What a difference a country makes!!

[irish_std/n]

I'm irish and I am currently half way through my third year of a four year degree. From this board I have learned how different you all do things in nursing programs in the US.

Over here students are counted as valued members of the healthcare team, whose opinion counts and we have rights in the clinical area rather than being there and having to bow to ever command because we may be under compliment to the particular area!

According to the An Bord Altranias (Irish nursing board) terms of registration, it is the express duty and obligation of the RN to teach students.

In first and sencond year we were supernumary but still have a bit of responsibility, and basically were assigned a nurse as a preceptor who we then worked with..

Right now I am on a 12 month rostered clinical placement, in which I am getting paid and working as part of the healthcare team, We are offical employees of the hospital, we take our own group of patients, doing everything for them except meds. we are not seen only as a student, we are classed as colleagues.

How does it work in your area? Does anywhere have a similar program to mine? What would all you RN's feel like if this was the way students were working in your clinical area?

[fergus51]

I have never seen students get paid for clinical work arranged by the school. We do have student extern programs where students work in the hospital on their own time sort of as nurses' aides. I have had good and bad experiences with nurses as a student. As a nurse, I have had good and bad experiences with students too:) In general, I enjoy teaching and like to have them with me. I actually feel bad that so many of them only come on day shift where a lot of the nurses hate having them.

[ayla2004, ASN, RN]

Quite different to the UK i'm from northern ireland but training in england. We are supernumery (yeah right) are an invaulable resource to the wards we work on not paid we have bursarys, I have my own patient case load can do anything clinical skill that i performed under supervision and feel confiident with. NMC rule the right knowledge skill and experince for any nurse. excepts meds. we have to undertake the 24h cycle of care.

Question what are stafffing levels like in the republic are the safe in general . Did you find your precptor always useful to you of is it just the case in nursing everywhere that you have to roll with the punches, me if they love there job i find then friendler to students and newly qualifies are the nmost approachable. One of the nicest nurses i worked with was in A&E who was from the irish midlands still ahd a pronounced accent and was a ferrific knowledgable nurse.