Nursing students

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Specializes in Intensive care nursing (19 yrs).

Hello,

My name is Raul Salas, a nursing instructor at Baptist Health System School of Health Professions Department of Professional Nursing.

I have being assigned to write a paper regarding professional nurses behavior, attitudes or preceptions of nursing student completing the clinical assignment on nursing units.

The question is"

Do you feel that nursing students are in the way, interfere with your daily routine, it does not matter one way or another whether the nursing student is present or not, I don't want nursing students assigned to my group assignment or on the unit or do you look forward to having nursing students on your units?

Looking forward to reading your posts. I will continue to review posts until July 20, 2009. You can post comments here on Allnurses or email me.

Thank you,

Raul Salas

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Specializes in IMCU.

I think if you were a premium member you could actually post a proper survey.

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Specializes in ..

I'd love to hear the results of this.

As a student its often very difficult to "slot in" to the ward you're assigned for clinical. There's a very tough balancing act between appearing proactive and learning and stepping on the RN's toes!

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Specializes in LTC.

As a nursing student. I have tons of respect for the staff on the units that I had clinical on. (from the housekeeper to the RNs). I greatly appreciate all the help and what they taught me and included me in the happenings of the unit.

If I sense someone feels I am in the way, I do what I need to do and get out of there, or just come back later.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, educator.

I like having students. They give me the opportunity to teach them, and make me keep current on skills and knowledge.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

Moved to Academic/Research Participation Request Forum. :)

We have nursing students on our floor currently, and my perception of them is either a) neutral or b) they are helpful.

There are times when things just get bonkers and I tell the students, "If it seems like I'm ignoring you, please don't think I'm doing it on purpose. I kind of go on autopilot when the poo hits the fan...so if there's something you want to do/see, let me know." If there's some procedure or something interesting to see, I try to include them.

I try to remember I was once where they are now, and it's hard. So I try.

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Specializes in Intensive care nursing (19 yrs).

Thank you for your participation. I have been teaching about three and a half years now and have excellent feedback from nursing staff and directors about the nursing students. There has been one or two nurses (RN) that have been up front and stated they did not want a nursing student assigned to them or their patients.

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Specializes in LTC, Med-Surg, IMCU/Tele, HH/CM.

If it is a not-so-busy day, I don't mind nursing students. I love the chance to teach and watch them grow as I did in nursing school. However on those hectic days, with critical patients, I don't have time to go slow and explain things -- I am concerned about getting my job done and making sure my patients are safe.

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Specializes in Intensive care nursing (19 yrs).

I fully understand your response. Prior to teaching at a school, I reminded nurisng students things change quickly and need immediate attention. Thanks for the response and students remember nurses that helped them along.

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Specializes in Intensive care nursing (19 yrs).

Good for you. Nurisng students appreciate the honesty. You are, after all, providing nursing.

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This is interesting to me. I'm a student and I can tell which nurses like us, which don't, and which don't but are pretending to. I just make sure I do absolutely everything I know to do, keep the nurse informed on anything I do with my (their) patient, offer to help with everything, and just basically try to learn whatever I can while trying to use all the info I already have... if that makes sense. Our school has an annual award where we can nominate fabulous nurses we've had in clinical - the nurses who take the time to walk us through a procedure we're unsure about, the nurses who tell us they remember what being a student was like, the nurses who go out of their way to make sure they use just the right amount of supervision (combined with our clinical instructor, of course) but let us do our "jobs" without underestimating us. There's more of those nurses out there than you'd think, and most of us are so, so grateful and learn more from you than you'll ever know. Thank you. :)

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I did clinicals at a larger hospital in TN. I have to say the nurses were great. I first established a relationship with them and let them know that I was serious about getting procedures in my clinicals and they kept me busy. I was able to cover every skill and I loved it! Unfortunately, some students do not get this experience (some of my classmates didn't) but the nurse would even look for me to do skills. Go to clinicals with a positive attitude and a learning attitude and it will be fine usually.:nurse:

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