This was a first: a nursing student approached me about my patient

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Wow, I really feel like an RN now because today I was writing in a chart, & a nursing student approached me to ask me some questions about one of my patients, since she will be having the patient tomorrow. I found myself giving her a quick summary of the patient's diagnosis, past medical history, why I was giving her blood transfusions today, etc. It was honestly the weirdest feeling to have a student come up to me & ask if I was the patient's nurse when I was a nursing student myself just 3 months ago!!!! Has anyone else had this strange experience? :) I guess it really made me see how far I've come-kind of neat!

-Christine

Specializes in Cath Lab, OR, CPHN/SN, ER.

I think my fave so far has been when co-workers ask me "Where did you work before?". I tell them I am a new-grad, and they're like "No way! I had no idea". lol I LOVE IT!

Specializes in Critcal Care.

Your open and caring attitude with that student meant a lot more to him/her than you probably realize. I have seen first hand how the saying, "Nurses eat their young.", came to be known. It happens. A lot. Nurses like you set a great example of how important it is to realize that we, as professionals, owe these nursing students our best. Who knows if what you have to say to a nursing student might become that "little voice" in her head one day that makes her recheck her patient with the "funny color". Kindness and acceptance make a difference in how well they are able to learn! It's hard to concentrate on difficult tasks if you feel as though you must watch your back at the same time! Bravo for you!

The wierdest thing was when the nursing student working along with me was actually a student I went to college with!! She was in the part time nursing program, so she graduated a year after me.

I LOVE having nursing students to work alongside. I enjoy teaching and watching the lightbulbs go on in their head!! I am on maternity leave, but look forward to going back and hopefully getting the opportunity to work with more students.

I know that some nurses get bent out of shape having a student work with them, because admittedly it does take extra time out of our schedules to help them. But, I don't mind one bit!! It is worth the extra time to instill in someone the desire to continue learning and becoming a nurse.

Specializes in Rehab.

I was hire out of school to be a Charge Nurse on a Sub-Acute unit, I have been on the job for 3 months. The weirdest feeling I have is when a Nurse with 10 years experience approches me to get advice! I even have patients and thier families who request that I care for them over long term Nurses. That is a strange feeling. Congradulations, (and supriize!) your a NURSE!

Specializes in Med-Surg.

You were supposed to stick your nose up at her, sigh heavily, and eat her up. You didn't learn properly, nurses are supposed to be horrible to students.

j/k

Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

Isn't it awesome!

I was off orientation for about 2 weeks in my NICU, and came to work onenight to find a SN just standing around watching the chaos that is our unit. After I got report she was still standing there, so I introduced myself and found out that she was there for 3 more hours. She asked if she could follow me, and I kind of reluctantly agreed. No one on day shift had really "let" her "do" anything, so I told her we were going to change that. I remembered when I came to NICU as a student, I was afraid to touch, let alone be solely responsible for these tiny babies! SO we jumped right in, and I made her do almost everything I did, weighing, assessing, etc. She got over her fears and actually started to have fun! I felt great, especially since I had only graduated 2 months earlier, and she was about 15years older than me. Since then, I have had about 4 students follow me, which is unusual for night shift. I LOVE teaching, and would do it if I didn't love bedside nursing so much! The hard part is remembering the "right way" to do things in front of the SN's, instead of the "real world" way you learn real quick after graduation!

Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
I LOVE teaching, and would do it if I didn't love bedside nursing so much! The hard part is remembering the "right way" to do things in front of the SN's, instead of the "real world" way you learn real quick after graduation!

What an excellent point! Maybe that explains a little why some nurses are so grumpy and mean about taking on a student--they have to do things the right way and they know it. It's hard to break old habits.

You were supposed to stick your nose up at her, sigh heavily, and eat her up. You didn't learn properly, nurses are supposed to be horrible to students.

j/k

Well,some learn that lesson better than others lolololo or maybe it's not that funny....I'll confess after 25 years I still get a thrill when I get to teach/share knowledge w/ a peer or student AND it still tickles me to put that RN,BSN-plus my other alphabet soup- after my name. Ours is an honorable profession and those who earn the right to the title nurse have earned the right to be proud of it.
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