively. If they're being cruel, you must move on and continue to care for your patient while doing the very best you can. After all, the rude nurse certainly is not going to lose a minute of sleep at night over the disrespectful manner in which she treated you.

Don't let these people consume the precious space in your head.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Never mind my topic wrong forum thanks

Moved to the General Nursing Discussion forum.

[Bortaz, MSN, RN]

I agree with the previous poster, you kill them with kindness!!!

Or, lacking that, a large tree branch.

[mcknis]

WHAT???? RNs aren't born with experience and education? You certainly could have had me fooled! I, however, was born with education and many years of experience.

Seriously, all jokes aside, I am not advocating for this RN and her actions definitely spoke volumes for herself. She should not have acted out like that, but I know from my little bits of experience, that I probably have said something where I felt bad about it later on, without even knowing that it came out that way it did. She may have been having a bad day/night, but still no excuse.

I know for myself, after being out of orientation only 2 months, I was handed 4 LPN-RN students to watch over my patients. Some may say, wow what a blessing, but it was not. Of my 7 patients in acute care, 4 had 'additional coverage' looking over them. The students, however, had very little floor/ECF experience so were looking to me and my NA for advice (remember I am just out of schooling myself at this point). All of the students following me were of foreign nature and had english as a second language. the program they were in was, and still is, a very new/fresh/young/juvenile transition program that is just barely making it past state certification (told to me by the DON of the program, also works with me at the hospital). Needless to say, a juvenile RN with a juvenile NA, with juvenile students does not make for a good combination!!! Had questions asked to me multiple times in a 30 minute window, was pulling my hair out, yelling behind closed doors for help from staff and God, and wanted to beat the living daylites out of the students, patients, staff, instructor, manager, families, etc!!!

SO all this to say, even though I wasn't there and can't advocate for the nurse in question, I know that it can be overwhelming to have students ask questions with everything else on their plate. BUT...keep asking questions (not joking here) and anytime you think of something new, or a new theory, bring it up! You'll never learn if you don't ask, and you can never teach unless you are willing to humble yourself and admit that you truly don't know all that there is to know! Keep it up and remember that AllNurses is a great resource for both young and old in nursing!!!

[meandragonbrett]

Until you've walked a mile in their shoes, you'll never know what they do or what's going on with them that day. They HAVE walked a mile in your shoes at one point in time. I don't mind students but at the same time, *I* am responsible for my patients and that things are done on time and according to P&P. I'm not going to spend an hour trying to explain something to a student and then end up leaving late as a result of it. I love students...but only some of them.

[FLMom3, RN]

I think nurses should quit eating their young. Maybe this is why we have such a hard time being seen as real "professionals". We have to WORK TOGETHER to earn the respect our profession deserves.