Problems with Rn's in clinicals

[bonnieL123]

:rotfl: Does any one else have problems with Rn's in the hospitals when attending clinicals? I guess they forget they were students once, or they think they were born a nurse. I do not understand this type of treatment. We are all in this profession to help people, and it seems like they would welcome the help. Our instruction has been a RN for 27 years and is a GREAT!! instructor. And she can not understand this either. We have all approached the nurses with great respect, and this does not work at all.

HELP :uhoh21:

[TStewartfan]

indigo wrote:

This might be a big part of the problem. The staff may be frustrated because more than likely no one has given them direction on how to work with students. And if they're understaffed, I can see why they might be less than thrilled about having to take on students.

It is very easy to be judgemental of staff when you're a student. I'm not excusing bad behavior by staff nurses, but please remember that your only experience right now is as a student. You are seeing life through a student's eyes. Once you graduate and start practicing, you may see things from a different perspective.

It is unfair to thrust precepting onto a staff nurse who doesn't want to do it, and it is unfair to the student, too. Often, though, staff have little if any say in the matter. Just because someone is an RN does not automatically mean he/she is a good teacher.

I agree wholeheartedly with the last paragraph. Just because there are RN's on the floor, doesn't mean they want to deal with students. We as students should know that from the get go. We have one nurse on our floor who does not like dealing with students, we all know this from day one so we adjust our interactions with her accordingly and coming to her only when necessary. The other RN's on the floor will call us in to view a procedure they might think we would like to see or will call one of us when they need assistance. I believe its clearly a two way street. We have little knowledge when we get thrust onto a floor with live patients when so far all we have been dealing with is manikins. These patients rely on us to take care of them and if something is wrong, we need to be able to go to the RN with that problem. After all, that is our responsibility as a student nurse, to look out for the patient and to advise when we see someone in trouble.

I had a patient two weeks ago, whom I knew was on the verge of dying, I was right, she died two days later, but I did everything I could to make her comfortable and she thanked me when I left and grabbed my hand. THings like that make my day.

I truly want to be a good nurse, I work hard at studying, I work hard at clinicals, and I just want someone to be there to help when I need it. I don't follow the RN around asking questions. But, if there is something that needs to be answered and my clinical instructor (we have two per 10 students) is not available, I would like to know the answer.

Jodi Levins

[kbtully]

I agree wholeheartedly with the last paragraph. Just because there are RN's on the floor, doesn't mean they want to deal with students. We as students should know that from the get go. We have one nurse on our floor who does not like dealing with students, we all know this from day one so we adjust our interactions with her accordingly and coming to her only when necessary. The other RN's on the floor will call us in to view a procedure they might think we would like to see or will call one of us when they need assistance. I believe its clearly a two way street. We have little knowledge when we get thrust onto a floor with live patients when so far all we have been dealing with is manikins. These patients rely on us to take care of them and if something is wrong, we need to be able to go to the RN with that problem. After all, that is our responsibility as a student nurse, to look out for the patient and to advise when we see someone in trouble.

I had a patient two weeks ago, whom I knew was on the verge of dying, I was right, she died two days later, but I did everything I could to make her comfortable and she thanked me when I left and grabbed my hand. THings like that make my day.

I truly want to be a good nurse, I work hard at studying, I work hard at clinicals, and I just want someone to be there to help when I need it. I don't follow the RN around asking questions. But, if there is something that needs to be answered and my clinical instructor (we have two per 10 students) is not available, I would like to know the answer.

Jodi Levins

Your time with this patient is what nursing is all about!!!

I can r/t the RN students avoid. I have dealt eith one of them in the clinical setting. She was so rude and disrespectful to my students that I no longer assign patients on her team. Luckily, she is rarely there when we are there for clinical days. Unfortunately, she is the same way with new hires to the unit, even to the point that some of them do not complete their orientation.

[BETSRN]

Your time with this patient is what nursing is all about!!!

I can r/t the RN students avoid. I have dealt eith one of them in the clinical setting. She was so rude and disrespectful to my students that I no longer assign patients on her team. Luckily, she is rarely there when we are there for clinical days. Unfortunately, she is the same way with new hires to the unit, even to the point that some of them do not complete their orientation.

How sad. Where is the nurse manager in this setting? If this nurse is causing new hires to quit, then there is a real problem that needs to be addessed. Could you, as the instructor, go to the nurse manager?