Treatment of Nursing Students

Nurses Professionalism

Updated:   Published

do-nurses-want-help-from-students.jpg.4c3a553c7cf73ef91fc8fd8c30fce367.jpg

I hope that every nurse here is one that is kind, sympathetic and welcoming to new nursing students on clinical rotations in your department. If you are one of those who shuns students, treats them as if they are invisible, are rude and "bothered" by them, then you don't deserve to be a nurse. It's insane to me that this is a common thing. We have a critical shortage of nursing staff, yet you want to push these future nurses away.

*** Do you want help or not?******

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
19 hours ago, KrisNicoleE said:

I hope that every nurse here is one that is kind, sympathetic and welcoming to new nursing students on clinical rotations in your department. If you are one of those who shuns students, treats them as if they are invisible, are rude and "bothered" by them, then you don't deserve to be a nurse. It's insane to me that this is a common thing. We have a critical shortage of nursing staff, yet you want to push these future nurses away*** Do you want help or not******

I personally love students and I adore precepting new grads - however I have met my share of nursing students who are "Invisible, Rude and Bothered" by seasoned RNs who are trying to give them a decent experience. I have had students vanish right before an interesting skill or procedure is about to happen (even when I told them in advance),be rude and tell me "That's what CNAs are for" When I asked them to help change a bed linen for a patient coming back from surgery and bothered by being shown something different from what they learned in school. As a student you are there to observe nursing practice and learn from experienced nurses. 

As a student you should arrive on time and be open to learning something new.

Hppy

 

16
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Travel, Home Health, Med-Surg.

As a student you need to realize that you are a guest in the hospital, the RN needs to fit you in where ever s/he can,  said nurse is probably not getting paid any extra for the extra time it takes to have a student, and usually the student is not of any significant "help".

That said nobody should be rude but just bc you are not getting the attention you want doesnt mean the nurse is being rude. You need to remember that the nurse's priority is to care for the patients, students will need to take a back seat to that. The only reason it is a common thing is bc nurses are already running around with too little time as it is and now here come students that the nurse usually has no choice but to take. The people to blame are the schools and hospital admin, not an already frustrated busy nurse. Again, that said, no one should be outright rude but you will probably understand once you actually start working in the hospital.

Good luck!

8
Up Vote Up Vote ×

Eh. I think that standing in the same spot for 8 hours is not bothering busy nurses. Their hospital agreed to take nursing students, and it is just part of it. Not only that, but we wouldn't have added anything on their load since all we were doing was following and watching. They didn't have to do anything extra but let us follow them and MAYBE said a simple hello. Being busy is no excuse to be a *****. Maybe they wouldn't be so busy if they wouldn't push nursing students away...  we could do small tasks to help and we are trying to become nurses so maybe there wouldn't but such a shortage, but nurses like that make me question if that's the environment I want to work in. I definitely don't want to end up like that myself. There is just no excuse at all for the behavior I saw. 

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
1 hour ago, KrisNicoleE said:

Eh. I think that standing in the same spot for 8 hours is not bothering busy nurses. Their hospital agreed to take nursing students, and it is just part of it. Not only that, but we wouldn't have added anything on their load since all we were doing was following and watching. ...

Yes, the hospital agreed to take nursing students, not necessarily the nurses they are assigned to that day.  I don't think you realized just how much just "following and watching" add to their day.  On my unit, nursing students are only there for an observation event.  When I am assigned students, it generally adds 45 minutes to 1 hour to my day as I do take the time to answer their questions.

2 hours ago, KrisNicoleE said:

... Maybe they wouldn't be so busy if they wouldn't push nursing students away...  we could do small tasks to help ...

I'm sorry, but you are out of line with this comment.  Any time a nursing student performs a task, someone should supervise their performance.  And, at a growing number of facilities, rather than faculty from the nursing program doing this the expectation is that the bedside nurse will supervise the student.  And this is a major dissatisfier for many nurses as doing so takes time away from their other patients.

2 hours ago, KrisNicoleE said:

... There is just no excuse at all for the behavior I saw. 

This I agree with.

Best wishes.

8
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in retired LTC.

PP chare's comment is sooooo right on!  OP - noting that you haven't explained the type of facility/unit involved. You have NO idea what the contract betw school & facility includes or excludes. That impacts student-staff interaction.

OP - you don't say how far into your program, but I would say you're going to prob be subjected to more similar (and prob unpleasant) behaviors. Brace yourself for eye-opening experiences! Know that regular day-to-day activities aren't easy even for experienced staff. Nurses' responsibilities are PATIENTS first, students are further down the chain. There most definately is a hierarchal feeding chain - you'll need to get used to it.

Nobody is out to delib hurt your feelings, and those nurses are prob very good nurses. But you're NOT the priority here.

9
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
8 hours ago, KrisNicoleE said:

Eh. I think that standing in the same spot for 8 hours is not bothering busy nurses. Their hospital agreed to take nursing students, and it is just part of it. Not only that, but we wouldn't have added anything on their load since all we were doing was following and watching. They didn't have to do anything extra but let us follow them and MAYBE said a simple hello. Being busy is no excuse to be a *****. Maybe they wouldn't be so busy if they wouldn't push nursing students away...  we could do small tasks to help and we are trying to become nurses so maybe there wouldn't but such a shortage, but nurses like that make me question if that's the environment I want to work in. I definitely don't want to end up like that myself. There is just no excuse at all for the behavior I saw. 

Your original post lacked both substance and context so it was difficult to give you a good answer. When I was in nursing school way back the year 2000 I went to a clinical sight at a large teaching hospital where a nurse pointed to a corner and told me to stand over there and don't ask any questions. I immediately sought out my clinical instructor for a new assignment and had the best day ever. I  even got to hands on assist with a lumbar puncture by helping to hold the patient in the proper position. 4 months later I got a call to tell me that I might have been exposed to tuberculosis from that patient. As a student you have the right to ask for and receive an appropriate assignment. Yes nurses are busy but one should never demean you in that way. In the facility where I work I am the "Master Preceptor/Trainer" which means all new hires finish their training with me and all students get a chance to talk about their experience and critique how our nurses did. We haven't had students in our facility since the start of the Pandemic, which is a shame because as psych facility, students could actually see how stress can cause serious mental derailments in people who are fine under normal conditions.

I have had the privilege during my career of really good mentorship and always try to pay it forward, but there are always so students that stand in the back and chat rather than be engaged in the learning process so it goes two ways.

Don't let one bad experience ruin your education. Nothing is served by saying nothing if you are getting a good clinical experience.  I hope the rest of your clinicals go well. 

Hppy

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
On 2/14/2022 at 11:06 AM, KrisNicoleE said:

I hope that every nurse here is one that is kind, sympathetic and welcoming to new nursing students on clinical rotations in your department. If you are one of those who shuns students, treats them as if they are invisible, are rude and "bothered" by them, then you don't deserve to be a nurse. It's insane to me that this is a common thing. We have a critical shortage of nursing staff, yet you want to push these future nurses away*** Do you want help or not******

I think it's safe to say that every nursing student will encounter nurses who's behavior is not to their liking for any number of reasons beyond how welcoming they are to new students.

The thing is though, not every nurse is outwardly "kind and sympathetic" because not every person is outwardly kind and sympathetic.  By no means does this signify anything about their competency or how they really feel about their job or their patients.  

Some of the best nurses and best teachers are very terse in their approach.  That warm and nurturing nurse might have terrible time management skills.  I would really suggest looking at this as a preview of what you will be required to deal with once you're a new grad, and throughout your career. 

Try to mentally distance yourself from how their manner makes you feel inside, because you cannot see inside him or her to know what motivates their seeming rude behavior. Watch everything about how they do their job.  You can learn so much by doing that.  

9
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Travel, Home Health, Med-Surg.
On 2/16/2022 at 10:24 AM, KrisNicoleE said:

Eh. I think that standing in the same spot for 8 hours is not bothering busy nurses. Their hospital agreed to take nursing students, and it is just part of it. Not only that, but we wouldn't have added anything on their load since all we were doing was following and watching. They didn't have to do anything extra but let us follow them and MAYBE said a simple hello. Being busy is no excuse to be a *****. Maybe they wouldn't be so busy if they wouldn't push nursing students away...  we could do small tasks to help and we are trying to become nurses so maybe there wouldn't but such a shortage, but nurses like that make me question if that's the environment I want to work in. I definitely don't want to end up like that myself. There is just no excuse at all for the behavior I saw. 

Well I am not sure what behavior you saw but like I said before you will definitely have a better understanding once you become an RN and work in the hospital. I am curious about your stmt re: “standing in the same spot for 8 hours”. I don’t remember having clinical for that long but I guess things change. So, if the nurse you were assigned to was too busy to let you follow her what did you do to try to rectify that situation?

3
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
13 hours ago, Daisy4RN said:

So, if the nurse you were assigned to was too busy to let you follow her what did you do to try to rectify that situation?

So this was what I was saying about a similar situation that happened when I was in school. I went to my clinical instructor, asked for and received a new assignment.

Hppy  

5
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.

It's a two way street.

I love having a student and I am always welcoming, friendly and do my best to share the knowledge and experience I have. I will demonstrate whatever procedure and let them practise UNDER MY SUPERVISION.

In return I expect them to be respectful to both me and the patients, interested, curious, and attentive; mobile phone OFF. I am only ever too busy in an emergency situation, in which case I except them to accept, "Stand back and observe, questions later, I'm too busy." 

It usually works out OK.

6
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I have had many students over the years, some were enthusiastic, courteous and wonderful. Some were lazy and couldn't be bothered. However, some days I was enthusiastic and wanted to teach. Some days I was stressed and just didn't want a student. 

Maybe just a bad day?

5
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment