Nasty LPNS AND RNS TO STUDENTS

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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

Or, lacking that, a large tree branch.

or beating them w/a dead fish......................Man, that was funny borta

:roll:roll:roll:roll:trout::roll:roll:roll:roll

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I am an RN, BSN, graduated 1996, and still to this day can remember some of the nasty nurses I had in rotation. But you know, one thing I took away from it was that I vowed I would never be like that to anyone else and I would not ever become a nurse like that. Every one is new at some point and I think they were just burned out nurses who needed to get out. Don't let it deter you from being the best you can. And draw knowledge and strength from those that teach and are patient with you as a you are learning. Stay strong!

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All I can say is, wow! Here is the thing...in the OP as you said, the nurse was running around like crazy...caring for all of her patients. On top of this (please look at and read and prepare yoursleves, nurses are overburdened day in and day out) then add nursing students. The students come into the facility, with fresh eyes, and only 1 - 2 patients and have time to give care 'according to the books', these nures run and in reality 'do the best they can'. Then add in the nursing student that didn't pay attention in class or during report, you know the ones, that ask the same question over and over again, add this same student to the already overburdened nurse and well you see where her frustration may be from...

Another thing to think about when you said that she shouldn't have been upset but should have taken the time to show you where the needle is and teach you how to read the pump, that is what your instructor is for. The floor nurse is there for and is paid to care for her patients, not nursing students. It takes much time and patience to teach a novice a new skill that could have negative consequences for the patient that said nurse is responsible for, so please don't assume that they 'have to' or 'should' or that they are just being mean or catty. They are just overworked. Most nurses are gracious and willing to teach the novice when they have time. And if they have a student that has at least taken the time to get the P&P manual and research a procedure/dx/medication first. You shouldn't expect that the nurse has the time to teach you anything from the ground up, you have to take some initiative. This is respecting her time. I guarantee you that if you had done this first, you would not have taken precious moments from her (and in this overburdened economy with 1 nurse doing the work of 2, every second is precious with most nurses not even getting the time to take a lunch or even use the restroom!).

I am not trying to attack you, I personally love to teach a new nurse or nursing students but you have to be aware of your actions. Of what you are asking and of the information that you are giving and ensure that you are accurate with this information. Even when you graduate and are going through orientation be aware that you are not an extra set of hands for the nurse (like so many administrators like to think that you are) but you will be an extra burden. The response that you get from your preceptor will be up to you...yes you will have to develop a thick skin (remember, we are all human and don't take it personally, it is not you, it is the 'newness' of you). You will be working under 'her' license, on 'her' patients and she is responsible so she will have to ensure that whatever you do that you do it in a safe manner that will not hurt the patient. And she still has to get her job done and be out in 8 hours,,, not an easy task. Esp not with a nurse that remembers being new and wants to make sure that you are safe and that you become a great nurse and stay in the profession. Please cut this nurse some slack and while you are probably hurting from this remark (I remember very well these remarks and 'looks' that they give you as they huddle together and look at you!), think about being her at that moment. Step out of where you are, and know that it wasn't just you but an accumulation of all that it is to being a nurse today. And then, give yourself and her a break. It really isn't new nurse against seasoned nurse!

Hang in there and best of luck to all you nursing students reading this, we need you!

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

I'm sorry, but I can see why the nurse in this scenario was so annoyed. Now granted, I think she could have taken two seconds to show you where the syringe was and point out to you that it was not empty, then have you follow her to the med room and see the process for returning the syringe she had pulled out. Who knows, maybe she would have handled it that way had you been present when she went into the room so you could observe her changing the syringe.

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Specializes in med surg.

some people forget where they come from

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

:yeah:So very very well said!!!! I agree 100%!!!!

All I can say is, wow! Here is the thing...in the OP as you said, the nurse was running around like crazy...caring for all of her patients. On top of this (please look at and read and prepare yoursleves, nurses are overburdened day in and day out) then add nursing students. The students come into the facility, with fresh eyes, and only 1 - 2 patients and have time to give care 'according to the books', these nures run and in reality 'do the best they can'. Then add in the nursing student that didn't pay attention in class or during report, you know the ones, that ask the same question over and over again, add this same student to the already overburdened nurse and well you see where her frustration may be from...

Another thing to think about when you said that she shouldn't have been upset but should have taken the time to show you where the needle is and teach you how to read the pump, that is what your instructor is for. The floor nurse is there for and is paid to care for her patients, not nursing students. It takes much time and patience to teach a novice a new skill that could have negative consequences for the patient that said nurse is responsible for, so please don't assume that they 'have to' or 'should' or that they are just being mean or catty. They are just overworked. Most nurses are gracious and willing to teach the novice when they have time. And if they have a student that has at least taken the time to get the P&P manual and research a procedure/dx/medication first. You shouldn't expect that the nurse has the time to teach you anything from the ground up, you have to take some initiative. This is respecting her time. I guarantee you that if you had done this first, you would not have taken precious moments from her (and in this overburdened economy with 1 nurse doing the work of 2, every second is precious with most nurses not even getting the time to take a lunch or even use the restroom!).

I am not trying to attack you, I personally love to teach a new nurse or nursing students but you have to be aware of your actions. Of what you are asking and of the information that you are giving and ensure that you are accurate with this information. Even when you graduate and are going through orientation be aware that you are not an extra set of hands for the nurse (like so many administrators like to think that you are) but you will be an extra burden. The response that you get from your preceptor will be up to you...yes you will have to develop a thick skin (remember, we are all human and don't take it personally, it is not you, it is the 'newness' of you). You will be working under 'her' license, on 'her' patients and she is responsible so she will have to ensure that whatever you do that you do it in a safe manner that will not hurt the patient. And she still has to get her job done and be out in 8 hours,,, not an easy task. Esp not with a nurse that remembers being new and wants to make sure that you are safe and that you become a great nurse and stay in the profession. Please cut this nurse some slack and while you are probably hurting from this remark (I remember very well these remarks and 'looks' that they give you as they huddle together and look at you!), think about being her at that moment. Step out of where you are, and know that it wasn't just you but an accumulation of all that it is to being a nurse today. And then, give yourself and her a break. It really isn't new nurse against seasoned nurse!

Hang in there and best of luck to all you nursing students reading this, we need you!

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First in foremost im not offended by n e thing you wrote. Cause you dont even have your facts straight:confused:, N you got it all twisted. I stated that "my instructor had to show me WHERE on the syrine the morphine was " Which is his job not her's. I dont expect any bad attitude or burnout nurse to show me nothin. N your right, all those nurses do for me is just demonstrate what I wont be. I dont know if some nurses THINK ITS CUTE TO BE NASTY OR WHAT BUT I'LL TELL U THIS, IMA CHANGE THAT *REAL QUICK*cause i can play that role with them too..thanks for your "INPUT" BUT IM NOT THE 1. Later!!:thankya: GOODLUCK TO MY FELLOW STUDENT NURSES. Expect the mind set that was written to me from "Some nurses"

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Specializes in Psych.
I dont know if some nurses THINK ITS CUTE TO BE NASTY OR WHAT BUT I'LL TELL U THIS, IMA CHANGE THAT *REAL QUICK*cause i can play that role with them too..

You and I are at about the same point in our schooling, so I feel pretty comfortable sharing that I think you're going about this the wrong way. You admit that you unnecessarily added work to this super-busy nurse but you feel justified in treating her badly from here on? Way to kick her when she's down! There's a strong possibility that you will end up working side by side with some of the nurses you see on the floor now. Why create animosity among your soon-to-be peers? I strongly suggest you let it go. Treating people with grace and equanimity will never come back to bite you.

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I'M NO LONGER IN THAT ROTATION!! I made a mistake during this one rotation. FYI I have 4 great eval's ( including this one) , so none my instructors have a problem with me. To be quite honest this topic was more of a venting cession for me. Regardless if people agree with me or not there has been some point as a nursing student when you have made a mistake, So just take my topic as a reminder that the way your gratitude and influence (whether good or bad) It is observed. It's done n over with im on to my last rotation and graduation is around the corner..Thanku for your in put but I'll take it from here. See Yea *Coming To A Town Near You* LOL:dncgcpd::stdnrsrck:

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Specializes in LTC/Behavioral/ Hospice.

I'm not saying that the nurse was right for what she did, but maybe you should cut her some slack. Sounds like she had a crazy day and was at her limit or beyond it. When that happens, sometimes people do things they wouldn't have done otherwise. The same way that you expect others will respond graciously to you when you mess up, why not apply it to her?

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Also look at it from that nurses perspect, she was prob very busy and thought you understood the PCA was out (a mistake easily made) however it made more work and took her from getting caught up that much longer.

Really the nursing instructors need to be a liason and decide what you should report to the staff or to leave them be.

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I wish people would quit attacking the original poster. I know it's not meant as an attack, but that's how it's coming out. I believe that the RN acted very unprofessional by making a scene while coming out of the room. I can understand why the RN was upset because she had to waste morphine because of it. But since the student in question is a LPN/LVN student, we normally don't deal with PCA pumps when we're on rotation. So how was she supposed to know how the thing worked. Also, the RN shouldn't have assumed that the patient was out of morphine. What the RN should have done was go to the room to see what was going on. The students didn't make more work for her, she made more work for herself by not checking it out first.

Now, I can understand for the seasoned nurses to sometimes get frustrated with students, but please don't be unprofessional about it. You're the nurse you're supposed to set an example. I don't know because I've never had a student nurse work with my patients as of yet. But, I'm that some seasoned nurses did post on their point of view because I never really looked at it that way. I just wish that students and nurses can just get along and work together. I remember when I was on rotation, the RN's would always double check my work, and I didn't mind it at all because I knew in the end THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE for the patient. With that, I learned that when I would give a med, I'd take the MAR with me and show the RN that my instructor co-signed the med with me. It saved them time, and it showed them that I was willing to work with them, not against them.

When I have students taking care of my patients I know I'm going to get frustrated at times, but I will never be unprofessional about it. You never know, that student nurse might be on your hiring team at your next job interview.

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