Tait

I do want to say that, in relation to this comment: And Please let the staff know the guidelines. I had students rotate through surgery and I was told to tell them--they can only go to surgery ONCE at that hospital. Then the OR staff would ask them back and I had to tell them they could not go back...even with their assigned patient.. WOW! Unfortunately with the sheer number of students, we have this same situation. We can have undergrad nurses, surgical techs, residents, and EMTs all in OR in the same day, so we have to keep the rotations tight. Also our orientation takes into account that the schools and units will make sure policies are followed. My department works to create a connection between the unit and the faculty so they can get started in the best way ?

Sorry had some issues getting it to let me post! OK so I did manage to create a 30 minute Faculty Onboarding program. I resourced the handbooks of several of our partners and pulled that together with our hospital policies. We have had some great success since starting this. Overall it went like this: We had 61 current faculty meet with us, some one-on-one, some in groups to review the handbook and ask questions, and now we onboard new ones as they start. We also have the handbook in ACEMAPP for them to attest to. The meetings are 30 minutes or less. We go over the expectations of the students: No lab coats Where to park General appearance expectations Pass meds with your preceptor/faculty Be proactive No phones unless cleared (that was in most of the handbooks) Be aware of where your stuff is and don't leave it lying all over Be respectful Expectations of the faculty: Be with your students Get a tour of the unit each semester to ensure they are comfortable there Understand the process of students receiving EPIC access and which email they will receive that information to How to escalate problems (unit leadership, me, my boss) Who to report any incidents to (charge RN) for documenting Expectations of the unit (we presented at the monthly Nursing Education Council and recently at our new New Nurse Educator Residency meeting): Be nice Be welcoming Look for opportunities to support the students Remember this pipeline supports your future workforce Know how and who to escalate to (and in real time!) Be ready to offer preceptors several times per year Always reach out to us with questions So far it is going really well. I have work to do with EPIC, but that is a huge project in its own right (older instructors are nervous to let students document even though it is all co-signed, and other units don't like it etc). Sorry for the slow response! I really need to come here more often, I am just so burned out lately but life is getting better! Tait

Excellent answer. I need to clarify. I am a Coordinator for Education Affiliations for the hospital system. We are having issues with professionalism in terms instructors and students. This is one reason for needing a lit of professional expectations of these instructors and groups on the units.

I prefer scrubs with a nice embroidered lab coat. Approachable but with a bit of authority. Only issue would be patients confusing you for a doc but that will probably happen anyway. Congratulations on your new role!

Good afternoon fellow educators, I am working on a handbook for our clinical faculty/faculty liaisons for a four hospital system. Without getting bogged down in the details of what I am creating, I have a question for you all: 1. If you have clinical instructors coming to your unit, what are you expectations of them and what do you expect their role to be? 2. If you are a clinical instructor, how do you manage your day, and what have your educational institutions set as expectations for you when you are with a group of students? Thank you, Tait

I am an RN of going on 14 years. Five years bedside acute care cardiac specialty, three years off completing my MSN and making two beautiful minions (now 8 and 10 years old), and have been in education/new grad residency coordinator and now manager of professional practice for the last seven or so. My heart breaks every day for my nurses. I work in a middle management position that is supposed to help elevate nursing practice in my hospital, support shared leadership, and generally do lots of support for the nurses I work with. However lately I feel like I am screaming in to the void every day and honestly it is leaving me so exhausted and unhappy. My nursing leadership team is changing dramatically and I am afraid I am going to just be stuck running around lighting candles while someone blows them out behind me for the rest of my career (my analogy to trying to get shared leadership solidified). I have also realized there are ancillary departments that honestly would like to see nursing fail, and it is so frustrating to see. I am considering going back to patient care in an outpatient setting, where at least I know I will be making a difference in their lives. But I am also afraid. I have one spectacular CNL I mange and I am also the coordinator for the nurse residents that come through our facility. I know I am replaceable, but I have sunk a lot of my energy into making sure people have the best start they can. I am honestly at a loss of what to do. My mother keeps telling me not to "run back to the bedside" as though I am looking for a quick fix to all my problems. But seriously, just because I have the skills and ability to be in leadership, shouldn't mean I have to stay there if I am miserable. Sad Tait

I am going to agree too. Honestly if he is willing to sack his marriage over an absent sibling I wonder if he is just looking for an out...LOL?

Does anyone have a recommendation for a light weight lab coat? I need to get one for when I do rounds, but I can't stand the idea of some of the heavier coats, but I also need it to stand up to embroidery. Thanks in advance for any advice.

That seems to be the sentiment coming from those who feel threatened.

So most of us, I believe, are familiar with some form of "essential employee" letter that was given out during stay at home orders. This letter is a sort of "passport" to be out on the streets heading to work, in case you get pulled over. This week our system has released another essential employee letter for those travelling past curfew times two work. We had a discussion this morning that, with the unrest, a letter may not be enough. Are there any systems out there with more robust protections for their staff travelling to and from work during curfews? Thank you in advance.

Bumping this for more input.

Side note: Having spent the last 6+ years working directly with new graduate RNs I do not recommend switching units in the first year unless you are at risk from bullying or other toxic behaviors. There is a significant growth and reality shock curve that happens in that first year.

We spent several weeks trying to come up with a solution for all our nurses to have access to hospital scrubs. We went round and round about the cost, dispersion, people wearing them home and not having them properly cleaned, how to hand them out, alternatives like laundering personal scrubs in house, on and on. In the end our system didn't come up with anything, but my hospital moved ahead with getting the COVID unit and the ICU hospital scrubs if they wanted them. Now pretty much everyone in the hospital seems to be in them and I am waiting to hear how much we have lost in cleaning and missing sets. While I don't agree with the firing, I also don't agree with just "going and grabbing them anyway." It was an opportunity on both sides to come up with a plan to disperse scrubs, not lose a ton of money, and help the staff feel safer.

We went with paper bags, my mom's hospital went with plastic containers. Our rationale for paper I believe was due to the evidence at the time that COVID fell apart faster on paper than plastic.

I wrote a post on this a few years back, about the many rocks I tripped over on my way to and through nursing. Feel free to read, it might make you feel better. Also lots of great advice already in this thread. Feel free to PM me if you need more support.