Student Nurse Catch 22

[bigd123]

Myself and other students in my program are having a problem with time managment in our clinicals. We get 1 patient each and five hours take care of them. First we assess and talk with the patients and parents (in peds), we then do AM care and give meds if needed. After that there is usually nothing else to do unless the patient has a lot of care needed (and usually that isn't the case). Usually the nurses on the floor get annoyed if they see that students are in the hallways, but usually it is to find the professor and ask a question and the professor is usually scrambling around helping give meds. Nurses also complain that we don't spend enough time with the patients but I feel like I would be bothering the patient if I came in too much or spent more than the time needed in the room. What can I do to satisfy the nurses and the patients without being bothersome?

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

If you have nothing to do ask the nurses or the aides if their is anything you can help with. Their is usually SOMETHING that can be done.

[thenameismac]

I am in the PCT program at my school and this past Sunday we each got roughly 2 patients to care for. Once all of the AM stuff was done we were all just walking and standing around. Checking on the resident every 15-30 minutes or so didn't really give up much to do so we started asking other CNAs if they needed help. Turns out they did and I don't know about you but my professor was really proud of us for being so proactive.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

I am in the PCT program at my school and this past Sunday we each got roughly 2 patients to care for. Once all of the AM stuff was done we were all just walking and standing around. Checking on the resident every 15-30 minutes or so didn't really give up much to do so we started asking other CNAs if they needed help. Turns out they did and I don't know about you but my professor was really proud of us for being so proactive.

They love to see students take initiative, sometimes I think they even test to see if we will. I would go to other nurses too when I had downtime and see if they had anything I could help with as well.

I got to do 3 female caths and 1 male cath and none of them were my patients. My first IM injection and even Sub-Q injection wasn't from one of my patients. They all came from other nurses that had a patient that needed one and they knew I was looking for stuff to do so they asked me if I wanted to do it.

Part of nursing is thinking for yourself and not always having to be told what to do, the instructors and your possible employers want to see you can do this.

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

That is an oddity of student life. Your instructor expects you to keep busy, but I'm not about to hang out in my assigned patient's room just to make it appear as if I'm doing something. How intrusive is that! I'd hate it if a student (or employee) kept popping in just because some supervisor expected them to despite the person not actually accomplishing anything. It's part of why I hate clinicals. I'm not the type to coddle someone so when I do what needs done to the patient or room I ask "Do you need anything from me?" They always say no so I say "Ok, I'll be back later so holler if you need something" and leave.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

They love to see students take initiative, sometimes I think they even test to see if we will. I would go to other nurses too when I had downtime and see if they had anything I could help with as well.

I know I do. When I have students for the day, I always try to figure out if there will be anything neat for them to do. I will let them know that we have something for them usually around 0800 and about what time it needs to be completed. It is then their responsibility to find me and tell me that want to do it. If they dont, then it gets done by me. Im not there to hand hold people through it. I want someone who is hunting me down asking how they can learn more.