What to do with Nursing students?! HS Nurse

[Avill, BSN, RN]

Hi guys!

So i've been assigned a nursing student in a few weeks to come shadow ect. I figured I could have them do my vision/hearing screenings and also asses students as they come in.

Any ideas what else I can have them do? There are days I don't have much going on!

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

I have had students do screenings, review case file, review IHPs. Also have them do a mock carb count to figure out blood sugar coverage, go to the therapy room where kids get PT, OT and ST to see the process.

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

ENJOY THEM!!

Teach them everything you know.

First, what are they able to do? If they can do procedures, train them and let them run with you observing (I do not train student nurses to do meds but once I learned that mine were able to do catheterizations, I took our training materials, signed them off, and let them perform with me watching. I also got parental permission but that may not be necessary).

We have a sub notebook that discusses prioritization and I let mine absorb that, then I let her take primary on the clinic staffing. Encourage history taking skills and assessment skills - if you would usually just ausculate lungs, encourage your nursing student to do a full respiratory assessment with auscultation, respiratory rate, pulse ox maybe?

Do they need to do an education project? Pick a grade and let them do dental hygiene, hand hygiene, cough hygiene or anything else they want to pick. Do you have a bulletin board? Let them update it with information from credible sources!

Finally I always asked that my students bring their iPad or PC and we'd practice longhand charting so they could see that charting by exception is not the only charting they'd be doing. Nobody's teaching them that stuff. It makes me sad.

[SchoolNurseK, BSN, RN]

55 minutes ago, ruby_jane said:

Finally I always asked that my students bring their iPad or PC and we'd practice longhand charting so they could see that charting by exception is not the only charting they'd be doing. Nobody's teaching them that stuff. It makes me sad.

Students aren't learning regular charting anymore?! My nursing school was crazy about charting! It drove me bananas as a student, but it has served me well. Charting by exception is ok, but honestly, it just doesn't give the full picture the way longhand charting does.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

4 minutes ago, SchoolNurseK said:

Students aren't learning regular charting anymore?! My nursing school was crazy about charting! It drove me bananas as a student, but it has served me well. Charting by exception is ok, but honestly, it just doesn't give the full picture the way longhand charting does.

I actually still do some longhand charting on some visits - my nursing school was all about it!

Students: I teach health, so I have had students lesson plan with me and come and observe classes. I've had one come to a 504 meeting with me (with admin and parent permission); we go over the difference between 504s and IEPs and nursing roles in both.

Most I've worked need to design a project, so we've looked at data they can use, designed bulletin boards. I've introduced to my counseling team. Reviewed psych and its importance in school nursing. Really just imparted the info I've learned.

[iggywench, BSN, RN]

I love having nursing students! I've precepted many over the years, and really enjoy showing them that school nursing is not all bandaids and ice packs. Most of them truly want to learn, and leave with a new appreciation for our field. I give them a tour of the clinic, talk to them about my students with chronic conditions, take them to our Life Skills class, and allow them to do vital signs and auscultate lungs on our students. My clinic is not always busy, and they enjoy just talking about nursing school, my/their career path, or having some down time to study.

[tining, BSN, RN]

I've had them teach hand washing, always good for any age.

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

1 hour ago, SchoolNurseK said:

Students aren't learning regular charting anymore?! My nursing school was crazy about charting! It drove me bananas as a student, but it has served me well. Charting by exception is ok, but honestly, it just doesn't give the full picture the way longhand charting does.

True story: With my BSN, we were given scanty basics but told "you'll learn this on your unit." Same with working an IV pump.

There is so much click-charting now AND nursing schools are very focused on the number of people passing the NCLEX that this may have gone by the wayside. This is confirmed by the two nursing students who've visited with me.

[Avill, BSN, RN]

Thank you guys! These were all awesome answers!