When you are at clinicals

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You guys are starting clinicals once again, and I am offering advice to help you learn. make yourself available and on the floor. One thing nurses hate is when a group of students are suppose to be on the floor but are camped out in the breakroom. I tell every student that is with me stay with me shadow me I will show you things get you into procedures, but I will not hunt for you. I started this post because it never fails that we have a group come I and they just disappear with their instructor camped out in a room. I've had students miss TEE, cardioversions, caths, and open heart because they went to break, was not on the floor etc. The nurses I work with know which students are there to learn and which ones are just there, and yes we look at new grads applications and recommend for hire and also recommend no hires based on how they was as a student. Best of luck, work hard and stay busy.

I have never understood why an instructor wants the students in a room during clinical finishing paperwork or whatever else may go behind that door. We had to have our careplans finished before we walked in the door that morning, if that is what they are doing then the instructors need to tell them to turn them in day after clinical because the students are missing by not being on the floor. I have not forgot what it is like to be a student and if I have someone wanting to learn I will feed them and make the "grasshopper" grow.

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

Make an impression on me. I don't care how it is but make it known you are there to work and to learn. It makes it much easier for me to take the time to put a bug in the nurses eases Im looking for students for something cool.

heck just the other day I let a student push RSI drugs. I could have sworn they were going to shake to death they were so nervous but you have to start somewhere!

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
I have never understood why an instructor wants the students in a room during clinical finishing paperwork or whatever else may go behind that door. We had to have our careplans finished before we walked in the door that morning, if that is what they are doing then the instructors need to tell them to turn them in day after clinical because the students are missing by not being on the floor. I have not forgot what it is like to be a student and if I have someone wanting to learn I will feed them and make the "grasshopper" grow.

The one time I want to see students confined to the break room is during a code for patient violence/acting out. Things can be very unpredictable during such codes, and the last thing I need to deal with is inexperienced students trying to help but getting in the way and possibly getting hurt.

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When I was in school, we did anything and everything to be helpful. If the CNAs were busy we vitals, we made beds, we delivered meal trays. The nurses noticed and eventually they started asking us if we wanted to help them with dressing changes, watch procedures, learn how to prioritize patients. As we progressed in school and the nurses were comfortable with us, we made ourselves available to help any of the nurses on the floor whether we were assigned to them or not, and we were given some great skills to practice. The nurses would come out into the hallway and ask, "who wants to put in an NG tube?" "Who wants to do trach care?" "Who wants to help pack a wound?" Granted, this was not on every floor we were on in our hospital but, showing our willingness to do just about anything to help made a big difference.

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Specializes in Critical care.

I had my first med surg clinical on thursday and I feel like I made myself available. I asked the nurse assigned to my patient constantly if there was anything I could do or help with, and I shadowed her for awhile. However, there were times where it felt awkward and it felt like I was in the way. There were also times when I asked if I could do a procedure and she agreed, but I needed to get my instructor to be in the room with us, and the instructor was either nowhere to be found or was in the middle of something and the nurse couldn't wait. So, there's that. Overall, besides taking a quick break for a swig of water, I was out there, doing what I could, intercepting nurses who looked like they were about to do something interesting. :) It was a lot of fun and I can't wait to go back.

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This is definitely a two way street. You need a willing, competent, assertive student, but you also need a nurse who is willing to take the student under her/his wing. I remember my first ever clinical (Adult Health I). I had picked a patient, and the day prior to care I had spent much of that day and night looking up meds, labs, pathophys, and created a detailed care plan complete with nursing Dx's and interventions. I arrived to my first clinical so nervous and a little sleep deprived, but also ready to do everything suggested here. I introduced myself to the nurse caring for my pt, took notes during report from the night nurse, and let my nurse know that I was there to participate. The RN was indifferent toward me, but I didn't let that stop me. After I had done the head to toe assessment on my pt and spent some time with him, I began shadowing my RN. Her body language made it clear I was an irritant to her, so I tried hard to stay out of her way, but at the same time observe, and absorb everything I could. She finally turned around and said, "what are you doing?" I explained I was just observing, getting an idea for the flow of things, and re-iterated that I was there to help if she needed anything. After that she said, "I'm thirsty, I'm gonna go get a drink from the break room." I said, "You know, I'm thirsty too, I'll go with you." I was relieved when she seemed agreeable. We entered the break room, and very politely, she explained to me where the cups were, and pointed to the water dispenser. I thanked her, and went to the cupboard to fetch a couple of paper cups. I turned around just in time to see her walking out and the door shutting behind her. After pouring my cup of water (I remember this like it was yesterday), I leaned against the counter taking long, slow sips and thinking, "Okay, I can definitely take a hint."

I've had some really great nurses in clinical, and some not-so-great nurses. When I am paired with that great nurse, I am like a sponge, and I absorb everything I possibly can from her/him. The amount of respect I have for those nurses is huge, and I aspire to be like them one day. But when I'm with an RN who makes it obvious she doesn't want me around, I try not to judge (I don't know what they are going through), however it can make clinical experience extremely challenging. Sometimes I am able to find another nurse to shadow (when my pt has been assessed and charted on), but sometimes this doesn't work because the other nurses are either already paired with a student, or seem unapproachable. It is really hard being a student, many times I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place. To those RN's who are willing to teach and spend time with those students who are deserving, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!

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My clinical instructor has told us to take 1 patient the first week, 2 the second and eventually get to 3. We are supposed to do everything the nurse would do but with supervision. It was my first week back last week and I found it difficult to do many things as if I was the nurse because I did need supervision. The nurses have such a high patient load and since I am still a student I am slower at doing things. The nurses I have been paired with let me do things when they get a chance to watch me but this semester I am supposed to take on the role of the nurse. We are supposed to be in charge of knowing when to give meds, when and what assessments to do, what to chart, ect. How can I do this if the nurse I get paired with is to busy to supervise? Last week my instructor said just to follow her and observe since she was so busy, but if I am with another nurse who is extremely busy and overwhelmed this upcoming week like last time how do I take on 2 patients while being supervised? Taking 2 patients probably wouldnt make her/his load easier since I am still learning. Thanks in advance for advice.

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Specializes in CVICU CCRN.
My clinical instructor has told us to take 1 patient the first week, 2 the second and eventually get to 3. We are supposed to do everything the nurse would do but with supervision. It was my first week back last week and I found it difficult to do many things as if I was the nurse because I did need supervision. The nurses have such a high patient load and since I am still a student I am slower at doing things. The nurses I have been paired with let me do things when they get a chance to watch me but this semester I am supposed to take on the role of the nurse. We are supposed to be in charge of knowing when to give meds, when and what assessments to do, what to chart, ect. How can I do this if the nurse I get paired with is to busy to supervise? Last week my instructor said just to follow her and observe since she was so busy, but if I am with another nurse who is extremely busy and overwhelmed this upcoming week like last time how do I take on 2 patients while being supervised? Taking 2 patients probably wouldnt make her/his load easier since I am still learning. Thanks in advance for advice.

Hey there -

After the first week, do you have to be observed continually by the nurse you're paired with for any activity? What seemed to work for me was, after establishing rapport with my nurse, I would take over all the basic care stuff and answer call lights. Also, after we had been signed off, we could administer PO meds without observation. (First semester. Things expanded from there). Also, for later rotations, we could act pretty much independently with a few exceptions. (IVP meds, titrations, blood products, etc).

Others were also allowed to supervise us. For example, I had a patient on a heparin drip who needed serial labs; if my nurse couldn't observe me during draws and adjustments, my instructor or the charge nurse could. That team approach really helped and also allowed me to be as independent as possible but supported and safe.

Handling all the toileting, turning, bed changes, drinks/Popsicles, and hourly rounds really helped make things easier for my nurse; I would let her get caught up and then we could do procedures and things together. It was a good system for when things were hectic. It all depends on your program's policies, though. This helped me really get my feet under me. Even silencing a beeping pump, doing a basic assessment on it to see what's up, or answering call bells and making a prioritized list for your nurse of who needs what can help, and also lets your patients know they aren't getting lost in the shuffle. I guess there could be a risk of getting stuck just handling the direct care piece, but this really seemed to work for us. Good luck and have fun! My cohort all managed to be taking a full load by the end of the program, even though some of us had to be creative to get there. :)

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We have to be observed throughout the entire nursing program by a nurse or instructor. I am able to answer call lights, stock supplies, do basic care, however my instructor told us that she wants us to focus on becoming the nurse. She doesnt want the tech to cross our patients off the list so we do everything. She wants us to start critically thinking about the patient, why do they need something and ask questions. My instructor floats throughout the hospital to check on us and I was able to do a skill with her. She has 9 other students in the hospital so she can't observe me the entire time.

I was discussing this with another student. His patient had orders to remove a foley. He asked the nurse to watch him and apparently she said later because she was busy. The nurse ended up doing it herself because the student was getting water for his other patient.

I do think it depends on the nurse you are paired with and how busy they are because a couple students got to do everything. There nurse's patient load wasnt as hectic.

I am pretty assertive, I ask to do things, I ask if the nurse wants me to get something ex. Wheel chair for the pt while she gives a med in the next room, since we'd both have to be there to give the med and I can get a wheel chair I thought id save her time. she said no by the way.

Thanks for the advice, ill keep being assertive and asking to do things, make myself useful and hope things go better!

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Specializes in Critical care.
We have to be observed throughout the entire nursing program by a nurse or instructor. I am able to answer call lights, stock supplies, do basic care, however my instructor told us that she wants us to focus on becoming the nurse. She doesnt want the tech to cross our patients off the list so we do everything. She wants us to start critically thinking about the patient, why do they need something and ask questions. My instructor floats throughout the hospital to check on us and I was able to do a skill with her. She has 9 other students in the hospital so she can't observe me the entire time.

I was discussing this with another student. His patient had orders to remove a foley. He asked the nurse to watch him and apparently she said later because she was busy. The nurse ended up doing it herself because the student was getting water for his other patient.

I do think it depends on the nurse you are paired with and how busy they are because a couple students got to do everything. There nurse's patient load wasnt as hectic.

I am pretty assertive, I ask to do things, I ask if the nurse wants me to get something ex. Wheel chair for the pt while she gives a med in the next room, since we'd both have to be there to give the med and I can get a wheel chair I thought id save her time. she said no by the way.

Thanks for the advice, ill keep being assertive and asking to do things, make myself useful and hope things go better!

This is kind of the way our program is set up as well. Our instructor has to be there for us to do almost anything, and certainly to pass meds of any kind. It makes it difficult because there is only one of our instructor and 10 of us.

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Specializes in CVICU CCRN.
This is kind of the way our program is set up as well. Our instructor has to be there for us to do almost anything, and certainly to pass meds of any kind. It makes it difficult because there is only one of our instructor and 10 of us.

Wow, that has to be really frustrating for both of you guys! Our instructors were spread between multiple students too, but because we had other options like the charge nurse or our preceptor it made it easier. We also all had unit phones so we could call our instructor and let them know if there was a procedure coming up so they had time to plan and get where they needed to be. Obviously some stuff was missed, but the program was just structured differently by the sounds of it. Good luck - I wish I had a recommendation for you but it sounds like a real challenge. I wish you guys all the best!! I loved clinical - I hope you both have great experiences as things progress.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses

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Specializes in SNF, LTAC.

I agree that we as nursing students shouldn't camp out in the break room or nursing station, but in my year or so worth of clinicals thus far, I have had maybe 3-4 nurses who actually wanted to teach students and liked having us around, all the others made it quite clear we were a nuisance, and that we should just "stay out of their way". I always let my instructor know and she just states we have to learn to deal with these types of nurses. so yes, sometimes I find myself sitting in the break room or nursing station just so I am not getting verbally abused for 12 hours a day.

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