Opinions on nursing students?

[milesims]

Nurses and professors, tell me your experiences with nursing students. Include your general impression of them.

[Farawyn]

I'll nurse some students.

[milesims]

I am dying of laughter

[NurseStorm, BSN, RN]

Here is a post I made in the past with a lot of advice/tips for nursing students based mostly on experience and observation :)

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/tips-for-nursing-1028295.html

I think you will find it helpful if you have an open mind and are truly interested in the perspectives from a floor nurse

[milesims]

Here is a post I made in the past with a lot of advice/tips for nursing students based mostly on experience and observation :)

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/tips-for-nursing-1028295.html

I think you will find it helpful if you have an open mind and are truly interested in the perspectives from a floor nurse

This will definitely be more constructive than the posts I've been getting

Thank you so much! I will definitely check it out! :)

[NurseStorm, BSN, RN]

You're welcome! After you read it if you have any questions/comments I would be happy to discuss it more :)

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

This will definitely be more constructive than the posts I've been getting

Thank you so much! I will definitely check it out! :)

Some free advice

If you give attitude, don't be surprised when you get it in return:yes:

[SHGR, MSN, RN, CNS]

I'm a nursing instructor, so people who want to be nurses provide an endless supply of job security.

[Extra Pickles]

My experiences with students have been good and bad. They are good when the student is open to learning, Listens to what I am teaching and doesn't roll his eyes because He Knows Already everything I have to say, or thinks he does and he doesn't. They are bad when they say they know how to do something very well it's no problem to let them do it and it turns out they are incompetent at the task. Would have been better to say I Don't Really Know and let me help or teach them instead of trying to show off and causing me more work!

[CountryMomma, ASN, RN]

The last nursing student (in a preceptorship position) that was on our floor thought I was kidding when I warned her if she continued to take seats at the computers that floor nurses needed, or interrupt/interject into conversations her preceptor was in, or just generally act like she watched too many episodes of Nurse Jackie, I'd give her floor phone number to every aide and tell them she's the go to girl for code browns/bedbaths with gangrene. She thought I was kidding.

2 shifts later, her attitude has improved greatly.

Nursing students are awesome as long as they know their boundaries, limits, and common sense. For example, if a nurse has not had a lunch, just got a crapton of telephone orders, has two high acuity patients doing their best to decompensate, and has just had a patient fall and is bleeding all over the aide, that's not the time to ask the preceptor if you get 15 min breaks, and remark that you'll probably get out on time tonight.

At least, not if you want the beleaguered nurse to NOT daydream about spilling a c. diff sample down the front of your scrubs.

[OCNRN63, RN]

The last nursing student (in a preceptorship position) that was on our floor thought I was kidding when I warned her if she continued to take seats at the computers that floor nurses needed, or interrupt/interject into conversations her preceptor was in, or just generally act like she watched too many episodes of Nurse Jackie, I'd give her floor phone number to every aide and tell them she's the go to girl for code browns/bedbaths with gangrene. She thought I was kidding.

2 shifts later, her attitude has improved greatly.

Brilliant!

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

I am, after due consideration, in favour of nursing students. They are a good idea. Stops us running out of nurses.

[Julius Seizure]

I hated being a nursing student. I don't mind when other people are though. Unless they try to take my computer that I was charting at.

But seriously, my impression of them is that during clinicals they often dont know what to do with themselves. Not that its their fault. Looking back to my clinical experiences, there wasn't much guidance beyond "look for opportunities to learn but all you are allowed to do is help get vitals". I wish clinical time had been a better learning experience for me.

I love to teach them when I can, and I wish nursing education gave them more hands on time to get comfortable in the clinical setting. And allowed them to DO more during clinicals rather than just "observe" without much direction. Looking back, I would have totally traded a nursing theory class for more quality clinical time when I was in school.