taking students, precepting

Nurses General Nursing

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I do not precept and I do not take students. At one time I thought I would never say this. However, students deserve better. I want you to learn and do well and have good experiences.

Taking students is very taxing and time consuming and frankly at times frustrating, when we are not on the same sheet of music.

It takes a lot of energy and patience and teaching to take on a student. I don't have it. And when I have a day when the demands are already high I do not need to spend extra time and energy with a student.

I will accept a student occasionally but not as a matter of routine. Ask me first. Perferably ask me after I know what I am up against for the day. If I have a patient go real sour very fast I need people I can rely on around me not a student.

I will galdly allow you to do proceedures on my patients when you are with another nurse. However, if I say this patient needs cathed and you waite several hours until you get around to it don't bother. I saw this done when anouther nurse offered to let a student do a cath. The student was with a diffrent nurse and both accepted the offer. Yet more than 2 hours passed and they made no move toward doing it. The patient was suffering. The student with her nurse was not that busy. The nurse who had the patient continued to waite after reminding the student because another hour passed. Finally she did it herself. I am not here to waite until it suits the student to do a procedure. If you want the experience take it now or not at all. Life moves fast in a hospital. Be pro active.

Be willing to jump on an oportunity when it presents itself. Waiting does not cut it. True you may not be able to jump on every oportunity if you can't because you are taking advantage of another opertunity say so. Say when you will be free and keep that commitment or at least tell the nurse you will not be able to keep it.

I found myself a few weeks ago trying to explain something to a student and I realized that because it is so ingrained in me by now I do it automatically and could not explain it. For many of us it gets to be that way. I do not want to go back to where I have to think about every detail so I can explain to a student. I want to just do it and be done with it.

Because you deserve better than what I am willing to offer I will not accept you on. If you are a pia (pain in the tush) for what ever reason I don't want to react to that in an unkind or unfriendly way. You deserve better. I deserve to choose to just do my job without the added stress and challenge of teaching, and being a textbook example because that is what you need right now.

I did have a student last week for one day. He was within 2 months of graduating. I tried to get him to do the meds. He told me he, "has the procedure down and does not need to do it." He watched me. HELLO. I am not the student. I really do have it down. Either you are here to practice your clinical skills or you are not. I did not respond it was his loss. He watched me do assessments. I had to push him to do assessments and they were incomplete. Why was he even there. What a waste of both my time and his.

I guess he had that down too. So why tell me why did he even show up if he had everything so down pat that he did not need to do anything. He lef tsaying he would ask to work with me again. I think not. I know this is not every student. But no matter how good you are you take energy that I am not willing to give as mine has become limited as I age.

You may find that unfriendly but I can assure you you will see more unfriendly if I take you on. You need and deserve much more than I have to give.

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Well said.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Good vent.

Having students is indeed stressful and should be voluntary to those of us who want the challenge and enjoy it and are able to talk to students, rather than take the approach "I didn't respond, it was his loss." A student like that would have gotten a failing review from me and a call to his instructor. Send him my way, he'll be motivated or out of the program. We had a student fail her last clinicals because of such behavior as you describe, and the preceptor was the one instigating it. If a student isn't up to par I will speak up. The insturctors here are very much interested in what the preceptors say. We even had a CNA report a student for a bad attitude the other day.

Mostly the students here are so eager they are begging nurses for stuff to do.

Anyway, good post.

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I think it's a shame that nurses don't think this is a part of their job, but I would rather they be honest about it than take a student and treat them badly.

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I am really sorry that you feel that way. I am a male LVN student and I am about to graduate in December. I personally look for every opportunity to do any procedure that I can. All of the nurses that I work with request to have my back with them the following day (if they are working). I actually split the patient load with my nurse and require minimal supervision. I fully admit that I do not know everything and I am always asking my nurse questions. I never pass up any procedure that is offered my way. I feel that you have to have that kind of attitude in order to be a good nurse and the only way to do that is to practice, practice, practice. I have seen severl RN students that do not show very much initiative to do patient care, they are more concerned in following the charge nurse and doing paperwork. Maybe the difference is in that. I really enjoy the attitude of all the nurses that I work with, they all say that it is there responsibilty to teach the new nurses the profession. If we are not taught the right way to do things (which does not always mean the text book way), it just mean more work for you when we need help to cover the patient load that we have when we are your co-workers.

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Well... I think that it is much better for you to recognize this about yourself, and not put the students or yourself in the situation of having to precept. I don't think there is nothing worse (for either party) than to have someone take students that does not like to have students. It will be a miserable experience for the nurse as well as the student. So, I respect the fact that not only do you know that you prefer not to take students, but you actually DON'T take them.

Brina BSN Graduate, Dec 16th !!!!! 7 WEEKS TO G0!!!!

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Specializes in cardiac/education.

I think it is ridiculous that nurses are forced to take students. I know sometimes they are asked, but often feel like they have to anyway. It's crazy. If you don't feel you would be a good teacher, for whatever reason, you should be able to say "No" to precepting. No wonder there are so many cranky nurses. You guys should get paid more atleast for precepting!! It seems like it is a lose-lose situation for both parties oftentimes.....a nurse who doesn't want a student and is cranky, and a student who is just learning and trying to do their best but is treated poorly anyway.

I have the utmost respect for nurses and everything they are expected to do in their jobs. Too bad management doesn't. :uhoh3: coming from a Block 1 student with almost incontrollable anxiety,

I want all you nurses that precept and are NICE to know that it means sooooooo much more to us scared nursing students than you will every know :yeah: :w00t: :flowersfo Thank you, and I am sorry if I annoy you at times, I don't mean to!!:chuckle :p

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Don't get me wrong. I love students. I love seeing them on the floor learing. Many are super fantastic.

But I have all I can do to get myself thought the day.

I am older. My own endurance level is not equal to some who are older than me.

I want you to have the best possible leanring experience. If you are with another nurse and come up to me and ask if you can watch or do a proceedure on my patient I am happy to say yes, unless there truly is a (rare) extenuationg situation that does not allow for you participating or watching.

I will answer your questions. I love to chat with you. I am interested in your goals and dreams.

I know sometime you get a raw deal. I do not want that to happen while you are on my floor or with me. I have never given a student a raw deal. I don't want to.

tHe student I spoke of was good at what he did do. Sometimes I think it can be too intimidating to have a nurse watch your every move as a student and I try to give them some space. Sometimes though like this student they don't get that the fundamental mundane stuff needs practice if for no other reason than to learn to organize themselves and manage thier time. And nursing is all about the fundamentals that is the bulk of our day.

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I generally find that having a student adds one "patient" to my load, since I have to spend more time explaining or precepting them to practice skills. It would be nice if I was given a lighter patient load when I have a student, but that is not the case. In L&D, I tell the students to put on their running shoes and keep up! I do enjoy the fact that having to explain my thought processes to a student makes me "review" for myself why I do what I do, but some days it is mentally exhausting. The students who learn the most while with me are very proactive in their learning and express eagerness and willingness to seek out learning opportunities.

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

Agnus I do understand. I'm out of the business now, but I guess things change and so do we.Fortunately USC and the Tech instructors were usually johnny- on -the spot at folllow up. Usually they found the problem and came to the nurses rather than vice-versa. I wasn't really aware that staff anywhere else was expected to teach students.

I did and still do like precepting, but the clinical specialist usually did a skills check long before they hit the floor.

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Specializes in vascular, med surg, home health , rehab,.

I was so glad to read this topic; so its not just me. I won't take students or precept anymore. I flat out refuse. A couple of weeks ago a newbie asked if she could work a day with me; because she asked I said ok; It was a slow day, rare. She disappeared off to talk to the boss; apparently had said she was bored. My boss gets on the phone to my CNC demanding to know why she was bored; so I got the 2 admits; she was supposed to take care of it with supervision. Well when they came, she is backing away. I ending up there very late while she swanned off home. Taking care of the patients, dealing with families, doctors, all the various departments is enough. I am just not able to deal with it anymore. It is not a teaching hospital, I am not a teacher. And you are right, they deserve better.

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Howdy. I am a student, and I know that it is more work for the nurses to take me on. I hate the fact that my presence causes more stress, and I understand how you feel because it's a lot harder to teach people than people think it's going to be. The fact is that you all who take on students should get paid more for being a preceptor or should get a reduced patient load, or how about both! I know that it would be pretty impossible for the floor I'm on now to reduce a nurse's load because there are a ton of patients and a shortage of staff to begin with. Add students to the mix......Oy. I wonder how we could get you guys something in return for your time and patience......there are a lot of more important battles to fight in nursing, I know, but it would be a good thing if a student's presence could become a positive addition rather than the stress that it often is.

I just have to say THANK YOU for sharing your workday with me. It means so much to me when I have a good nurse I can learn a lot from who is willing to help me out in my learning. And I have been lucky to work with some pretty amazing nurses during my clinical time. This student won't forget it!

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