Other Side of the "Clinicals" Coin

[krisiepoo]

I'm a new grad (graduated in December) and have been working as a nurse now for 2 months. I just wanted to post some my thoughts on some of the students who come into my unit for clinicals

Please answer call lights, even if it's not 'your' patient. It may not be a big deal to you but it makes a big deal to me and may save me a few minutes.

Don't 'sit' at the computers if you're not working on them. If you're looking things up on the patients, that's one thing but to sit there because you don't have anything to do and take up a computer I need to use is not cool.

Try looking up answers to your questions before asking us. Google is your friend at times. I recently had a 1st year student ask me what "full code" meant then didn't understand what CPR was and when you use it. I also had a student recently ask me for a "rundown" on why my patients were here. I don't have time for a "rundown". I'm really happy to answer questions if you can't find the info but please do your homework first.

Don't sit at the nurses station and gossip. Especially if you're sitting in front of a computer.

Ask me if there is something you can do. I will almost always say yes :) and I will be more willing to show you things, grab you when something interesting is going on, etc if you actually want to be there

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Yeah, I wondered at the answering each and every call bell as well. If you do not know what's going on with that patient, you could cause harm. I don't think we were ever told to do that.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

My general hours are 0730-1630 but today I was here at 0500 to talk in a staff meeting about playing nice with students. Schools say they cannot afford instructors. Hospitals do not pay preceptors extra (around here) and even if they did, I feel it is not their job. I feel the students are getting the short end of the stick --- until the new grads come to work and are not able to do anything. It is a catch-22

It isn't the staff nurses job to teach the students. Everyone is OK that these students are not getting a quality education...there are enough nurses out there...I am really tired of that poor excuse "there aren't enough instructors/nurses" hire the ones you have. I can no longer teach becasue I don't have a masters so are all these bedside nurses masters prepared? PrI am sure they are not.....so this is a way on ensuring quality education?

'I am curious is this a ADN or BSN program and is it for profit? You can PM me is you wish.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Lol, I must admit, while I always know why the patient was admitted to the hospital, it's not always 100% clear why that patient is still in the hospital, since it seems like their chief complaint has been resolved. I ask that question all the time during report.

Anyway. I've never understood why the students have to be at the hospital so early. They might get a little more attention from the nurses if they were there during the absolute busiest part of the day. I had a couple clinicals on Saturdays, also, and the nurses had more time for us. Way less going on. Maybe some schools should think about modifying their schedules, or doing some night clinicals.

In really don' t think having students enter at the busiest time of day is helpful.

[la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN]

I get both sides of the coin and I understand why a lot of the students are on the defense with the OP but she must have done something right since she graduated in December and has what I want when I graduate that so few get to have so quickly after graduating -- A JOB! I doubt it is due only to mere luck that she is where she is today.

[la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN]

Isn't it kind of backwards to have someone who has been a licensed RN for only 2 months assigned to students? OP is still learning herself and is probably a bit overwhelmed a lot of the time. I'm graduating next May and I sincerely hope I have at least close to a years experience before they start expecting me to help students. Especially since all we hear is that school teaches us to pass the NCLEX not how to be a nurse in the real world, and that it takes at least a full year of work to even begin to comprehend the full demands and skills of the profession. I'd be annoyed with every student too if I had two months to learn everything and reteach it to them.

You will be surprised. At my last clinical, we were given nurses who had just graduated from our program no more than 5 or 6 months ago. They were awesome and the most willing, understanding and generous teachers, especially one in particular. She had her problems still getting her charting and everything down and flowing the way she would have liked but she was never flustered, never conveyed any annoyance with us, and was more than happy to show us the ropes. She was an excellent example and, regardless of how green I am, I hope to be the same way to some student along the way.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Secondly, the rules of etiquette depend on the instructor. I'm in my second semester clinical and it was only this semester where our clinical instructor told us to listen for the call bells - which for a student nurse, is mixed in with all the other beepings that are happening - so we weren't attuned to it at all; it's not that we were ignoring it, we weren't cognizant of it.

As any nursing student knows, picking what to do vs. what not to do in this stage is tricky. For example, I had a client ask for something simple as a tissue. I go into the utility room, grabbed a tissue box, and handed it to the client. Simple, right? An aide saw me, she said we charge for those things. These are hospital policies, not nursing school policies, so they were not taught to us. it's simple things like this that makes the student second guess everything. And then to have nurses like the OP express such disdain is just peaches.

New nurses like OP are the bane of nursing students. And I sincerely hope karma bites her when she runs into a more senior nurse who treats her with the same expectations.

I can understand that students are frustrated by the situations described by the post quoted above. But put the responsibility (blame) where it belongs -- on the school, not on the poor staff nurse caught in the middle. It is the faculty's job to orient you to the routines and expectations of your clinical settings -- not the staff's job. Students should insist that they receive an orientation to their unit before being expected to practice there.

It might be the instructor's fault that you did not receive a proper orientation ... or it might be that the school did not provide the instructor with the resources needed to prepare for your clinical rotation. But either way, it is the school's job -- a job for which you are paying them good money. If they expect the staff to be doing the orienting and teaching, then the school should be paying for the staff's time.

But don't blame the poor staff nurse because she is not doing the school's job for them.

[llg, PhD, RN]

My general hours are 0730-1630 but today I was here at 0500 to talk in a staff meeting about playing nice with students. Schools say they cannot afford instructors. Hospitals do not pay preceptors extra (around here) and even if they did, I feel it is not their job. I feel the students are getting the short end of the stick --- until the new grads come to work and are not able to do anything. It is a catch-22

If the schools can't hire instructors, then they should not be taking students' money to provide an education. The program should close. We nurses should not allow this to continue.

Fortunately, my hospital will not work with any school who does not provide qualified instructors for their students. (And I mean both clinically and academically qualified to teach.) If that forces some inferior nursing programs to close, that is great. The state board is well aware of our policy and is encouraging us to maintain it. They thank us for helping to do their job of protecting the publich and the students from bad schools.

We should all insist that either the schools provide the instructors or reduce the size of their programs or close altogether.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I have a hybrid group of 1st semester nursing students assigned to my unit for clinicals 2x per week. There are 16 students to 1 instructor.

That is against the law in my state. We have a limit of 10 students per instructor -- and my hospital urges only 8 students per instructor. A clinical group can have 10 students if they are not all providing patient care. (e.g. observing, etc.)

[llg, PhD, RN]

Isn't it kind of backwards to have someone who has been a licensed RN for only 2 months assigned to students? OP is still learning herself and is probably a bit overwhelmed a lot of the time. I'm graduating next May and I sincerely hope I have at least close to a years experience before they start expecting me to help students. Especially since all we hear is that school teaches us to pass the NCLEX not how to be a nurse in the real world, and that it takes at least a full year of work to even begin to comprehend the full demands and skills of the profession. I'd be annoyed with every student too if I had two months to learn everything and reteach it to them.

It is not at all uncommon for students to be assigned to patients with new nurses. Don't be surprised if you have students following your patients right away.

[SubSippi]

In really don' t think having students enter at the busiest time of day is helpful.

Oops! I meant if there WEREN'T there during the busiest time of day. It's almost impossible to get the attention of a floor nurse before noon!

[NoScrubs]

That is against the law in my state. We have a limit of 10 students per instructor -- and my hospital urges only 8 students per instructor. A clinical group can have 10 students if they are not all providing patient care. (e.g. observing, etc.)

Your state is one step ahead of mine. I wish this were the case. Like I said, I don't agree with it; it puts too much responsibility on the instructor. At times it seems like the students roam the unit like its a free for all.

[juniper583]

I can't imagine 16 students to 1 instructor! Seems like that it asking for trouble! We have a max ratio of 8:1. Our instructors have to be present for almost everything we do outside of basic patient care. It would be a nightmare waiting to do med pass with that many students.