students and instructors crossing boundaries

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Do you think that students should follow hospital policy or an instructor's instructions? If the two differ, you may compromise your position as a student if you say 'no' to an instructor because it is not following policy. However, if you listen to the instructor, you could get in big doo doo from the hospital. What to do?:uhoh21:

First and foremost, the hospital policy MUST be followed. The hospital is granting you and the instructor the PRIVILEGE of being on the floor to hone your skills. Fail to follow hospital policy and you may not have a place FOR clinical!

BTW - Many hospital policies are "vague" on issues that allow leeway and interpretation by the nurse dependent upon the facts of the case. In these instances, guided direction from the instructor should be welcomed, and the instuctor will know the appropriate measure to take in this instance.

If it's a set in stone policy, for example, stating that 4 mg of Zofran can be pushed IV, but 8 mg must be piggybacked.... then that's the rule to follow regardless of the instructor's "opinion" on the matter.

The nursing instructor should NEVER expect a student to break hospital policy while performing a procedure in the hospital. Lab simulations, OK, but 'when in the hospital do as the hospital nurses do'...and follow policies. They are there for a reason and I doubt the hospital would appreciate the nursing school disregarding them.

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

I wound up getting an instructor wrote up for a dressing change that was supposed to be sterile but wasn't. She touched my sterile gauze with her bare fingers and i refused to use those on my pt. and went and got the stuff to start all over again. She was furious, but i wasn't about to risk it. That pt. is paying for a STERILE dressing, they are going to get a STERILE dressing. (They also had a compromised immune system). Needless to say i got ripped a new one on my clinical grade, which i don't think is a coincidence. The program directors stand by me for standing up to her, and i submitted my clinical paper to the head instructor to regrade.

The basic rule: go by what's right.

follow hospital policy.....might put you in a tough spot with the instructor but you can then argue your rationale to the hospital/nursing program. if you follow the instructor then all you have to say is "but she told me to"..which one sounds better? good luck.

Specializes in Inpatient Acute Rehab.

Hospital policy is the way to go!!!

If you went to court for whatever issue for which you followed the instructor's "way" and that was contrary to hospital policy you would not have a leg to stand on (barring the rare "prudent nurse" incidents).

I wound up getting an instructor wrote up for a dressing change that was supposed to be sterile but wasn't. She touched my sterile gauze with her bare fingers and i refused to use those on my pt. and went and got the stuff to start all over again. She was furious, but i wasn't about to risk it. That pt. is paying for a STERILE dressing, they are going to get a STERILE dressing. (They also had a compromised immune system). Needless to say i got ripped a new one on my clinical grade, which i don't think is a coincidence. The program directors stand by me for standing up to her, and i submitted my clinical paper to the head instructor to regrade.

The basic rule: go by what's right.

I salute you. :saint:

Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

Definitely follow hospital P & P. This is Nursing 110 stuff. You did the right thing and are to be commended. Instructors and students are basically "guests" on the hospital unit. We should all do our utmost to make sure we are "safe" during our visit, and following facility policy is BASIC to this. :)

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Now that i think of it, i should have said "the pt. NEEDS a sterile dressing, the pt. is going to GET a sterile dressing". Pay has nothing to do with it.

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