Students behavior at clinical sites

[Calamazoo]

Hi all,

Just a quick question regarding clinicals. During med-surg clinicals, the hosptial we are at has extended the opportunity to the students to have observational experiences in the ER, OR, GI lab, ICU, recovery room, PACU, etc...so I feel very fortunate. My question is how others coordinate monitoring 8+ students in different areas. I typically stay on the med-surg unit and then check in with the others 3 times during the day. Last week however, I had students being less than professional in the areas, and I have addressed the issues, but do you all monitor differently? I just feel like students who are in their last semester of nursing school should be able to be trusted to have an observational experience without micromanaging. Am I being too trusting? Thanks so much, any guidance/tips/etc.. would be most appreciated.

[caliotter3]

Find it difficult to believe that students so close to graduation would be so careless with their futures. At some schools, they might find themselves booted for jeopardizing the school's future at using this for a clinical site. Make certain they understand the consequences for foolishness.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

I have students in different parts of the COUNTY during the same day, so it's difficult and nearly impossible to even check in on them. They rotate through experience-sites. If I had any reports of inappropriate behavior, the culprits would be facing me and getting a stern talking-to. How DARE they compromise the experience of their peers, present and future, as well as the care of the patients and stress level of the staff???

If they knew the rules and didn't abide, I'd give them no credit for the day's experience, and would be clear on why I was doing it.

Sometimes I think we overestimate understanding of the unspoken, though, and I think it's important to be really specific at the beginning of the course, about the rules. I think having them sign a "contract" can be a good thing too. The contract would list the rules, and if they sign it, it indicates they are at least acting as if they read it, so they couldn't come back and say "I didn't know!!"

[TooterIA]

How did you hear about the behavior? Did you hear during the day or after it was over?

I have students on Med/Surg with me, then also in ER, surgery, home health, hospice, etc. So I also have some in many areas, so miles away that I cannot monitor. Staff that the students work with fill out a form on the student at the end of the day, specifically addressing if the student was professional. Students are informed of this at the beginning on clinicals. Like it or not, I take the word of the employee they follow, and if I receive poor feedback from that employee, it will be reflected on them and they may be in danger of failing clinicals or disciplinary action if their behavior was bad enough.

You are not being too trusting, it is the nature of the beast that cannot monitor student's every single action, there has to be some trust there.

[jmqphd]

We depend upon the nurses in these units giving us feedback. Last semester, we heard that one of our students was TEXTING!!! in the OR!!!! (We were unable to find out which one it was.) But we came down on them like a ton of bricks. That, uh, seemed to solve the problem. We will make sure that subsequent groups are well tutored on professional standards before we let them go into these settings again.

As far as supervision goes, we require a pretty detailed (verbal) report of what they saw and did, what they learned and so forth. But as I said, at the end of the day, we depend upon the staff nurses to directly supervise the students.