Why are established nurses not helpful to students?

Tweety, BSN, RN · Nov 24, 2005

I'm sorry you have a very bad day.

But asking the question: "Why are established nurses not helpful to students?" isn't fair because established nurses, such as myself, are very helpful to students.

The question is one you should ask the preceptor: "why are you, as an established nurse, not very helpful to me the student."

I know you're just venting and I hope that things get better for you.

KatieBell · Nov 24, 2005

I agree with Tweety.

Also one has to recall that most of us experienced nurses aren't given a choice about having a student. There are indeed some days when I just want to do my job, interact with my patients and go the heck home. Other days, I enjoy having students.

sharann, BSN, RN · Nov 24, 2005

I just don't get! No matter how many times I hear it

I just don't understand what IS the problem with these crappo nurses. They really need to get over themselves. Now, if I happen to work with a student who immediately goes to the nurses lounge and hides behind their textbook instead of wanting to learn, I lose my interest in them. If a student is truly inquisitive and has even a little potential as ahuman being I will teach the heck out of them. Nursing school instructors who lecture students on things they are not around to see do not impress me either. We need to support future nurses ut this is an age old discussion, isn't it. I guess the preceptors who treat you badly may one day become YOUR nurse. Better teach them well, shouldn't we?

SmilingBluEyes · Nov 24, 2005

I'm sorry you have a very bad day.
But asking the question: "Why are established nurses not helpful to students?" isn't fair because established nurses, such as myself, are very helpful to students.
The question is one you should ask the preceptor: "why are you, as an established nurse, not very helpful to me the student."
I know you're just venting and I hope that things get better for you.

WELL SAID!:)

Toothbrushx2 · Nov 24, 2005

I was able to spend the day in the surgical ICU--I thought it would be a fantastic experience. Instead, my first interaction with my preceptor was "I'm going to interventional radiology--see you in half an hour." Oh, wait--my patient needs medications at 8 am which I cannot get from the cabinet (fingerprint required) or administer (supposedly) independently. What happens now?
My preceptor spends the entire day with her other patient--which I can't blame her since the pt. is confused and combative; however, I'm only in med-surg II and need her assistance as well. In addition, I'm not up to speed on their charting (it's only my third clinical day), and most of the other institutions that I've been at have computer charting (and this one has ten million different forms that need to be filled out). When my medications are due, my preceptor hands me a bunch of meds and lets me go--never mind the fact that I've been told that I'm NEVER to give IV push meds without my nurse being within touching distance. Oh, and the IVP was furosemide, btw.
So then my preceptor and I FINALLY meet up, and she tells me that I did everything WRONG. I guess that hospital policy is that all patients who have G-tubes get 200 cc of water q8h. Well, gee, I'm sorry, since I DON'T WORK HERE, I am unaware of hospital policy.
Then, my clinical scholar comes to me and gives me this half hour lecture about the meaning of the word pathophysiology (I'd put that I wasn't sure what the patho was for my pt. since she was the victim of a head-on collision and had multiple fractures. The patho? Well, she got in a car accident and sustained multiple fractures!). To add insult to injury, this "explanation" of what pathophysiology meant was given in kind of a condescending way. Oh, wait a minute--is that why everyone asks ME about patho (patho is my strong suit) is because I'm such a STUPID IDIOT??:angryfire
Another insult to injury is that this "lecture" took place in front of another one of my classmates. DOUBLE :angryfire
Several of my last clinical experiences I've been told TO MY FACE that we (as students) are in the way and we've definitely been treated like we're not welcome (oh, sorry, I wasn't BORN an expert in nursing ).
I'm thinking that these nurses want to retire at some point, wouldn't ya think? Well, gee, guess what? WE'RE the ones who are going to take their place!!!! Ya'd think they'd be a SLIGHT bit nicer, wouldn't you? Unfortunately, not so.
Thanks for letting me "vent" (ha!) after such a crappy day.
Chickdude1 (BSN graduate in May 2006 if I survive that long--looking doubtful at this point)
PS--the pt. did GREAT! Her trach was capped and she was finally able to TALK for the FIRST TIME in 6 weeks!!!!

Bless your heart. I am so sorry you had a bad day. I have been a LPN for 14 yrs. and love teaching students what I know.I am going to pursue my RN, Best of luck to you.

Grace Oz · Nov 24, 2005

Sorry you had a lousy experience. Not all experienced nurses are so insensitive to students.

Regarding your comment about hospital policy....... the fact you do not work at this hopsital per se, is NO excuse for you NOT to seek out and READ their policy manual. That's what hospitals have policy manuals for, m'dear. And ... I'm saying this kindly and without prejudice, ok. :)

I'm assuming American hospitals DO have policy manuals?????... Anyone ???

Hope you're feeling better by the time you read this. :)

Hang in there, believe in yourself, you'll be/ ARE, just fine!

GOOD LUCK!

Works2xs · Nov 24, 2005

Sorry you had a lousy experience. Not all experienced nurses are so insensitive to students.
Regarding your comment about hospital policy....... the fact you do not work at this hopsital per se, is NO excuse for you NOT to seek out and READ their policy manual. That's what hospitals have policy manuals for, m'dear. And ... I'm saying this kindly and without prejudice, ok. :)
I'm assuming American hospitals DO have policy manuals?????... Anyone ???
GOOD LUCK!

Well, since you asked... Don't know what it's like everywhere else, but where I've been doing clinicals, there are about 10 linear feet of policy manuals at the nurse's station. :eek:

Regarding the idea of looking it up... I know Grace Oz's suggestion was given in the best of spirit - but policy manuals are no substitue for training. Because a lot of policy is institution-specific, there's no reasonable way for a student to predict exactly what procedures are going to be explicitly covered by policy. (Isn't this one of the factors for new hire orientation? If an experienced RN has to go through this spin-up, isn't it a tad unrealistic to expect a student to do this in a couple of days?) So the only way for the student to have any idea there's even anything to look up is to either a) have the preceptor ID the relevant data and point the way, b) give the manuals to the student in advance of their visit and hope they can actually read, correlate, and remember what they read or c) wait for the student to look everything up on the fly. The latter 2 items are certainly part of, but are hardly the only, solution. Finally, if it's something important enough to require a stated policy, then it isn't in the institution's interest to leave discovery and reading of said policy to chance and/or interpretation. This is just one more area where this student was left swinging.

As an aside, I have to admit that when I read these sorts of threads, I thank God that I'm at a place where such problems don't exist, at least not at the magnitude noted by the OP. To a person, every nurse I've worked with has been at LEAST patient, attentive, and courteous. The vast majority of time, they've also been pretty dang good at showing me the ropes. Kudos to those of you out there that take the time to teach students even when it's not your strong suit or when the environment created by management, economics, and/or market forces pressure you to do otherwise. Thank you and well done! :yelclap:

geekgolightly, BSN, RN · Nov 24, 2005

I don't understand this. Your instructor left you on the ICU unit to work with the nurse who was assigned to two patients, one of which required all of her time and she could not help you? I understand you being upset for getting chewed out when you wetre trying your best under the circumstances, but it sopunds to me like the RN was put in an awkward position. To say the least. A crumping or combative patient is no fun. Added stress of trying to organize a student is unfair to a critical care RN. I would be upset with your instructor for putting you in that position.

snowfreeze, BSN, RN · Nov 24, 2005

Less nurses per patient ratio, ie nationwide nursing shortage. Newer nurses not really oriented to what they are trying to do as a job. Add a nursing student and all hell breaks loose.

Where I work the nursing instructor has met all the nurses and is quite good at paring students to nurse personalities.

Maybe nursing students could ask who they are going to be working with to add a bit of common ground.

I do a brief interview when I have a student and we go from there. What are you allowed to do, what are you expected to do, what do you need to accomplish today in 3 hours or less. I can drag a student through the last question in about 20 minutes, those more interested in specialty areas if I can do it, I will also let them view that also. I prefer to get the Need to Do out of the way early, then the student can actually relax and be a help to me. Just my approach, might not be perfect but it works for me.

sjrn85 · Nov 24, 2005

Why do nursing students continue to paint all experienced nurses with the same brush?

Why do nursing students post comments that sound like they feel their education takes priority over patient care?

Why do we never see multiple threads from students about great preceptors they've had? (And believe me, I know there are a lot of them out there!)

Hmmm...

gypsyatheart · Nov 24, 2005

I don't understand this. Your instructor left you on the ICU unit to work with the nurse who was assigned to two patients, one of which required all of her time and she could not help you? I understand you being upset for getting chewed out when you wetre trying your best under the circumstances, but it sopunds to me like the RN was put in an awkward position. To say the least. A crumping or combative patient is no fun. Added stress of trying to organize a student is unfair to a critical care RN. I would be upset with your instructor for putting you in that position.

I agree w/this post. I was thinking the same thing....

My suggestion to the OP....if you find yourself in this situation again, seek out your clinical instructor. Inform him/her that the RN you are assigned to has gotten tied up w/another situation leaving you unsupervised, clearly you are not an ICU RN, yet, so your instructor should re-assign you, assist you, etc. Leaving a student alone in an ICU setting is unacceptable. But you waited until it was too late....

I totally understand your feelings of frustration, but as an experienced RN, let me give you a word of advice (not to sound mean or anything), learn now to take the initiative. You clearly understood that there was a problem that day, yet you allowed it to happen. It is your responsibility to inform your "supervisor" (in this case your instructor) when something goes wrong on your shift. Learn this now and it will save you in the long run!

Remember, you are your patients advocate, they are looking to you to know what you are doing. Please do not attempt something w/out knowing what you are doing. The excuse "But I don't work there...." Well that is all it is, an excuse.

Again, not trying to sound harsh, just want to put a different spin on things and encourage you to be pro-active....not reactive. Good luck!