Nurse vs Instructor

[motay68]

Let me start out by saying I'm not bashing my instructor or the RN on my clinical rotation. It was just an aha moment for me.

At my clinical last week my instructor spent a lot of time in the conference room with all of us prepping for the finals coming up. Mainly because all of us in our program are paranoid and obsessing over them. When I went to check on my patient the nurse in charge of my patient asked me whey we weren't out on the floor doing something.... At first I took offense because it's not like we weren't doing anything and at our school the instructor/student relationship is close because we spend more time together then most of us get with our family. And also now that most of us are starting to think more like a nurse we love to endlessly discuss how smart we're becoming

But then the nurse said "Listen, when you graduate what are you going to do? Be really glad you prepared for finals or be friggen grateful your ass was out here on the floor gaining the skills you are going to need to be a nurse? It's not all passing meds and having post conferences you know."

It got me thinking that in another year I will not have an instructor sitting with me and coaching every single thing I do. Or asking me if I feel okay and guiding me when I'm feeling flustered. Also, HOLY CRAP *** am I supposed to do with no one watching over everything I do?

So I talked with my instructor (who told me finding a nurse who was willing to have an SN follow them around and explaining everything for an entire shift was a miracle) and from now until the end of my semester I'm going to stick to my co-assignment nurse like glue. If I'm giving meds or doing anything invasive of course I'll have my instructor present but I think it is really starting to hit home the reality of the career I've chose. I don't want to begin my career wishing i spent less time discussing everything I should have been doing in the first place.

Sometimes I feel like going through nursing school is like going through puberty a second time

[itsmerae]

Yea hands on is the best experience. Some schools dont give you as much opportunity at hands on as they should so i agree with the teacher. With your first nursing job they dont expect you to know everything and really will most likely train you as much as needed. You will be able to ask questions and you should be able to get help when you need it. As time goes by though you are on your own and you really do need to be independently figuring things out because really who is going to help you? Ok so im grateful for all the med pass and hands on skills we did in school during clinicals and i regret not doing certain things when i had the opportunity. For example, putting in an ng tube was an opportunity i had in school and i passed it up because i was too nervous about it. Well guess what, when i had my first nursing job the dr ordered ng t insertion for one of my patients. I had someone else do it because i wasnt able to and it needed to be done quickly. I could have done it with someone walking me through it but really there was no time for that.

[vianne]

Hi motay68, well done for getting this far and sounds like you're enjoying it,I really enjoyed my training but eventually you're right, you have to go on your own, but it's like everything in life, like the first day you get in the car without the instructor beside you eek! I remember first week of training when patients would shout "nurse?" for attention and I would, no kidding, go through the rigmarole of trying to explain I was training. Eventually worn out with attempting this, I accepted that's what people saw when they saw me in uniform. Its been the same ever since, patients just need your help and attention, you dont need to know everything, just be kind, you'll be fine...the expertise will come in time, good to you

[elkpark]

I've practicing clinically for many years, and I've taught in both ADN and BSN programs, and, as a clinical instructor, I would never allow students to spend clinical time studying for exams, finals or otherwise.

I agree with the staff nurse in this situation -- yes, you need to be getting all the clinical experience you possibly can at this point. You're right, before you know it, you'll be on your own and it's a big responsibility. Best wishes!

[llg, PhD, RN]

Having an instructor who will help you review is great -- but that class session should NOT have taken place at the hospital. The hospital gave you the clinical slot so that you could learn/practice clinical skills -- not so that you could occupy one of their conference rooms doing classroom activities. If your group wanted to get together and talk for an extended period of time, that should happen before or after clinical -- preferably away from the patient unit.

Instructors who "waste" clinical resources like that -- and/or "over-use" precious conference room space -- at my hospitals are told to stop that and focus on clinical teaching. If they don't heed the first warning, they are asked to leave. If it happens repeatedly, the clinical time is given to another school who actually wants to use the time for clinical activities.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

WOW. OP really nailed it with "going thru puberty a second time". Nursing school is a new language and new culture. Have said this many times. Congrats!! Personal insight is a valuable tool for professional growth.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Were you in my dear friend Ruby Vee's unit? :)

You should thank your lucky stars that crusty old bat gave you a reality check. Keep your eyes open!

[itsmerae]

Yea hands on is the best experience. Some schools dont give you as much opportunity at hands on as they should so i agree with the teacher.

oopsie i mean with the nurse

[lub dub]

I agree with the others who say that clinicals are not the time to prep for the final exam. The nurse had every right to ask you where you were. Speaking as a former clinical nursing instructor (currently teaching in a BSN program), I always told my students that if they were going to go off the floor, they had to tell the nurse that they were leaving, and when they would be back.