We're not here for that

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Today while in clinicals I saw a fellow nursing student standing in the hallway outside a patient's room. I asked her what was up and she said, "This patient had an accident and is a mess. The NAC said she would be here in 10 minutes and it's been 15 minutes." I told her that we were allowed to provide that kind of care to any patient on the floor and it didn't have to be our patient. Her response, "We are nursing students, we are not here for that." I was taken aback. I didn't say anything to her and just went into the room, introduced myself, and asked the patient if it would be ok for me to help her. The fellow student came in the room and asked if I wanted some help. I just don't understand. We are students. We are there to learn how to become RN's but we are also there to provide any care that a patient needs that is within our scope of practice. I am wondering if other students feel this way and think they are just at clinicals to do "nursing" things.

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Well done! That poor patient. That nursing student needs to get her priorities straight.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Unfortunately that is the mindset of many nurse wanna bes. They think that that's what aides are for.

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The aid finally did show up after we had the patient in the shower and the room cleaned up. She was so apologetic and thanked us. I told her that it wasn't a problem.....she was busy and I wasn't. I guess the part that really bothers me is how can anyone let a patient sit in filth just because it's "not their job" to clean them up.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Shame on the clinical instructor for allowing that kind of culture to develop among students. My class was told from day one that we would never, ever be too good to wipe a butt, and that tending to someone's basic needs was an essential part of being a nurse (not something to be endured or muddled through, but something we CHOSE to do by entering the profession). Anything to the contrary would have been snuffed out immediately had it emerged, which it didn't, because we were made to understand this from the get-go.

I went to LPN school, but we shared the clinical site with a respected ADN program, and their students echoed these "I'm not a CNA" sentiments. It still boggles my mind to this day!

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Oh YES we are! That is all my first clinical is. Literally. The PCAs are sitting there twiddling their thumbs because we are doing a lot of what is considered "their" work. I will be honest. At first I thought umm, I am not sure I want to do THAT. But you do it and move on. Even though I was emptying a bedside commode 10 minutes ago, working side by side with the wound care nurse to assist with a wound vac change afterwards was totally worth it. Makes me nuts to see nurses who like to pin the responsibility on somebody else and wander off. Not that everyone does that but still if it is something you can do in your scope of practice to better someone's care, just glove up and do it.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.
The aid finally did show up after we had the patient in the shower and the room cleaned up. She was so apologetic and thanked us. I told her that it wasn't a problem.....she was busy and I wasn't. I guess the part that really bothers me is how can anyone let a patient sit in filth just because it's "not their job" to clean them up.

What do you mean?If she's going to be a nurse cleaning up patients WILL be "part of her job".

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Specializes in L&D, infusion, urology.

I'm always floored when this type of thing comes up. What exactly do some people think we're doing in nursing school? That somehow we're "above" this sort of thing? What about respecting patients as human beings?? My instructors echo the teachings that we are not above that kind of "dirty" or "menial" work, that it's an important part of what we do.

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I've been a CNA for almost 2 years and I see it all the time with nursing students...This one girl who did her rotation there for like 3 months would come and find me every time her patient needed the bedpan/was inc. The first few weeks I was like "I'll show you how!" thinking maybe she was just nervous but she loudly told me in front of her instructor that it was my job to toilet her patient, not hers. Cool. I don't know, if someones gotta go they gotta go, it takes less time to pop a bed pan under them then to go searching for the aide!

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Shame on the clinical instructor for allowing that kind of culture to develop among students. My class was told from day one that we would never, ever be too good to wipe a butt, and that tending to someone's basic needs was an essential part of being a nurse (not something to be endured or muddled through, but something we CHOSE to do by entering the profession). Anything to the contrary would have been snuffed out immediately had it emerged, which it didn't, because we were made to understand this from the get-go.

I went to LPN school, but we shared the clinical site with a respected ADN program, and their students echoed these "I'm not a CNA" sentiments. It still boggles my mind to this day!

I agree with my colleagues here. Personal care is in our scope of practice. For example you have a dressing that must be done. The unit is extremely busy, it is toward the end of the shift and your assistant is taking care of another patient. Are you going to neglect your duties? Are you going to just complete the dressing change without cleaning the patient. No, you. You are going to clean the patient and complete your duties. I believe this is part of Maslow's Heirarchy(sp) of needs. Taking into account that we must know how to delegate and prioritize because there are some duties that we can not delegate.

And yes, i am referring to bowel the patient having soiled themselves. A patient that is soiled is upset if a&o x3, and again Maslow's Heirarchy(sp) of needs.

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That student is going to have a rude awakening when she gets pooped on one day !! ?

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

If the student truly felt she was "above" that sort of thing, she will either change her attitude of have her career problems in the future.

But there is another possibility here. Maybe she isn't as bad as everyone thinks. Maybe she was hesitant because she felt insecure and overwhelmed. She did come in to help you. Maybe she just needed someone to lead the way. As she gets a little more experience, she may be able to take the lead herself. That's what school is for -- to practice, to learn, to improve, and to gain more confidence.

I was a hesitant nursing student -- not because I didn't care or didn't want to help patients, but because I felt insecure. I became an excellent NICU nurse ... and staff educator. But I have never felt comfortable "jumping right in" when I am in a situation that I am unfamiliar with. Maybe that is why I am a good teacher. I support insecure students and help them become more competent and comfortable when doing new things.

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