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.

[sevensonnets]

I used to love working with students. That was until I encountered ONE particular student who had something to prove evidently. She

was headed to lunch with her friends. I asked what her patient's blood sugar was and if she had to give SS insulin. She said she did not do the accucheck because her instructor was not on the floor. She COULD have asked me to watch her do it. I did it myself and gave the SSI. After lunch she did a preemptive strike: went crying to her instructor that I had yelled at her! I did not! Worked out great for her. She didn't miss lunch, got a hug from her instructor, and I became the BIG BAD NURSE. Next time she worked her patient's MARs disappeared. Next 2 shifts tore the building apart trying to find them. Next day she was caught trying to put them back. She had simply folded up the MARs, put them in her pocket, and went home. Evil! I hope she didn't make it through nursing school but she's probably upper level management.

[AceOfHearts<3]

I'm a new grad who has been working less than a year. I get that students need to learn and don't show my frustration, but a lot of times it is frustrating and a lot more work to have students. I don't understand why I have to approve their assessments, especially when more than one student has my patients- their instructor should be reviewing their assessments. It's also more work figuring out what students are giving meds to what patients and what specific meds (because a lot of times not all of the patient's meds are given). Plus if any changes are made by the doctor or the meds haven't been given by a certain time I'm having to take the time to track down the student and instructor- it's almost always easier for me to give the meds myself (but I don't so the student can get the experience). Also the students at my hospital are allowed to give meds with the nurse and not their instructor if they've been checked off on those meds. This takes even more of the nurse's time. I didn't attend the program affiliated with my hospital, so some of these practices are really foreign to me since my school was so strict on doing stuff with our instructor.

I barely have time to round with doctors some days, especially when I have 4-5 patients and they are all with different medical services and/or have 2-3+ services on their case. It's not always easy to find time to chat with a student.

Something that is also not the students fault, but is super frustrating nonetheless is coming in not at 7, but maybe 11 or 3, and there being absolutely no charged WoWs because the students have all been using the spares. This gets me so hopping frustrated when I can't even make it an hour without my computer dying and having to take the time to hunt up another, swap all my stuff to it, and log back in (which can be slow), then repeat in another 45-60 minutes. It interrupts my workflow and interferes with patient care.

Want to know why the rate of fluids was decreased or why the lasix was decreased? I'll tell you it's most likely due to their creatinine level. Either their level has dropped enough that fluids can be reduced or its gone up enough that the lasix was reduced or stopped. Further explanation if needed should be reviewed with the clinical instructor and read up on. I was always taught to look up and know the significance of labs and would discuss them with my instructor who had the time and was getting paid to do just that.

Also add in the chaos of a busy floor during day shift with patients being transported off the unit, other services rounding (PT/OT, case management, respiratory, phlebotomy, etc.), food service, cleaning service, providers rounding, visitors, maybe a portable bedside X-ray (that machine is big), then add in an additional 4-8 students and it's even worse. I'm afraid to let patients ambulate in the halls at times because I'm afraid if they're unsteady that the chaos could pose a fall risk to them- maybe they'll get bumped which will cause them to fall, etc.

I'm welcoming to students. I review their assessments, let them give meds, take time to track them down when needed, and answer what questions I can. That doesn't mean it isn't frustrating. I'm honestly relieved and happy when I'm not working the days they are on my unit.

[BSN-to-MSN, ADN, BSN, RN]

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 oriented 10 new employees this past year. # 11 I refused; no more. I like working alone much better.

[BSN-to-MSN, ADN, BSN, RN]

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.

This can be flipped to nurse's perspective: " but it's not my fault or my coworker's fault that this student is trying to learn a thing or two, I'm just trying to get thru my day."

Understand that this a case-by -case issue, and don't lump all nurses into the "mean" category. They owe you nothing; being a student is not a bigger accomplishment than years of nursing experience.

[ComeTogether, LPN]

They have a lot going on, and are often understaffed. They usually have their CNAs who come to them throughout the shift with questions or concerns that they have to stop what they're doing and address.

It can be overwhelming and distracting to have nursing students stop them and ask questions. In addition, nursing school is so much different than what real nursing is, so they will likely tell you differently than your clinical instructor.

Just my own observations.

[Scrubs_n_sirens, MSN, RN]

I love students....sometimes. When I can I'll grab a couple and show them neat stuff or teach a pathology in depth as well as apply "care plan" interventions to the patient so the students can see it in reality.

Here's what I don't want. When I'm already eyeballs deep in work, my patients are moody, my doctor is breathing down my neck, I don't want the toddler-like student who does the "why-why-why-why." I'm not bashing the sense of wanting to learn. Not one bit, students need that. But equally important is being able to gauge your future coworkers and not wasting their times when they're stressed. You'll learn what stressed nurses look like someday and when I learned, I learned to help them pick up their slack. Please, for the love of pickles, DONT MICROMANAGE MY PATIENTS! I get you find abnormalities, that is awesome! Good on you! But chances are I've already noticed or it wasn't significant.

Just because senior nurses don't throw you parties when you find something doesn't mean what you found is invalid, it may just not be part of the big picture. Sometimes people chronically run low in one of their labs, so we don't always race to correct them because sometimes that is their baseline. Sometimes a weird heart sound doesn't really mean something new and drastic is happening.

I'm only a handful of years out of school, so I don't forget what it's like to be a student. But (and I mean this nicely) grow a thicker skin. Please. Not everything is meant to hurt your feelings. I do not go to work to further your education or kiss your emotional booboos. My first priority is my patients, second is myself. Because if I can't focus and keep my thoughts straight, my patients will suffer from my lapse.

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

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!

Nurses aren't all cut from the same cloth. We are all human beings with very different ideas, personalities, attitudes, strengths and weaknesses. Some will absolutely love to teach and mentor while others just want to take care of their patients with as little disruption as possible. Not all nurse are extroverted and outgoing. That doesn't make them bad nurses, it just makes extra people and work more exhausting to deal with.

Try not to take it personally. Some of these nurses might just be jerks. But try and give them the benefit of the doubt.. many are just trying to get through their shift without mistakes/complaints/codes.

[HelloWish, ADN, BSN]

I just graduated, so I have recent experience being a student working with a nurse. Overall I felt like it was the student's attitude that affected the nurse and their attitude back to the student. There were a few times where I had a nurse who wouldn't say much to me in the beginning but I was patient, respectful and tried to be helpful and stay out of the way and eventually they would open up and be awesome. I think you need to gauge when it is appropriate to ask questions and when it's not appropriate, observe more and look up information. I think attitude has a lot to do with how people will react to you. That was my overall experience. I'm not saying that's true in every case, but I think in the majority of cases it is. Too often students have an attitude of entitlement. I think if you show that you're there to learn and show respect to the nurse and their time and value what they are doing you will find they will respond better to you.

[Remy Ox]

Hi OP, I never have students follow me. I cared for trauma and emergency patients before I came to the US. I know that being a student is difficult, and all of you have to learn. It is not the students fault, but I think of having people in your space all the time at work, thats how I think they feel. Not students fault and not the nurses fault. It is frustrating for everyone. I remember being a student in my country. Then I came here and took more studies to endorse my license. I do not miss school! I am starting work next week and If I have students I will remember this, lol.

[dylanmc]

Wow I think people have been pretty harsh to you for this comment, I don't see it as accusatory or rude in any way. I work at the teaching hospital my school was connected to and I'm a newish grad, so I did many clinicals in the hospital on various units. I remember on a few occasions having nurses that were incredibly standoffish (we also got our patient assignments the night before and showed up early to look up information on our patients and be able to participate in or at least observe report). About half of the bad ones I worked with I could eventually get along with by the end of the day by being patient and not overbearing, and using my teacher as often as I could. But there were some that other students had issues with as well, so it was clear it wasn't the students fault. And that is not fun because there is so much to gain from clinical experiences, and it's a shame when an entire day of potential learning and opportunity is wasted.

I certainly agree that students can be somewhat of a burden to nurses (I've felt like that before), but in my hospital it is emphasized that this is one of the requirements of the job from the get-go - to occasionally have a student, and they take that really seriously. They try to rotate nurses who get students and they also try to give students to nurses who have less of an acute patient load. I believe that nurses who enjoy teaching can volunteer to take students and Capstone students more and they get education credit for this. It's so easy to forget what it's like as a student, and there are definitely bad ones who think they know it all...but the vast majority of the time the students I work with are just trying their best to be helpful and learn. Something that has helped me a lot is formulating a plan right at the beginning of the shift by looking at all the tasks for the day and doing a little bit of planning by letting the nurse know what your limitations are as a student. This makes sure you and the nurse are on the same page in terms of what the day is going to look like and it gives the nurse a chance to delegate and prioritize based on your needs.

I hope this helps. I'm sorry you've not had good experiences. I was very lucky in this regard and I attribute that to the atmosphere my hospital maintains, which is one that encourages learning and teaching in all aspects.

[NewMurse1014]

Wow I think people have been pretty harsh to you for this comment, I don't see it as accusatory or rude in any way.

OP deleted an inflammatory sentence along the lines of "the nurse doesn't want to take student because she's either incompetent or she's afraid the student will know more than her". But seeing OP is willing to amend it, we're cool after that.

[Courtney Nurse Writer, BSN]

I think there are nurses out there who just don't like to teach. I love teaching and loved nursing students and loved orienting new nurses. I was there once and remembered how horrible I felt my first semester as a nursing student, being treated poorly by an overworked exhausted nurse.

Don't take it personally. Teaching isn't meant for everyone. Write down any questions you have, ask your instructor or first before you even go there maybe ask your fellow students. Y'all can at least say you researched it and couldn't figure it out.