nurses who don't want students

NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN · Sep 21, 2007

Trust me, this will not help! I'm not saying you need to kiss their feet, but be aware that teaching/precepting is an ADDITIONAL duty for them on top of their normal responsibilities. The bottom line is, the patient will always come first and you will generally get whatever is left over after that! They don't stop being responsible for everything else just because you are there.

This is pretty much it in a nutshell. I really like to help and to teach, but I can't be your primary resource. It should be your instructor. If you have questions about how to do a procedure, you really need to go to him or her and learn the "by the book" way. The way I show you may not be the way your school wants things done.

Also, it's easy for me to feel descended upon by vultures when everyone crowds around me at once, wants info, looks up every med at the pixsys (instead of having the info ahead of time), hounds me about a dozen minute things while I'm still in report for my other four patients. Yes you have Mr. X as a patient, but the rest of the floor will not come to a standstill while you take care of him. Someone has to take care of the rest of the folks and it's probably me. Give me a chance to get report, get my things situated and maybe poke my head in on the most critical of my assignment. Then, I'm all yours, Sugarpie!

APBT mom, LPN, RN · Sep 21, 2007

Same thing happens at our clinical site all of the time. The vast majority of them act like they don't want you their. They're only nice when it involves something that they don't want to do like code browns, bed baths, emptying trash (yes some facilities have the nurses do this). First don't quit that means you let them get what they wanted. Second tell your instructor even if you have to search the hospital for her/him. If it happens once it's a bad day if it happens constantly it usually has something to do with their duties (too much paper work, new admissions, codes, etc), very rarely it's just the way the person is. We know what we are able to do on our own so when we first get there we go to see who's on the floor. Then we ask them if the have anything that needs to be done (VS, BS, baths, feedings, code browns). Once we've done that then we let them know if they have any procedures to let us know and tell them what we are able to do. If you volunter to help them with their jobs first usually they are more willing to answer questions, give you procedures, allow you to watch things that you aren't able to do, etc. Hope this helps.

smk1, LPN · Sep 21, 2007

I am so frustrated. The nurse I was paired with today was not happy to have a nursing student. If I asked a question, she would roll her eyes. I almost quit today. I had to choke back the tears. I was so exicted to be in L&D today and she ruined it. I stayed up till 1am this morning reading about women and childbirth so I could be prepared with questions and she completely blew me off. My instructor never checks on us. Nursing school is not what I thought it would be. What do I do?

You usually can tell within the first 20 minutes or so if the nurse is going to be like that. If he/she isn't excited to see you and there is no way to change to another nurse, then that is the day to keep the questions to a minimum. See everything that you can, but save the questions for another nurse that has the time and desire to help.

smk1, LPN · Sep 21, 2007

One other thing, use your precious new skills at assessment to assess the situation and how the nurse is responding to you. Often the "nice, teaching" nurses are so sought after that everybody goes straight to them for questions or help and burns them out, so just be aware of what is going on around you.

al7139, ASN, RN · Sep 21, 2007

Hi,

Here is my two cents:

As a new grad nurse, I can feel your frustration! In my clinicals at school, I experienced nurses who really hated having students. BUT, I also experienced nurses who welcomed me with open arms. The other posts are true the "don't they remember they were students once?" thing really does not apply. They may just be a nurse who is not a good teacher and not necessarily a "bad" nurse. Lots of people do not have what it takes to teach since it does take time and patience. I actually work now on a unit that I did two clinicals at in school. This unit was really exceptional in that the majority of the nurses were eager to have us, since it lightened their load while we were there. I dont' know where you are in school, but I found that the closer I was to graduation, the easier it got since I wasn't so new and scared anymore, and could do lots of things independently, or with minimal assistance. Do not quit because of one bad experience. Lots of times the nurse is just not a good teacher. Watch and look for how they relate to their patients. Are they caring and empathetic or do they treat their patients the same way they are relating to you? I have learned lots from just observing the interactions, and dont' judge them based on how I feel I am being treated, but how they care for their patients. Yes there are nurses who probably should not be practicing, but I learn from them as well how NOT to be.

Hang in there! You will learn from everyone you come in contact with, including the patients.

Amy

al7139, ASN, RN · Sep 21, 2007

One other thing I can add to this discussion:

I really learned alot about how I relate to people from having nurses who I didn't get along well with. I really toughened up in my first year of school, and learned not to take things so personally. If that nurse doesn't want to teach...fine. I have other resources to go to :my instructor, other students, even the nurses aides on the unit. We had a problem with a unit at one hospital I was assigned to. The nurses were really nasty, and did not want us there. We took this to our instructor, and she went to management to help solve the problem. We found that this unit had lots of travelling nurses, and having us there really added to their stress of not being a "permanent" employee. They worked out how it would best work with us there and it got better. If you take your problem to your instructor, and she is receptive, great. If not, you will still be learning how to deal with difficult people, which you will encounter in this profession. This career is about relating to people, and you will have problems with MD's, other nurses, patients and family in your career. There are nurses where I work now, that see a new nurse and try to make it hard for us. They will nit pick, badger, be rude, etc. Most of the time if you stand your ground they realize you are not going to take any S@#* and back off. Every encounter is a learning experience.

You will be fine.

Amy

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Sep 21, 2007

I'm not saying you need to kiss their feet, but be aware that teaching/precepting is an ADDITIONAL duty for them on top of their normal responsibilities. The bottom line is, the patient will always come first and you will generally get whatever is left over after that! They don't stop being responsible for everything else just because you are there.

Boy oh boy i agree with this.

WDWpixieRN, RN · Sep 21, 2007

I love the responses on this thread....I think it's so important to be sure that students are trying to look on this through the eyes of the RNs where they are.

I have had one floor at one hospital where the nurses on the whole were just mean and nasty. I understand that another semester's class found another floor at this facility to be the same. There were a couple of nurses who were helpful and cognizant that we were students and needed some help and guidance, but the remainder did things my mother used to tell me were just rude -- rolled their eyes, sighed, ignored us. A lot of us are thinking we may not want to work here when we graduate since on the whole, the staff seems miserable!!

I have since been to two other facilities where it's been the total opposite. A RN or two here and there who you can tell doesn't love students, but that's their prerogative. I agree that we are a lot more work and that some of us don't understand timing and awareness of what else the staff has going on. Also, I agree about not taking advantage of the good nature of those terrific nurses who are so good about training unless you are assigned to their pts or they ask for students for observation. I have seen that happen where we are now where there are one or two nurses who are known to be "fantastic" to students and some of my fellow students will go to them rather than their nurse, our instructor, or the charge to get assistance or answer a question. Hopefully they won't burn these folks out for the following semesters.

Hang in there everyone; we can all survive anything for a short period of time!! And remember how this felt when you become RNs and the students are needing some help and guidance!!