Nursing student asks nurses the question..

[2bNurseDR.T]

So as a third semester nursing student, myself and many of my fellow colleagues often wonder the same thing. Why is it that when we go to clinical, about 75% of the nurses act snobby and like it's some huge ordeal that we are there in "their space"? They were all nursing students at some point as well, students who wanted to learn skills and gain experience while at their clinicals. I often dread clinical due to feeling as I am in the way or that I am annoying a "seasoned" nurse. One would think, that as a nurse you'd want future nurses to gain as much experience and knowledge as they can while they're in school. So the point of this post, I would like to and I'm sure many other nursing students would like to know; why is it necessary to be rude and someone who doesn't want to help students learn or why is it necessary to not explain stuff to the student when they ask? I'm not trying to be conniving, I honestly just want to know, so that maybe I can understand.

P.S. I'm not saying this is true for ALL nurse's, as there are some that are amazing and share their knowledge and expertise.

Thank you.

[NanikRN]

It just seems to me that somewhere in the job description or staff orientation that it is mentioned that you could possibly have a student paired with you at some point. If you were in fact not informed that your job entailed such then why not take it up with management?

I have been a nurse for well over 35 ish years With multiple jobs in many different areas.

NEVER has having a student been in any of my job descriptions.

The job description you're thinking of is Clinical Instructor, lol

[Loving-and-Learning]

I don't know if things have changed or if it just depends on the school. I don't know if students are even allowed to go the clinical site without their instructor, so they are at the mercy of the schedule given to them by the school.

It's only been 5 years since I graduated and we always had to go the night before to research our patient assignments and then do an extensive nursing care plan before we could attend the clinicial..at which point we were exhausted and had barely enough neurons firing to absorb whatever was happening on the floor.

Some nurses get overwhelmed with the stress of their own work and having a student to think about is too much stress. Their stress is not your fault. The best you can do is go in with the best attitude possible. Expect that your nurse might be upset (whether they are just snobby, overwhelmed or have other things on their mind). That's ok. Be as nice as you, learn as much as you can and move on. Don't take it personally and don't let it ruin your experience or get in the way of learning so you can be a great nurse.

Like you said, there are some nurses that are great so know that some days you will get a nurse who can work and teach and some days you won't. Just do your part and be nice.

When I was a student, I tried to see what I could do to help the nurse out in the beginning of the shift and that helped create calmer moments later so she had time to answer my questions. This created a positive relationship with my nurse, gave me confidence because I was getting my hands dirty and led to a better experience overall.

Also, I don't think your tone was rude. I am amazed by the sensitivity of some on this site..some people get offended very easily.

[NurseNHowell]

...The generation that is now graduating or in nursing school grows up with goals and ideas that are not the same.

...the preparation for bedside nursing more oriented towards being able to actual do the work.

... the now student generation is not afraid to speak up and ask for what they perceive is their right.

You know this reminds me of an incident that just happened during my RN clinicals. A young expecting couple in L&D was finally agreeing hours later to an emergency c-section on 23/24 seeker twins. As they roll into the OR a fellow student, my instructor and myself are standing at the doors. My classmate very loudly complains "they need to realize we are here to learn and it is our right to see this!" To my absolute horror the instructor states agreeing with her all while I am trying to politely as possibly get her and my CIvto understand NO YOU DO NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO WATCH SOMEONE'S BABIES DIE!!!!!! This is the same student that frequently used the phrase that she has a right to do _____ and etc. Students do not have a RIGHT to anything, they have a privilege and that's it. I've had a student snarky at me that I told her not to go into a specific patient's room. Before she even let me tell why she was complaining that she had a right. No you do not have a right to go into a gang rape viticm's room who is currently barely emotionally hanging on while being borderline suicidal.

[Remy Ox]

I have been to schools in two different countries and both countries I never asked the nurse to teach me I asked professor. Are things different here? If I ever have students I will be respectful but I can't do teacher's job. I was a ER nurse we never had students but now I star SNF in america. I think they have students in day shift, I see professor with students when I interviewed for job. That's how it should be I think.

[Channabanana]

Even if we were not busy, students are still NOT our "responsibility." Do you understand that? We have no affiliation with your school. Many of us have no experience whatsoever with instructing students, unlike (presumably) university professors. For the most part, staff nurses receive no guidance for dealing with students, no protocols, no training whatsoever. When a nurse gives time and attention to a student, he is going above and beyond what he should be expected to do, whether he has one patient or ten. The student is not and never has been his "responsibility." Guess who is? THE PATIENT.

An exception to this would be hospitals who have some kind of official joint affiliation with a school, and nurses are not only paid for their participation, but are given at least minimal training, guidelines, and policies to refer to. Additionally, their assignment might be altered to allow for better teaching. This expectation is made clear from the beginning, and often, nurses are consulted in advance as to whether they are willing to take part. This isn't the norm from what I gather.

Do YOU understand that what you qouted was a response to someone elses post on something I said? You basically reiterated what all the other nurses have said. I already posted in my first comment what i gathered from the responses. No where in my response did i say that it was the nurses responsibility. I actually posted that its not. That was number 2 or 3. I also asked if nurses would be more willing to teach if they had less load and/or were paid. In which the person said "gee ya think?". But based on your response and that of the people saying that they flat out dont like students or teach, i would take the answer as a no.

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

Nope. Never. Is it in yours?

It just seems to me that somewhere in the job description or staff orientation that it is mentioned that you could possibly have a student paired with you at some point. If you were in fact not informed that your job entailed such then why not take it up with management?

[Jensmom7, BSN, RN]

In those 40 years a lot of things have changed. When you were a nursing students, your generation had a different upbringing, values specific to your generation and etiquette was slightly different.

The generation that is now graduating or in nursing school grows up with goals and ideas that are not the same. Back in your student time, the hierarchy was clear but also most nurses went to diploma programs and the preparation for bedside nursing more oriented towards being able to actual do the work. A lot of things have changed. We have more flat hierarchy structures in healthcare and the now student generation is not afraid to speak up and ask for what they perceive is their right. They do not want to "proof" themselves, they want to be accepted.

Anyways - just pointing out that what worked for you back in the days is not the way it works for the younger generation....

You make some points, but sorry, I graduated from a BSN program.

Also, do these new goals and ideas cancel out basic good manners and humility?

Students demanding that floor nurses teach them All The Things right NOW are way out of line. Just because they perceive it as their right to have everyone cater to them, doesn't change the fact that the Clinical Instructor is the one who should actually be providing education in the clinical setting.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

You make some points, but sorry, I graduated from a BSN program.

Also, do these new goals and ideas cancel out basic good manners and humility?

Students demanding that floor nurses teach them All The Things right NOW are way out of line. Just because they perceive it as their right to have everyone cater to them, doesn't change the fact that the Clinical Instructor is the one who should actually be providing education in the clinical setting.

BSN here, too. Apparently these goals and ideas render good manners and humility obsolete. It's all about the student, you know.

[nutella, MSN, RN]

You make some points, but sorry, I graduated from a BSN program.

Also, do these new goals and ideas cancel out basic good manners and humility?

Students demanding that floor nurses teach them All The Things right NOW are way out of line. Just because they perceive it as their right to have everyone cater to them, doesn't change the fact that the Clinical Instructor is the one who should actually be providing education in the clinical setting.

It is great that you were able to graduate with a BSN - I think that was not necessarily the norm back at that time ... Anyhow, I mentioned hospital based nursing education because that was the common model back then and reflected the tighter connection between academics and practical education.

I do think that there is a huge disconnect between the way we educate nurses now and the way we expect them to function as new graduates. Nursing is a tough business all around.

Civilized behavior is very important as it sets the tone for everything else but I think that the student generations are much more "go getters" and are not willing to play nice-nice when they do not get in return what they need. We sucked it up - this generation is different.

I do not think that they want to get everything catered to them (perhaps some but not the majority). I think that they know very well that if they do not lean in clinicals, they will be lost once they graduate. The baby boomer generation seems to have a lot of problems with the young generation (I am stuck in the middle ...). The clinical instructor needs to teach, and it has been my experience that they are on the floor and available.

[nutella, MSN, RN]

BSN here, too. Apparently these goals and ideas render good manners and humility obsolete. It's all about the student, you know.

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I am not endorsing bad manners - I am only pointing out that there are generational differences

[Susie2310]

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I am not endorsing bad manners - I am only pointing out that there are generational differences

This is learned behavior, not some unique biological differences.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

The clinical instructor needs to teach, and it has been my experience that they are on the floor and available.

If that was actually the case across the board, the conflicts being discussed this thread wouldn't be an issue.