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.
My school goes to preplan the night before and gets to the hospital an hour before shift change to discuss our patient with the instructor and then we go get report with the nurse.
Wonderful. Glad to hear it. Now, where is your clinical instructor during all of this? I ask because when I have a student (I work in L&D), I do my absolute best to sit down with him/her and go over the fetal monitor strip in detail and explain the physiology, etc., to explain the rationale for my interventions, etc., etc., but sometimes, there just flat out isn't time. That's when the clinical instructor needs to step in and do the teaching, and she does.
As for the rest, well, the fact of the matter is that some nurses don't like students. They just don't. Nothing that I (or you, or anyone, really) can do to change that. Some nurses don't like students, they don't like teaching, and they are generally crabby with anyone new. It's just one of those lovely parts of nursing that you have to learn to roll with. If you are paired with a nurse who seems to be one of those nurses, can you ask to be paired with someone else? Is your instructor open to that?
On the rare occasion I don't let students in to see my patients who haven't outright objected, or because there is really a specific reason, it's usually because the rapport with that patient is so tenuous and delicate that the slightest thing could upset the balance, and I am doing everything in my power to maintain that. A student would disrupt all of that, no matter how sweet and helpful s/he was.
I am one of those nurses who enjoys teaching and enjoys students, but not all do. Chalk it up to life experience, learn from it, and as the previous poster said, tuck it away to remember what NOT to do in your own future practice.
OP, did you ever think that the student might be #30 for this nurse, and it got old? Just a possibility.
This is also true. They have to rotate nurses who precept at my hospital, because they can get burned out from orienting new nurses too much. The frequent preceptors, as nice as they are, have stated as much, and said that sometimes they just want to be alone and work without a student or orientee. It can be exhausting.
Wonderful. Glad to hear it. Now, where is your clinical instructor during all of this? I ask because when I have a student (I work in L&D), I do my absolute best to sit down with him/her and go over the fetal monitor strip in detail and explain the physiology, etc., to explain the rationale for my interventions, etc., etc., but sometimes, there just flat out isn't time. That's when the clinical instructor needs to step in and do the teaching, and she does.
As for the rest, well, the fact of the matter is that some nurses don't like students. They just don't. Nothing that I (or you, or anyone, really) can do to change that. Some nurses don't like students, they don't like teaching, and they are generally crabby with anyone new. It's just one of those lovely parts of nursing that you have to learn to roll with. If you are paired with a nurse who seems to be one of those nurses, can you ask to be paired with someone else? Is your instructor open to that?
On the rare occasion I don't let students in to see my patients who haven't outright objected, or because there is really a specific reason, it's usually because the rapport with that patient is so tenuous and delicate that the slightest thing could upset the balance, and I am doing everything in my power to maintain that. A student would disrupt all of that, no matter how sweet and helpful s/he was.
I am one of those nurses who enjoys teaching and enjoys students, but not all do. Chalk it up to life experience, learn from it, and as the previous poster said, tuck it away to remember what NOT to do in your own future practice.
I appreciate your response and honesty. I guess it's hard for me to understand because I love to teach people and be a mentor others. Thanks!
As a preceptor and former clinical intructor who is currently working the floor, I will tell you exactly why you get that attitude.
Nurses are adults who expect you to be competent and know how to look things up and figure things out. A lot of students ask stupid questions. Not saying your questions are stupid, don't get me wrong. We expect you to look stuff up, then ask your clinical instructor if you can't find it, then maybe ask us if you can't find your clinical instructor or your instructor isn't sure.
Also, nurses are not part of your faculty. It is not their responsibility to explain things to you. It is nice when it happens, but it should never be an expectation.
You also have no idea how much stress is involved in taking care of a patient assignment. Imagine the most stressful event of your life and multiply that by two. That's in the ballpark
It actually takes time away from patient care for the nurses to talk to you. Many of us already don't have time to take a lunch, hydrate, or even take bathroom breaks. I don't want to waste the five minutes I have to relieve my bladder to explain to you that the patient's kidney function tests show that the patient is dehydrated and we're bumping up the normal saline a little bit, but not enough to exacerbate their heart failure. Go ask your clinical instructor.
On the other hand, if it is a slow day, nurses will often come to you and say, "This is cool, come watch."
I like teaching, so it doesn't bother me to explain things. A lot of the nurses I work with don't like teaching. You ask them a question and they will flat out tell you to go look it up and stop bothering them. And that's OK.
We are not your mothers. We are not your teachers. We have a job to do and you are mostly in the way.
For a little perspective, let's say you work as a cashier. You have a line ten deep. There's a new employee who needs constant help that interrupts you every so often. There's a manager who keeps coming by and asking you why your line isn't moving. And then some random stranger comes up and says, "I'm learning how to be a cashier. Why are you pushing the buttons that way? They taught me in cashier training that you're supposed to do it THIS way." Are you going to stop everything and answer this person? No. You're going to politely, or not so politely, ask them to go away.
OP, are you questioning the nurse in front of the patient? If so, expect a trip to the woodshed.
And as for that s3, what is clinically significant about that finding?
I'm not questioning the nurse in front of the patient, just simply sharing what I have found and know to be abnormalities. S3 if new and not previously diagnosed may indicate ventricular dysfunction caused by fluid volume excess, renal insufficiency, valvular regurgitation, etc. So, for me to share with the nurse that I auscultated an S3, should have grabbed her attention to listen to the patient again so that appropriate interventions could have been in place. This patient also had +2 bilateral edema.
In your specific examples, I agree that the nurse could have explained a little more or recognized your concerns. You'll run into these kind of nurses as preceptors, coworkers, or even charge nurses. I've been in my new grad position for only 7 months now, so I can see from both perspectives. I remembered being rejected by a nurse on my first day of clinical because she didn't want to take a student. Learn from them and don't repeat their attitudes/mistakes. After all it's your own license that's on the line.
Thanks for the response, I try not to let it get to me but sometimes it's hard because I want what's best for my patient. I hope to be a nurse that will be a good resource for students. Congrats and good luck in your new position!
This is also true. They have to rotate nurses who precept at my hospital, because they can get burned out from orienting new nurses too much. The frequent preceptors, as nice as they are, have stated as much, and said that sometimes they just want to be alone and work without a student or orientee. It can be exhausting.
I agree, and see where that could be a problem. But it's not my fault or my classmates fault that we get paired with them, after all we don't get to choose and we're just trying to learn a thing or two. I just would like to be able to ask a question about mine and the nurses patient that we're sharing without being looked at as a burden or as an idiot. It can be quite discouraging for some students.
*raises hand* I'm one of those nurses who don't like having students, but seeing as I work in one of the two teaching hospitals in my city, not having students on my unit is more the exception than the norm.
I have nothing against students themselves--most are wonderful and eager to learn. I just dislike the fact that my workload is heavier when I have student(s) assigned to my patients--yea, the students help with the ADLs and vitals and meds...but guess who has to follow up with the students? Who has to make sure my patients are still doing okay? Who has to read the student's charting and either agree with it or amend it? Who has to re-insert the feeding tube that the students pulled out by mistake?
The students don't lighten my load at all, and it can be a bit tiring to have to students on top of my own assignment. I am all for answering questions and helping the students out when I can, but I would like the students to have thought about the answer first.
I'm not questioning the nurse in front of the patient, just simply sharing what I have found and know to be abnormalities. S3 if new and not previously diagnosed may indicate ventricular dysfunction caused by fluid volume excess, renal insufficiency, valvular regurgitation, etc. So, for me to share with the nurse that I auscultated an S3, should have grabbed her attention to listen to the patient again so that appropriate interventions could have been in place. This patient also had +2 bilateral edema.
Ok First let me commend you on obviously doing research and being knowledgeable about your patients condition.
Ok an S3 is abnormal, yes. Kudos on hearing that lub dub dub.
What interventions should have been in place? Had the patient had an echo? What was the EF? What past medical history do they have? What was their admitting diagnoses?
Really if the patient was admitted with CHF or had a history I really wouldn't bat an eye about an S3. Charted it yes but got worked up enough to call a doctor, no. It's expected. I'd be more concerned about lung sounds. Don't hang a floor nurse out because you found something you think she didn't address. She may not have time to explain she understands your concern but the Team is aware.
Students in my past working experience sometimes make mountains out of mole hills. Come up to me like they've seen death when the patient they're following has a bloody BM or vomits or says they re in pain. It just creates extra headaches because the patients read the students face and get freaked out. Then I have fires to put out.
Imagine you woke up this morning and had to rush to get out the door. Now, surprise! ...imagine there's a student waiting for you as you roll out of bed. They want to know exactly how you brush your teeth, why you chose the toothpaste that you did, how you turn on the sink and how you decide what temperature to make the water. And the same goes for every other task you have to complete.
You didn't get extra time to teach them. You didn't even know they were coming. If you provide anything less than a detailed, friendly answer, you're "mean".
You're getting further and further behind, because tasks that should take a few seconds or a few minutes have become long and drawn out. And when you show up late to your appointment and explain that you had a student, no one cares- you're just LATE.
I actually like students, but they are a huge, stressful burden 99% of the time.
quazar
603 Posts
As for the rest, well, the fact of the matter is that some nurses don't like students. They just don't. Nothing that I (or you, or anyone, really) can do to change that. Some nurses don't like students, they don't like teaching, and they are generally crabby with anyone new. It's just one of those lovely parts of nursing that you have to learn to roll with. If you are paired with a nurse who seems to be one of those nurses, can you ask to be paired with someone else? Is your instructor open to that?
On the rare occasion I don't let students in to see my patients who haven't outright objected, or because there is really a specific reason, it's usually because the rapport with that patient is so tenuous and delicate that the slightest thing could upset the balance, and I am doing everything in my power to maintain that. A student would disrupt all of that, no matter how sweet and helpful s/he was.
I am one of those nurses who enjoys teaching and enjoys students, but not all do. Chalk it up to life experience, learn from it, and as the previous poster said, tuck it away to remember what NOT to do in your own future practice.