Nurses: Delighted or Annoyed by Nursing Students?

CathRN · Oct 5, 2005

I love having the students when I'm working (I'm a LVN right now)! I'm also an ADN student, so I'm in the middle here right now. I always tell the students in the morning, that if I have time, I'll come find them for anything interesting, but they are always welcome to follow me. I know that they have to get all of their information for their care plans, but not to hide out in the breakroom with the charts, get the info they need, then come on, let's go!

As a student, I've found that some nurses are very short with us, (I work at the same hospital that I'm doing clinicals at, now that gets confusing at times, especially when I'm a student on a floor that I get floated to regularly), but, for the most part, the nurses like having us.

Hang in there, everyone has good days and bad days. Just remember that you are there to learn, if your buddy nurse if having a bad day, after you take care of your patient, there may be a nurse that needs your help.

jeepgirl, LPN, NP · Oct 5, 2005

All I have to say is that I have seen a lot of cockiness at least in the past few weeks from some of the nursing students in my facility. I found that surprising.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Oct 5, 2005

All I have to say is that I have seen a lot of cockiness at least in the past few weeks from some of the nursing students in my facility.

I have, as well.

wishingmary · Oct 5, 2005

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?
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?
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I like nursing students and I like working with them. I have learned to set some ground rules up front so they don't get hurt or hurt their/my patient(s). Secondary to medication administration protocol, the big one is don't help patients get up alone unless the nurse has cleared a patient that day as an assist the nursing student can assist. The second big one is to come to an understanding as to what exactly they are to chart and have them use a scrap paper to write on first before the record or talk to the nurse first before writing in the patient's chart. I/O is incredibly important on a cardiovascular floor; sometimes they don't get charted.

I remember how incredibly scared and sometimes brain dead I was when doing clinicals. I will always remember those nurses at which hospitals made my day. I work at the hospital I had the best clinicals with and I hope to see those nursing students again as real nurses so I can get some time off when I need it.

As far as getting a BSN. If all you want is to be a floor nurse, then either is OK, an ADN or BSN. However, count yourself lucky if you don't get hurt so you can always be a floor nurse. BSN offers flexibility and job security, besides some upward mobility as a floor nurse or above; i.e. clinical ladder which offers incentive with higher pay.

AthensICURN · Oct 9, 2005

Thanks everyone for responding and being so encouraging. I just had my first peds clinical this week and it went well. I had a great nurse who loved helping nursing students. The other two students I was with had the same nurse who constantly made comments like "Ya'll must be fresh off the cart because ya'll don't know where anything is" It was very frustrating to them because it was our first day doing peds clinical. I didn't get to spend much time with my nurse because my clinical instructor had to be with me giving meds and watching me perform my assessments, but I hope to spend more time with my nurse next time. My newborn nursery clinical day I was constantly with an anchor nurse. This was my first clinical day ever and I had no idea what to do. My clinical instructor left me, so I just followed my nurse around all day long. The only part that was disappointing was that my nurse just stood around a good bit and didn't really do anything. So, I asked her if she minded me going and watching a circumcision and helping out with other nurses. It was great because I thought she would be mad because I wanted to watch other things, but she did not.

I think I just have to go into my clinical days thinking it is going to be a great day and not wondering if I am going to have an awful, cranky nurse. Thank you again. I am eager to hear more about your experiences, so feel free to share. Copy%20of%20wink.gif

AMARTIN1 · Oct 9, 2005

I love having students, especially if it's a day when things aren't crazy. There's nothing better than a good group of students who want to see, touch and learn anything they can.

Exactly!! I now understand, as a new RN in a very busy stepdown unit, why nurses can sometimes be short with students and may come off as rude. I think it's wonderful to be able to teach someone new the ropes and any advice to help them along but when things get wild and crazy (it happens) we have to get the ball rolling. So just try to give the nurses a break and like Marie LPN said "see it from all perpesctives." :)

Ruby Vee, BSN · Oct 9, 2005

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.
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i haven't read the thread, but i'll vote:

depends upon the student.

i've worked with nursing students who had great attitudes, learned fast and thought before they acted. they were willing and eager to learn and asked intelligent questions. i loved working with those students, and hope to have my very own nursing student to work with again next semester.

then there are the students who can't be bothered to look anything up, announce "i can't" before they even try, forget to tell me important stuff (such as "i accidentally pulled out the swan when i put the siderails down" or "i did the blood sugar, and it was 42"), arrive late, leave early, don't finish their work and are dressed/groomed in an unprofessional manner. i [color=gray]hate being saddled with one of those!

NurseLatteDNP, MSN, DNP, RN · Oct 9, 2005

I'd have to say, I love having nursing students. I switched to permanent nights back in May, and one of the things I miss is having the students. I loved grabbing one that was just waiting around to show them something that I would have liked to have seen back in school. Now that they're all coming back, I see them in the mornings. They look so nervous and like they feel so out of place, which I can recall not too long ago. I just remember feeling like I was in everyone's way. So now that I only see them for a few minutes in the mornings, I try to make them feel as welcome as I can. Its funny though, no matter how many students I tell that it is ok to go ahead and sit down when they're reading their charts, none of them seem to think its ok!

I think you have such a great attitude. I wish all nurses would think like that. I am a student and I am in the hospital to learn and not to make other nurses mad about my presence. I DO NOT mind changing bedpans, and I am working as a Aide on weekends and I will know how to appriciate my aides in the future better because I have been there. I know your students are so happy that you are showing them everything. Keep going. :yelclap:

Kelly_the_Great · Oct 9, 2005

After my last week's past experience, I definetly see where you guys are comin' from talking about these students with an attitude!

Okay, I've been an LVN (called LPN some places) for 12 years and worked in a variety of settings. I'm also in my junior year of a bachelor's nursing program (btw my person experience with preceptors - so far - has been great). And I'm working with a research study through the same university. We recruited a student who is in her senior year to assist in our clinic. Last Friday, we're EXTREMELY busy. Asked her to come in the day before to assist and learn (still doesn't know how to do venipunctures). You know what she did? After showing 2 HOURS LATE, she left clinic after doing absolutely NOTHING (not even v/s, weight, height, etc. - simple tasks) snuck into another room and was working on her homework!

I just couldn't believe the audacity. :madface:

ortess1971 · Oct 9, 2005

We have 3 local BSN programs in this area, and soon as i read this, it reminded me of one of them. I remember quite a few saying things like "Um, eyeew, like, i'm not touching a bedpan, that's like so gross." Course it didn't help when their instructor is telling them "When you're a nurse, you don't have to do these things, you'll have CNAs."

That's awful! I cannot stand when people have an attitude like that. In my way of thinking, if something needs to be done, and I'm there, I'll do it. Also, there are CNA's, but how can you delegate responsibly if you haven't done it yourself? I'm in an ADN program and we do full patient care, baths, toileting etc. One instructor I had last semester would make us go in and check the rooms for tidiness and then do a mini cleanup. She was one of those old school types but we learned a lot. The BSN students in my area don't have the best reputation precisely because they are cocky and have no common sense. :nono:

I do want my bachelor's at some point but that's because I might want to do anesthesia after working in the OR for a few years. P.S. I think the fact that most ADN students are older plays into this. Many(not all) of the BSN students are fresh out of high school so it may be immaturity on their part.

AthensICURN · Oct 11, 2005

I am glad that I haven't seen or had that attitude towards ADNs or anyone else. I look up to everyone involved because at this moment I do not feel like I have the slightest clue of how to do things until a nurse or tech shows me how to do it. So, you are all appreciated. Thanks again for everyone's responses.

SweetieRN · Oct 11, 2005

I work in a teaching hospital so not only do we have nursing students, we have medical students as well. I am very receptive to them, being that I was just a nursing student myself just over one year ago. I find most of them eager and willing to learn, but I find the males to be a bit aprehensive - probably because I work in an OB unit and I think that some of these guys have only been on the "production" end of the baby process (sorry guys!):chuckle and not the "maintainence" end.