What do you do if you see someone in your class that seems to be struggling? Do you offer to help? Or is that worse, because it makes you look patronizing and superior?
Yesterday, after I had finished observing in the OR, my instructor assigned me to help out another student that didn't yet have his assessment completed (4 hours after clinical had started and about an hour before post conference). He had told the instructor the patient didn't want to be bothered. I understand that, and it is the patient's right to refuse anything, and said as much to the other student before we went in. But I was able to get the assessment completed without any trouble or complaint from the patient. We finished, and I went back to the instructor to report completion. She asked me to spend the next clinical day with this student to help him out prioritizing and with time management. I felt really uncomfortable with that, and basically asked if I could do my ER rotation instead (not telling her I was uncomfortable, but just saying I didn't want to miss out on my ER opportunity). Later in post conference, this same student didn't know our case study was due this week, or what the case study consisted of. As if it had never been brought up or wasn't even on our schedule (it had and it is). I happened to be sitting next to him and showed him the case study grading sheet (which was in our class packet), and what I had completed on mine.
Part of me wants to help him, but I didn't want to do what the instructor SHOULD be doing. And I don't want to be the class know it all. At the same time, it seems this instructor and student just do not see eye to eye on things. I don't know if they started on the wrong foot, or it's a personality issue, and it doesn't matter. But I see threads on here about awful instructors, and I can see where someone like this student could feel he is being treated unfairly, when in all actuality it is just that this student just ISN'T GETTING IT. He's kind if mouthy too, sort of macho big talker, but without much to back it right now. The instructor mentioned that we should write on the back of our care plans any other skills we performed on patients not our own, or any help we gave to the nurses or to other students. He asked "Why?" She responded "So you get credit for it." He says " I don't need credit, it's enough that I know I helped out." She responded again "Well that's good, but so you get class credit, meaning graded for it, is what I mean."
Should I take the instructor up on her request? Should I stay the heck out of it? I do think I could help him, if he wants the help. I don't know if he does. I've just met him this rotation and so I've known him maybe 3 weeks.
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
The patient was male. I mean, sure it's possible the patient just likes women better. He certainly didn't give me any trouble at all. I had the idea it was more that the student was being less assertive than the instructor felt he should be in order to get the assessment done. When I walked in there, I simply said "Hi Mr. -, I need to get this assessment done. " And got started. The student was sort of floored.
I want to thank everyone for their points of view on this. Clinical is done for this week, so I am going to spend the next couple of days mulling it over.
Some males actually might be more insecure with a male nurse because of stigmas and all. My husband is that way and no matter how hard I smack him he doesn't get it :stone
It's a good thing to offer help because by teaching someone else, it helps reinforce the knowledge and skills in your own head.
Also, you never know when down the road you'll be the one needing help and he or someone else might be able to return the favor. It doesn't matter if you're a 4.0 or scraping by to pass: we ALL are going to need help with something at least once during NS...and the one who ends up helping you out might just surprise you :)
However, don't help to the point that a. you are doing the bulk of the work for them while they do little, or b. your own education/clinical experience is compromised. Helping is great, but you do need to protect your own interests first.
I agree with the above post. Teaching others actually helps reinforce my learning. Its just my nature to help and teach my class mates or anyone at that. If I see a student struggling whether its in lecture or clinicals I'm usually the first to lend a hand. I'm definitely not the know it all, I just love to help. I ofcourse make sure I'm getting my learning experience and that my pt. is ok. If everything is running smoothly I totally don't mind helping or teaching some one else. As nurses we must work as a team. What are we going to do when we have students or new grads on our unit ? We are going to have to help, teach, work as a team and etc. A huge part of nursing is teaching. Let me stop I get so exicited about nursing some times...
I do feel like I learn more when I'm discussing a subject with other students or answering someone's questions. However, I wouldn't feel obligated to help another student.
Answering questions or explaining a procedure that you've had a chance to do & someone else hasn't is one thing. Holding someone's hand & spoon-feeding them during the entire clinical day is quite another.
Everyone in NS is an adult & should be responsible for themselves. Also, you aren't being paid to teach other students. In actuality, you are paying to received an education.
By the way, it's not happened to me yet, but if I had a patient who kept making excuses to stop me from doing what I was there to do, I'd ask my instructor for a new patient assignment - pronto!
If a patient didn't want me, I wouldn't waste time waiting for them to change their mind at the peril of my own grade.
Yeah... I don't know about being part of a "team" in nursing school. I have a similar situation going on in my rotation. I didn't get to see my patient for the last 3 hours yesterday and didn't get into to see my patient for nearly 2 hours this morning because of one student who can't hack it and my instructor keeps calling on me to help out. I'm flattered that my instructor has confidence in me, but this student is costing me twice the work and 1/2 the learning experience.
I would try and help him but by helping him, I would make sure that he did the work while you watched. I most certainly would not do his work for him. We had a clinical kinda like this. We had a student who sat on the couch all day during clinicals and when it came time for post conference at the end of a 12 hour day, she would say that she hadn't completed most of the items on the checklist. My clinical instructor pulled me aside and stated that we were going to be working in a pair. This student whined and complained all day about having to work. She even disappeared a few times where I couldn't find her for 2 hours at a time! I could tell that she didn't really want to be there or working in this type of profession. She even admitted that to the entire class on the last day, she didn't want to work at all and wanted her husband to support her. LOL.
Anyway, I would see what type of person this student is. Is he truly struggling because he's trying and just not getting it? Or is he struggling because he doesn't really want to be there. Forgetting to do an assignment, to me, sounds like he's given up. But, I would try and give him the benefit of the doubt and help him any way that I could. Your instructor might be asking for your help because it's easier for students to open up to other students and sometimes it's better to get help from someone else (different learning styles, etc). Above all, I would take it as a compliment that your clinical instructor asked you to help. That means you are doing what you need to be doing! Good luck and let us know what you decide!
I would say to stay out of it, only because I have been in that situation, and I tried to help a fellow student and it did not turn out as I expected. That student totallly turned on me and was so nasty saying things like "oh since YOU know everything you should have no trouble with this" or "I'll bet you had your assignment done the day it was assigned to us" or "we can't all be perfect like you". It hurt a lot. I work EXTREMELY hard to earn my good grades and to be prepared in clinical and get my assignments done ahead of the due date. I didn't feel that my offer to help this student deserved the reaction I got. It was not like I was being condescending, I just simply asked if they wanted some help. Lesson learned- worry about you and what you are doing, and let everyone else worry about themselves.
I would say to stay out of it, only because I have been in that situation, and I tried to help a fellow student and it did not turn out as I expected. That student totallly turned on me and was so nasty saying things like "oh since YOU know everything you should have no trouble with this" or "I'll bet you had your assignment done the day it was assigned to us" or "we can't all be perfect like you". It hurt a lot. I work EXTREMELY hard to earn my good grades and to be prepared in clinical and get my assignments done ahead of the due date. I didn't feel that my offer to help this student deserved the reaction I got. It was not like I was being condescending, I just simply asked if they wanted some help. Lesson learned- worry about you and what you are doing, and let everyone else worry about themselves.
Honestly, this would be my worst fear come true. Even though I had been asked by the instructor to help, that it would not be appreciated, or worse, get thrown in my face.
I get my assignments done in time. Shouldn't everyone? It wouldn't even occur to me that there was an alternative.
We had a student who sat on the couch all day during clinicals and when it came time for post conference at the end of a 12 hour day, she would say that she hadn't completed most of the items on the checklist. My clinical instructor pulled me aside and stated that we were going to be working in a pair. This student whined and complained all day about having to work. She even disappeared a few times where I couldn't find her for 2 hours at a time! I could tell that she didn't really want to be there or working in this type of profession.
Did you working with this student help her? What happened with her? Did she pass clinical?
I have heard on here about students not passing clinical, but I have never heard of a student in my nursing school not passing clinicals. The worst student I have ever run across was in my first class, the Fundamentals clinical, and this student had NEVER spent any time in her patient's room at all. She had only pulled stuff from the chart (including vitals) and had her husband do her care plan, though she tried to get a couple of us to do parts of it for her. SHE passed clinical, but not the theory and was eventually dropped from the program.
If a student doesn't want to do the work that nursing requires, and fumbles through (even possibly making up stuff like the example I mentioned), can they make it through nursing school and become a nurse? What happens to these types of students? I just hope that a clinical instructor stands over them and notices that they don't seem to know which end of their patient is up. Anyone can study hard enough and pass the book stuff.
This response has become very long, and you can probably tell I'm still mulling it over.
I could work with this student, and probably help him, but will that make him a better nurse in the long run? If he cannot prioritize care of his ONE patient now, and follow a written schedule for assignments due, will he EVER be able to be a good nurse? Is this these types of students are supposed to be weeded out to protect the public from bad patient care by a sloppy, lazy, careless nurse?
Obviously, these are decisions I don't need to make. I just need to decide whether to help him now, in clinical. I don't need to do any assignments or assessments for him. All I do is go back to the instructor and tell her I would be happy to *try* and help him, get assigned to his floor and offer my help to him. He can accept, or not. There. That's my decision. Thanks for all you guys advice. I'll post back and let you know how it goes. Our next clinical isn't until next week though.
Specializes in acute rehab, med surg, LTC, peds, home c.
It doesn't sound like he is very receptive to learning if he already has an attitude and is mouthing off to your instructor. I personally can't be bothered with jerks like this but if you can stomach him more power to ya. It might win you some brownie points with the instructor.
Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
Interesting post. However, what I think you are really missing is that your instructor is giving you an opportunity to practice some leadership skills and I think you are blowing it. As RNs we have a leadership function and that includes taking someone like "macho big talker" by the hand and helping him. When you become a staff nurse you may well run into more "macho big talkers" and it will be even more important to assist them because patient care, safety, and facility policy will be involved. I did. In fact, much to my dismay, one Director of Nursing transferred a lot of problem staff to my unit, she told me, because she knew that I would be really good at doing all I could to rehabilitate them before she finally had to kick them out the door (fire them). Do you know how awful that made me feel? I had had nothing to do with how they got hired, but there they were and they were now my problem. Teaching and instructing others is right up there on the list of RN staff job duties. Believe me, your instructor is evaluating both of you. Her input will be needed for your first job and one of the questions that will be asked of your instructors is "Leadership ability?" It's an answer that we always paid close attention to when considering new grads for hire. If someone feels that teaching others and taking time to be a leader to them isn't worth their time, then they weren't worthy of a job with any of the facilities that I hired nurses for.
~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN
5,259 Posts
Some males actually might be more insecure with a male nurse because of stigmas and all. My husband is that way and no matter how hard I smack him he doesn't get it :stone
LOL Good luck with it all I hope it works out.