Nurses: Delighted or Annoyed by Nursing Students?

[AthensICURN]

In the hospitals where I have done clinicals thus far, I feel like some of the nurses hate the nursing students and others are delighted to see the students. I was wondering what the general concensus is about helping nursing students out by having them tag along. Do you get annoyed or do you find that they are helpful? Sometimes, I feel like everyone hates the students because it is extra work for them.

Also, what is the point of getting a BSN instead of a ADN if you do not plan to move up from being a floor nurse?

Thanks for taking the time to read this and responding. It is very appreciated.

[FroggysMom]

Delighted or annoyed? Both!

One time, however, I had BSN students and they were all younger than me. Some of them had kind of a cocky attitude. They were rolling their eyes and being condesending as they were the young, hot BSN students, and I was *only* a thirty-something ADN. Plus, this was at a rehab unit, and they thought it was a waste of their time, as they were all planning on going in to the "cool" areas of nursing such as ER/OR/ICU or mgmt!

I hope they all flunked! Lol.

Hmmm, I wonder if the attitude was within the students or somehow fostered in the educational environment.

[Corvette Guy]

...But I also stand by my decision to let the student in question do her own legwork.

IMHO, nursing students gain valuable experience from searching inside the patient's chart. It does no good to have the ability to interpret labs if you don't know where to look inside the chart... can't always depend on the little tabs. Plus, attention to detail pays dividends when it comes to patient chart familiarization. How many times ya'll seen a lab report missing, outdated, or ordered & not done?

:)

[SmilingBluEyes]

Exactly. Learning how to use charts and find inconsistencies or order changes is part of the learning process. No need to violate HIPPA and presume oneself needlessly upon busy staff members just to cut a few corners.

[Q.]

IMHO, nursing students gain valuable experience from searching inside the patient's chart. It does no good to have the ability to interpret labs if you don't know where to look inside the chart... can't always depend on the little tabs. Plus, attention to detail pays dividends when it comes to patient chart familiarization. How many times ya'll seen a lab report missing, outdated, or ordered & not done?

:)

Very true, but depending on the type of clinical or the year of the student, as an instructor I might not want my students getting sidetracked by playing detective on finding missing labs or ensuring that the information throughout the chart is consistent (ie: that the HUC transcribed the right order from the right doc, etc). That kind of learning comes with time and on the job. At that moment I want them to focus on those medications and their interaction with the disease process, or what the student's plan of care for that patient is, or what their priorities are based on the latest information (vitals, assessment findings, etc).

The amount of time I have wasted as a staff nurse following up on missing labwork, inconsistencies, etc was irritating and if anything showed a process error as opposed to reflecting any nursing knowledge used or gained. And as an instructor, I want my students to learn the application of patient data, not learning the politics of a particular institution.

Yes, learning to be resourceful or knowing where to look/find information is key. A nurse who's unfamiliar with something should know his/her resources and use them appropriately. But imo that's different than sifting through chart tabs.

[Corvette Guy]

Very true, but depending on the type of clinical or the year of the student, as an instructor I might not want my students getting sidetracked by playing detective on finding missing labs or ensuring that the information throughout the chart is consistent (ie: that the HUC transcribed the right order from the right doc, etc). That kind of learning comes with time and on the job. At that moment I want them to focus on those medications and their interaction with the disease process, or what the student's plan of care for that patient is, or what their priorities are based on the latest information (vitals, assessment findings, etc).

The amount of time I have wasted as a staff nurse following up on missing labwork, inconsistencies, etc was irritating and if anything showed a process error as opposed to reflecting any nursing knowledge used or gained. And as an instructor, I want my students to learn the application of patient data, not learning the politics of a particular institution.

Yes, learning to be resourceful or knowing where to look/find information is key. A nurse who's unfamiliar with something should know his/her resources and use them appropriately. But imo that's different than sifting through chart tabs.

Q,

Are you a nursing instructor?

[Q.]

No, currently I work as a Patient Education Specialist. But my graduate education was in nursing education where I learned all aspects of teaching in all areas: academia, staff development and patients.

I have done graduate work as nursing instructor though. :)

[geekgolightly, BSN, RN]

IMHO, when gramatically appropriate gender neutral reference should be used all areas of life. I'm in favor of equal opportunity/equal reference in all walks of life.

:flowersfo or :beer: ... your preference.

:)

I am not. but thanks for the flowers and beer.

[Corvette Guy]

Originally Posted by Corvette Guy

IMHO, when gramatically appropriate gender neutral reference should be used all areas of life. I'm in favor of equal opportunity/equal reference in all walks of life.

:flowersfo or :beer: ... your preference.

:)

___________

I am not. but thanks for the flowers and beer.

Your not in favor of gender neutral reference, nor equal opportunity/equal reference in all walks of life?