I'm a nursing student on my second clinical rotation on a med-surg floor. Prior to this, I was at a LTC facility (ADL's and basic CNA duties). I thought that hitting the med surg clinical maybe I'd be learning a lot more, seeing new procedures, etc.
BUT....this is the situation: I have one assigned patient. When that pt is discharged, I may get another one. We go in, do our assessment, dig through the chart for meds and labs, do vitals, assist with ADL's. My RN had a busy day; no surpirse there, right? When I asked her a question (the pt's SO had a question; was concerned that the pt hadn't had a BM in the four days she was there, after having a hip surgery), the nurse said, "I don't have time for this now. I have some other important things to do." This was 15 min before the pt was to be discharged, and the SO wanted an answer. I told the pt's spouse that it would be a few minutes and I'd have an answer for him. Not a big deal, I know that a BM isn't nearly as pressing as the other things she had going on that day.
HOWEVER...I asked her a while later (new pt) if I could look at the chart when she was finished with it, she said, "When I'M FINISHED with it" in a rather harsh tone. I just smiled and said "Ok, I'll check back later."
MEANTIME....I'm busy calming a dementia patient, assisting another to BS commode....more CNA type duties......When does the "nursing experience" come?
I don't know any other way to put this but, I'm just wanting to "see" what NURSES responsibilities are....not always doing ADL's. Don't get me wrong, I know that is important and helpful, too.....but we are always being "put off" while the RN's are out doing "nurses duties". We're not allowed to "shadow" a nurse; I asked and was told that "that doesn't work well here".
To be honest, I'm afraid I'll graduate and not have a CLUE what I'm doing.
I thought that if I made myself available, asked questions (of course at the appropriate time), and offerred to help out, that I would be LEARNING. But all I get is "yes, can you help Mrs. A to the bathroom".....
How do I get the most out of my clinical experience? I just feel like I'm not learning much, other than the info that I get out of the chart, looking at the pt's meds, etc.
I would have put this on the nursing student forum, but I wanted to get some feedback from you RN's.
I don't want to be in the way, I don't want to be one of those students who "hides in the pt chart", I want to LEARN NURSING.
I am a senior in a BSN program and I have experienced RN's in the hospital setting that just love students and are happy to show me do everything. I have also experienced those that do not. I had one RN that told me at the beginning of the clinical that she considers all students to be somewhere between loose stool and vomit on the hospital food chain - and I was lucky if she even let me take a temperature on one of HER patients. I say just make the most of each oportunity - and don't take it personal. I believe that one reason we run into this as students is that at some point the RN's we are trying to learn from were treated poorly durring their own clinical experience and are taking the oportunity to "share" that experience as well. Just use it to make your own choices and when the time comes to "share" your clinical experience with students working under your own licence - make sure that you choose to "share" the positive ones that will help them to be good nurses.
In my third semester in school my nursing instructor, who was very competent and even wrote some of the nclex questions (and eventually got her doctorate in education..where she is a professor in a major university) said to the class..."I didn't know anything about nursing until I got out of school." I hung on every word.....
Personally, I love to have students. I think part of the problem is, some nurse forget where they come from.....meaning, we ALL started as students. Most all nurses can remember what it was like to be a student in a clinical setting and want to learn from the experienced nurses.
I have student who are assigned to me do assessments with me, do the accuchecks, take pts to the bathroom, get ice, juice, blankets (what ever the pt may request), pass meds and even talk to the Dr when they round. All of this is daily routine. This helps give them a better sense of what we do on our unit. I have even taken students to CT with a vented pt, or have them watch or assist with setting up CBI, or watch a bedside procedure such as inserting a central line or chest tube.
royr
150 Posts
I am a senior in a BSN program and I have experienced RN's in the hospital setting that just love students and are happy to show me do everything. I have also experienced those that do not. I had one RN that told me at the beginning of the clinical that she considers all students to be somewhere between loose stool and vomit on the hospital food chain - and I was lucky if she even let me take a temperature on one of HER patients. I say just make the most of each oportunity - and don't take it personal. I believe that one reason we run into this as students is that at some point the RN's we are trying to learn from were treated poorly durring their own clinical experience and are taking the oportunity to "share" that experience as well. Just use it to make your own choices and when the time comes to "share" your clinical experience with students working under your own licence - make sure that you choose to "share" the positive ones that will help them to be good nurses.