I wanted to ask how all of you OR nurses are with students. Out of curiousity, I am wondering if my experience is standard or isolated...
My clinical rotations were in the OR this week (3rd year BSN program), and what I had hoped would be educational turned out to be just short of a major drag. The scrub/circ nurses acknowledged that I was there...then that was it. I did ask some questions but didn't feel they were very welcome. I understand they have a job to do, and student's questions are probably last on the list, but if they have time to sit down for a few and read a magazine, you'd think they might have done a little teaching....or even make eye contact.
What really burned me, is after two days of this, the same group of nurses go into the break room complaining about how desperate they are for OR nurses. I guess what I don't understand, is if they felt so strongly about needing more OR nurses you'd think they would *try* to make it a positive experience for a student nurse anticipating the field.
So is this pretty standard? How do you personally treat students in the OR?
Today I had a great time with the anesthesiologist and the surgeon who was doing an aortic valve replacement...I learned far more from them and felt more welcome and encouraged by them than any of the nursing staff.
I will be interested in reading any feedback on this, because I want to know if this is the norm.
No reason to attack me, i never said i didn't teach.
excuse me but at which part of my post was I attacking you? I was simply making a point about nurses thinking it's not their responsibility to teach the next generation of nurses.
I am just getting into the nursing school and was wondering how to get in the OR setting? Any information would be helpful becuause the university I attend is not very cooperative in assisting their students. Thanks
excuse me but at which part of my post was I attacking you? I was simply making a point about nurses thinking it's not their responsibility to teach the next generation of nurses.
You quoted my post in your response, then said this:
Someone taught you once! so mabye you should think back to the days when you didn't know as much as you do now, and perhaps pass on a bit of that knowledge to the next gerneration of nurses.
Quite often people quote a person and/or statement they are replying to. And if that reply contains a bunch of "you" statements, it makes the reply seemed directed at the person quoted.
Quite often people quote a person and/or statement they are replying to. And if that reply contains a bunch of "you" statements, it makes the reply seemed directed at the person quoted.
what?
Of course my post was directed at you...I was replying to something you wrote, my question, however, was, where in my post was I attacking you? Obviously, I was not attacking you at all. I was making a point, using something you said and offering you suggestions for the future. There was no "attack"! If you would like to percieve it as an "attack" then that is,of course, entirely up to you.
i am a new RN in the OR in England and my hospital was fantastic during my training. i have never experienced a placement like it (my chin was permanantly on the floor!). All the nurses were kind to me and explained everything that was happening. Although i must admit some were better than others. in the UK nurses are obligated to teach student nurses as it is part of our registration and some seem to enjoy it more than others. me personally, i love students. i consolidate my knowledge by explaining things to them and i believe that we need more OR nurses and all students shoould be shown how cool OR nursing can be!
RNin2007, what an awful experience for you. May I ask why dident you go to your tutor and complain, I feel you would have been entitled to. Personally I adore having students as they keep me on my toes all the time. I usually first interview my student and determine their perception of the role of the perioperative nurse. Then we can plan a whole rota for their 4 weeks with me to ensure they get a total understanding of the environment, and hopefully may be interested in coming back to us. Even if they are not interested in the work I ask them to learn the basic airway management as that is a skill every nurse will use wherever you work. You got a bum deal.
In the first, a community hospital, some of the older nurses were rude in "protecting their turf". They were cold to students, cold to nurses in other departments, cold to new-to-the-OR nurses, and withheld information to make themselves look good.
The majority of OR nurses, in my experience, treat students well and try to show them as much as possible while they're in the OR, engaging the surgeon and anesthesia provider as possible.
OR nursing is a great, fulfilling specialty (has the same downers that plague all nurses; but, it's a great specialty). And the median age of OR nurses is approaching mid- to late fourties. If you were interested in OR nursing, I'd encourage you not to give up looking into it. Hopefully, next time you'll have a circulator who appreciates the opportunity to win you over for the OR!
When too many students are assigned to an OR for the day, some will end up in rooms with nurses that are not inclined to teaching. We try to put students with the teaching focused RN's but when 6 or 8 students show up on the same day...someone will get a less desirable assignment. Don't blame the OR, blame your instructors for overloading!
I agree that sometimes there are just too many "extra " people in the OR. As an example in my Or the other day and I had to refuse to take a Nursing student, and unfortunate as it was, the student was present to see me refuses to take her.
Let me explain what was going on in the room....A thorocotomy in a vascular OR. The surgeon was present, two residents and a med student. Already a very full room... the ST in the room was also precepting a new ST... I was precepting a RN to the circulating role... a very busy room. And we cannot forget to mention the MDA and the CRNA. The patient was very sick ASA 4. My priorities are with my patient first. Teaching is farther down on the list.
I love to teach nursing students and nurses that are new to the OR setting, but when there are too many people are in the room, focus can be lost...remember patient first.
Part of the rejection the nursing student felt could have been avoided if someone, anyone would have told me that the student was coming. I would have refused and suggested a better room. So by my refusal I probably looked unfriendly and nasty.
It has been said before, The OR is an acute care setting and the personalitied are very strong, they have to be strong...we are protecting our patients.
irish_std/n
61 Posts
excuse me but at which part of my post was I attacking you? I was simply making a point about nurses thinking it's not their responsibility to teach the next generation of nurses.