What is the biggest piece of advice you have for nursing students?

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What is the biggest piece of advice you have for nursing students?

Any advice is welcome to make me a better nurse. Thanks!

I'll comment on this...yes, it IS important to ask questions, but it's also important to have faith in yourself. Sounds contradictory, but there is a distinction, and they do relate. Questions about a patient's situation and how to handle it is different than a question about if you can give them ice chips, or whatever. I get a lot of questions which are things that don't NEED to be asked (I wish I could think of a better example right now, but I'm drawing a blank).

I had a situation the other day, two students were working with a newer quad. I took over for another RN when I came in at 11am. That RN had told them to change her back incision dressing (it was not an open wound or anything, did not have to be routinely changed...I don't even know why she told them to change it to begin with). The patient told them it had been changed at midnight, and at this time, less than 12 hours later, it was clean, dry, intact. I got two questions from the student: "should we still change it?" OK question, and my answer was no, it was ok to leave for now. "should I tell XXX we're not changing it?" (XXX being the nurse that was on before me). NO, you don't have to tell her. I am the patient's nurse now. If I'm telling you it's all right how it is, then it's all right how it is. THAT to me was not a necessary question.

As a new student I must say if I were in that situation I would have asked if I was supposed to tell the other nurse too. Will that nurse tell my instructor that I did not follow directions? We are graded on our clinical work and if a nurse were to report to our clinical instructor that we did not do what she asked (not knowing you said it was ok)we could get a poor grade. Obviously not being there to see the exact scenerio it is hard to gauge but that really does not seem like an inappropriate question. We are just learning and don't know the proper proceedures for everything and are really replying on the nurses at our site and our instructors to help us be the best nurses we can be. Could that question been turned into a teaching lesson for the student and instead of just saying "no it's my patient now" explained the rationale to the student too. Then the student would understand what proper proceedure is and not ask a question like that again. I honestly mean no disrespect to you :) I can saythat student nurses are still learning and some RN's/staff might not necessarily tell students to do the right thing (which is unfortunate)and then we get in trouble with our instructors. Plus I think it makes us apprehensive in a situation like you described (is this nurse just trying to shut me up or is it really ok not to tell the other nurse why we did not follow her directions). It seems obvious to you that the other nurse doesn't need to be told but for someone just learning not so much. They teach us in school that if something is delegated to you it is now your responsibility so if it doesn't get done it is your fault. Does that make sense, I am not a very good explainer? I know that you said you couldn't think of the best example and I am sure that some questions are not really necessary but I do think it is important that everyone feels like they can ask any question(even a "dumb" one) without being snapped at or explained the reasoning/rationale because then they are left wondering or even worse next time they might not ask a question that really needs to be asked.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.
As a new student I must say if I were in that situation I would have asked if I was supposed to tell the other nurse too. Will that nurse tell my instructor that I did not follow directions? We are graded on our clinical work and if a nurse were to report to our clinical instructor that we did not do what she asked (not knowing you said it was ok)we could get a poor grade. Obviously not being there to see the exact scenerio it is hard to gauge but that really does not seem like an inappropriate question. We are just learning and don't know the proper proceedures for everything and are really replying on the nurses at our site and our instructors to help us be the best nurses we can be. Could that question been turned into a teaching lesson for the student and instead of just saying "no it's my patient now" explained the rationale to the student too. Then the student would understand what proper proceedure is and not ask a question like that again. I honestly mean no disrespect to you :) I can saythat student nurses are still learning and some RN's/staff might not necessarily tell students to do the right thing (which is unfortunate)and then we get in trouble with our instructors. Plus I think it makes us apprehensive in a situation like you described (is this nurse just trying to shut me up or is it really ok not to tell the other nurse why we did not follow her directions). It seems obvious to you that the other nurse doesn't need to be told but for someone just learning not so much. They teach us in school that if something is delegated to you it is now your responsibility so if it doesn't get done it is your fault. Does that make sense, I am not a very good explainer? I know that you said you couldn't think of the best example and I am sure that some questions are not really necessary but I do think it is important that everyone feels like they can ask any question(even a "dumb" one) without being snapped at or explained the reasoning/rationale because then they are left wondering or even worse next time they might not ask a question that really needs to be asked.

Seeing as that nurse was done for the day...I don't see the confusion, no. To me it's common sense. It wouldn't be anything to get in trouble over, when I said I didn't understand why she said to change it, I just meant that changing it was unnecessary...not that it "shouldn't" be done. To me, taking direction from your patient's primary nurse (in this case, ME) is a simple concept?

I have said many times here in different ways that I absolutely encourage questions, and I love to teach. I hope I'm not coming across as otherwise. I was just trying to answer the question about why/how some nurses complain about "too many questions."

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Well this is graduation day advice but Ill give it to you now. "You can ALWAYS get a new nursing job but NEVER a new nursing license". Always keep that in mind when making decisions and following orders.

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Seeing as that nurse was done for the day...I don't see the confusion, no. To me it's common sense. It wouldn't be anything to get in trouble over, when I said I didn't understand why she said to change it, I just meant that changing it was unnecessary...not that it "shouldn't" be done. To me, taking direction from your patient's primary nurse (in this case, ME) is a simple concept?

I have said many times here in different ways that I absolutely encourage questions, and I love to teach. I hope I'm not coming across as otherwise. I was just trying to answer the question about why/how some nurses complain about "too many questions."

I don't know you and this was the first post of your that I have ever read, I would have no right to judge you and I actually try not to judge anyone. I was certainly not trying to suggest you don't love to teach :) I guess that students question was kind of odd, how was she going to check with the other nurse if she went home? I misunderstood the scenario, I thought you and the other nurse were both working and the student didn't know who to listen to.

PS my original post was actually talking about how fellow nursing students rant about their classmates asking too many questions in class YET all the advice from nurses to nursing students says to always ask questions. I wish the students complaining about their classmates would see that questions are a good thing. (and if us students ask questions in class maybe we would refrain from pointless questions at clinical...lol)

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Specializes in Pediatric Heme/Onc/BMT.

Find a friend/study partner and hold on for dear life. There's absolutely nothing like having someone who understands what you are going through AND is willing to study on Saturday night.

It took me a few weeks into school to find a person I could study well with, and we've become wonderful friends. Nursing school is NOT something you can do alone. I couldn't imagine getting through without my friend.

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Trust your gut. If it doesn't feel right... it probably isn't right.

Know your lab values and antihypertensive meds. You'll be asked these a million times in nursing school.

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New or old-- everyday you learn something new. The day I stop learning, is the day I get out of the business. Don't let anyone make you feel stupid for asking you a question.

MOST IMPORTANT!!! Remember this when you are the more experienced nurse, and you are answering questions to the "new" nurse. Eventually it all comes full circle.

Laura RN:nurse:

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Take advantage of every situation. Raise your hand, step forward, ask to place the catheter, start the IV. Use each moment to learn something new. You will feel uncomfortable, but NS is the place to practice, make mistakes, and practice again. When you take your first job, you will be glad that you performed suctioning and NG tubes with your instructor.

Take care of yourself. Get sleep each and every night.

Count down the days until pinning. Count down the days you have already done including your prereqs, it is terrific incentive to get your head back into your notes.

Oh, it is an amazing job! I just started working as an LPN while completing my RN year. Now my learning is really happening. I am learning more on the job than I ever learned in clinicals.

Believe in yourself! You can do it!

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take advantage of every situation. raise your hand, step forward, ask to place the catheter, start the iv. use each moment to learn something new.

that is great advice and i hope to do just that but hopefully i can ind a tactful way about it because then i have to worry about spending the next two years with classmates that hate me! any advice on that orionquilts?

:argue:

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btw congrats on the new job!!!!!!

:yeah::D:bow::nurse::):wink2:

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