Nurses see us coming for clinical and RUN away from us. Irritating!

DC Collins, ASN · Apr 24, 2012

Its as if no one remembers when they were in nursing school and the way nurses either made you feel welcomed or like crap. Last semester the charge nurses had us assigned and had reports printed for us. It was great but this semester.. negative. 1 more semester after this, Cant wait to be done!!!!

Hmmm, at our facility, precepting is all voluntary. But once you sign up, you have signed up, and you have a student assigned to you. Period. If you don't like it, you don't sign up again.

Yet I remember as school was winding down and I was the one being trained, the NOC RNs from the various floors were begging for info on how be a preceptor. When they saw my preceptor bring me along when transferring pts to the floor (I was and am in the ED), they wanted to know where they could get the same help. Sure, they have to take the time to teach you, and pull meds with you, but geez, doing it with someone, to me, is always better than doing it alone.

So yeah, when you are the preceptor in the future, remember this time, and do it right. You will feel great when you go home.

girtster · Apr 25, 2012

The only reaction you can control is your own. So it is up to you what you make of your clinical time. While is it unfortunate that nurses "forget they were nursing students" it is unrealistic to expect nurses to always be happy to take on the responsibility of a student as it is at it's most basic one more task in a long list of tasks. I think expecting the floor nurse to oversee a student is a change in practice. Our clinical instructor would basically take a patient load and watch over all the students. Now they aren't always on the floor and as such not available to answer questions and oversee their own students. You are responsible for your own education. Showing some initiative is a good start, although there should be some lack of choice in how assignments are made so students have access to patients and this is your instructors responsibility. Tossing the responsibility off onto the charge nurse is likely why this was not done successfully and should be addressed within your program. You pay for this education, hold them accountable. You can't blame anyone else for your experience, or lack there of.

coco.nut · Apr 25, 2012

In my own program and from others in different one's I've talked with, the instructor has all the responsibility for pulling meds and supervising the students at all times. I don't think it is the norm to shove a student with an unsuspecting nurse and expect them to teach the student. That to me says it is a poorly designed program, bad for students and nurses alike.

nursesunflower · Apr 25, 2012

Thats good to know, its just what I have always been told.

Merlyn · Apr 25, 2012

I can't remember it I had a Nursing student follow me. I always work and nights or 3-11. But to me it would seem that the regular staff would have an other pair of hands to help them. Also I have worked with CNAs that were going through the nursing program. I found the their questions have made me think of things that I haven't thought of in years and the free exchange of ideas have taught me some new way of looking at old nursing stuff. Their attitudes and eagerness to learn can be contagious. To me, an LPN, they came because they wanted to make a bed better, how to set up a feeding machine, or recheck a BP. Besides if they were female. The damsel in Distress syndrome kicks in, and you want to help. I remember when I was working nights, I would stop in a store to get my coffee. The girl behind the counter wanted to be a nurse. I told her to go for it. She did. Every time that she had a question she would wait and call me at work. Well, to make a long story short she graduated all right, the first in her LPN Class. This school had a reputation as being one of the hardest in the state. I cried as they read my friend's name. Sometime on this board I seem like a real SOB. But as my friend Bill Shakespeare says, " I am Cruel, only to be kind."