Seriously?

TakeTwoAspirin, MSN, RN, APRN · Jul 21, 2011

I wouldn't be so hard on the student as her clinical instructor. The student doesn't know what she doesn't know yet, and that's why the CI's are there. Honestly, I would have more of an issue with the CI who is supposed to be there to supervise the student and make sure that they comply with protocols (both social and professional).

honeykrown, MSN, NP · Jul 21, 2011

If the students have been around since 6am and shes just doing head to toe at 10, i believe she came to clinicals late and just wanted to get something in before she came to find you. Although this is not suppose to be an excuse. Shes suppose to locate you first before doing anything at all. What if she tried to give the patient a second dose of medication

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jul 21, 2011

Cut her some slack. She was probably nervous as heck and had a clinical instructor breathing down her back to look up 20 medications, write down and analyze all lab work, and get a physical assessment done and charted before 9 am.

Mainly, I'm venting and finding out what other students do since this has happened with this school before, so cut me a little slack.

I definitely cut her some slack, never mentioned it, wasn't all that bothered, and it's barely a blip in my day. I also understand what being a student entails as I'm a frequent preceptor and work with entry level students frequently. However, the students in this thread on top of doing all you mentioned, also contact the primary nurse early AM.

This would have been nice because I would have let her do more things such as pass the meds. Perhaps she could have helped me during report because as a float and one that hasn't had time to read the chart, she probably knew more than I did, so we both could have benefited from a nurse to nurse contact.

Whispera, MSN, RN · Jul 21, 2011

When I worked med/surg, we often had students around. We were given a list of which students would be with which patients, and we gave each of them our report. After that we checked in with them from time to time, but their instructor was the one with them when they did nursely things, not the staff.

chicookie, BSN, RN · Jul 21, 2011

For us, we couldn't step a foot inside the room without speaking with the primary nurse. We also had to ask that nurse if it was ok. That is just weird to me that the student would be in there without you knowing.

allnurses Guide · Jul 21, 2011

When I was a student, we sat in on report with the nurses. (We'd arrived early to get the info our instructor gathered from the chart, we looked up meds, etc.)

Our small rural hospital has an LVN and a CNA program. We have 2 nurses and 10 beds. The students show up about 0700 - the day shift starts at 0400. They all meet us at the nurses station after getting report from their instructor on their assigned patients. The instructor helps them pass meds.

It's different at every facility.

leslie :-D · Jul 21, 2011

Maybe she thought you would be meeting her in that patient's room at that exact moment for report?

yeah, that's the ticket. :cool:

This would have been nice because I would have let her do more things such as pass the meds. Perhaps she could have helped me during report because as a float and one that hasn't had time to read the chart, she probably knew more than I did, so we both could have benefited from a nurse to nurse contact.

totally agree.

even in nsg school, we are taught the importance of communication, and i believe and try to uphold its clinical significance.

effective communication eradicates a lot of 'misunderstanding', whether we're communicating verbally or in writing.

as in my clinical experiences (as a student), we were mandated to meet up with the primary nurse(s), before we could do anything.

if we didn't do so, we got points taken off and reflected in our grade.

leslie

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · Jul 21, 2011

yeah, that's the ticket.
totally agree.
even in nsg school, we are taught the importance of communication, and i believe and try to uphold its clinical significance.
effective communication eradicates a lot of 'misunderstanding', whether we're communicating verbally or in writing.
as in my clinical experiences (as a student), we were mandated to meet up with the primary nurse(s), before we could do anything.
if we didn't do so, we got points taken off and reflected in our grade.
leslie

I would have been miffed too. I agree with the above. You might have been able to teach/ help/ show her more. Meeting with the nurse assigned to the patients and getting a report from them and game plan together is essential in the learning process of the student. I just can't imagine not doing that.

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Jul 21, 2011

As a student we had to listen to report and then intro ourselves personally to the nurse in charge of the patient PRIOR to even laying an eyeball on the patient.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jul 21, 2011

I talked to the team leader whom said that indeed the students are required to introduce themselves to the nurse and get a report upon arrival. I told her I didn't want to step on any toes, but this doesn't always happen and she thanked me.

texasRN_14 · Jul 21, 2011

I am a current student. We are expected to find the nurse and let them know we have that nurses patient(s) for the day, especially if we are giving meds. Only once was I unable to find one of my nurses to let her know, but we also have sheets that we tape on our patient's door that says our school name and program, the students name, what room # they have, what times we are there, if we are giving meds, documenting, etc.

Additionally my teacher also posts a list of the students and their patients in the nurses break room.

Jackfackmasta, ASN, RN · Jul 22, 2011

It is the student's responsibility to inform the nurse before entering the pt room about the assignment, if its ok, report, care plan and what is to be done/not done by student. The student should be reported to the teacher. I'm a student and I may listen to report on the voice care and look at the chart if the nurse is not out yet from the break room but as soon as I see her and before I go into the room I inform her of everything. I like to enter the room with the RN the first time so the pt does not have fragmented care and that it is more team work and I enter the room with the RN if she goes in. I'll do meds with my teacher and do vs/reassessments on my own but inform the rn of my findings and what I plan on doing next. Some nurses like it some don't