I've been in two different hospitals in both my first and second semesters and come up against some ROUGH nurses who would rather do everything themselves than let me touch a thing.
I'm trying to wrap my head around the fact that they are BUSY, they have a TO-DO list, they have patients that NEED meds, help, EVERYTHING. But, I'm here to help. I'm wearing these bright purple scrubs not because I like the color, but because I want to learn, I NEED to learn. I will take them to the bathroom, I will bathe them, I will take their vitals, just PLEASE let me.
When I say 80% of the nurses I've followed have done NOTHING with me I am not exaggerating. Why is this? Last week the nurse I was following wouldn't even let me take vitals, VITALS!! I am in my second semester of nursing school, I think I can handle that.
Anyway, I wanted to know whats up with that! I recognize that they are busy. I also recognize the few nurses that have taken me under their wing and shown me SO MUCH. I'm thankful for that, and grateful.
I was working my way through the thread, but thank you for your noticing and being so quick of your feet!
You were working your way through the thread, but replies from the likes of ixchel, BuckyBadgerRN, psu_213, and FlyingScot preceded Aggie's (since your next-most-recent comment). Yet, Aggie was the one whom you thanked for the feedback.
Following that comment, you also received very thoughtful feedback from elkpark, Ruby Vee, janey, myself among others... but then you return to the thread to jump on Nurse Leigh.
I think that's probably how she got the idea that you were responded to the one who was sympathetic to you. Then you respond to that post rather than the numerous thorough explanations to your premise that "floor nurses are so unwilling to teach," and so yes, it does look like you're ignoring said posters, and hearing only what you want to hear.
I do relate with op. However, I understand why nurses sometimes act that way. Remember, they have more clients than what they are supposed to have. You seeking teaching from them is an addition to the clientele list (and your colleagues). What I will advice is that, if it is about procedures that an NAP can perform, go to them for help. If it is about passing medication and IV staff that NAP cannot do, go to the nurse and I believe they will be willing to help. Also, If you want to learn, be ready to be humble. Not saying you are not, just throwing it out there.
One of the hospitals where I had clinicals was staffed with mostly new grad RNs. They each had at least 6 patients. They didn't have time to teach me, they were struggling just to get through their shift in one piece. I learned so much about time management, multitasking, doing rapid but thorough assessments, etc. They were good nurses, and the majority of them would have loved to have been able to allow me to do some of those tasks. They just couldn't. So I stayed out of their way unless they asked me to help, but I watched them intently. I learned from their struggles, and was grateful I was allowed to witness the reality of being a new nurse just trying to keep his/her head above water. With time they got to know me, and trust me enough to help with some of those tasks that they couldn't get to right away. Pay attention to what they are doing instead of what you aren't doing, and you might be surprised at what you will learn.
You will NOT learn how to be a nurse during clinical. You won't. You don't call the doctors, take responsibility for medications, call pharmacy, chart, or have to coordinate anywhere near as much as you will when you hit the floor. NOTHING you do in clinical will do much more than give you task practice for skills.
Unfortunately, the things you're asking are helpful, and as a student, they are valuable, but they're tasks. And there is a reason RNs have CNAs take over many tasks with their valuable hands, eyes, and ears: RNs don't often get to task, because they manage so much around the tasking. And students can't do that on the floor.
Maybe my rotations have been out of the norm? But in my second semester I was assigned 2 patients, doing full assessments, giving PO meds, IV/IVP with my CI, foley insertions, bladder scans, ROM and ambulation. I did admission/discharge surveys when the RN directed.
We had our own logins for the EMR and charted on our patients. CI had to consign, not the nurse. I called pharmacy when meds were not stocked and also caught incompatible prescriptions before admin. I called tech support to get COWs back online and gathered them all up and waited to make sure they all got fixed.
I realize that different hospitals have different protocol. It's so frustrating to see a student vs. RN vibe going on.
We get it, it's a PITA and you don't get paid for having a student with you. But we also are paying for the opportunity to at least attempt to learn.
Maybe it's more the feeling of being shunned and a burden that's bothering the students? I have felt this way before on the floor and it was not fun.
Does it really cost anything to be civil to one another?
I know that one hospital that I did clinicals at had almost a "reward system" for the nurses that took on students. Not all the nurses cared about taking on a student, but some of them would jump on it. One nurse explained to me that they get bonuses and incentives if they take on students during shift. ALTHOUGH, I understand that on a busy shift taking on a student may be more trouble than it's worth.
Another thing I wanted to share... We had clinicals one semester at a teaching hospital that had a large amount indigent/no insurance patients. The floor was always understaffed and the nurses would be too much in a rush for students. I did have one nurse that really took time to work with me, but my other nurses weren't too willing. Normally the nurses would ask me what skills I could preform (which was all my nursing skills and we just passed our dosage calc) and they would give me tasks while they were doing their rounds. I had two different nurses that nearly treated me like a staff member and had me work by myself. That may sound bad, but I actually had a fun time on those shifts! I was always busy passing meds or helping with wound care. I probably did more during that clinical than any other that I have attended.
We get it, it's a PITA and you don't get paid for having a student with you. But we also are paying for the opportunity to at least attempt to learn.
So perhaps the people you are PAYING to give you the education should be the ones doing the actual educating.
Sorry. I've been nice in my responses so far but this sentence just really rubbed me the wrong way. The fact that you are paying for school isn't my responsibility. I don't owe you anything. Not one thing. Maybe you students should have done your due diligence when choosing a school and asked them how clinicals are run so you could have the experience you want.
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
I've had a different experience in my clinicals. In fact, after my clinical in a Neuro ICU some of the nurses were asking me to apply to the hospital and said they would vouch for me.
My advice. At least this worked for me.
From day 1 in my first clinical I jumped in to help the patient care assistants with all the work that the nurse didn't want to do...cleaning up soiled bed linens, draining full Foley catheter bags, etc and charting I & O. I kept myself busy doing little things that I knew they would appreciate, like answering call lights and taking care of simple requests like getting extra pillows, ice chips (if they weren't NPO), etc.
When a nurse was overwhelmed in medical-surgical clinical I would jump in and just ask to help. They are scrambling and it's time for 11am vitals. I asked if I could check vitals and chart for them. Even the patients that weren't assigned to me by my clinical instructor.
I'd be listening to the physicians. They are talking to the nurse and telling her to put in a Foley. I've got all the stuff she needs by the time she finishes the conversation with the Doc.
By the last 4 weeks of the semester nurses would call me into the room when they were doing something interesting.
The same was true in my critical care clinical. I was there helping the patient care tech clean up from a displaced fecal tube with a 400lb paralyzed patient. I help clean up a room where the patient had projectile vomited all over the place. Wherever the nurse went I went and jumped in and did all the stuff I could do that I knew wasn't pleasant for them.
By the end of the semester not did only the nurses teach me how to do procedures but more than once the doctors took me aside and explain to me what their residents were doing as they were doing their procedures and what kind of care they would expect the nurses to provide in the aftermath. I think it was because they nurses were talking me up as a team player.
In my observation too many nursing students don't jump in and clean poop, pee and vomit. They don't do the little things that take up time and are a little unpleasant.
My advice is to jump in and be a part of the healthcare team and work hard every clinical day. It will be noticed after a while.
Please understand that what I am about to say is not a criticism of you or your program.
I don't understand why you din't have patient assignments. From your post, it sounds like you were there just looking for things to do. When I had clinical, starting from the first time we hit the floor, we had assigned patients. We did what we were able to do and charted on our patients. We gradually had more skills, and we started to get more patients. Mosts of the time we were too busy with our own work to help out the aides, although we certainly did if we could.
Our clinical instructor would go around and look for opportunities to learn skills; we din't have to do that.
It sounds like you did a great job of gaining the trust of the staff where you had your clinicals.
That's why we weren't paired with the floor nurses. We got our assignment which usually included more than one nurse. We found the nurse in the morning and told them that we were assigned their patient, I can do these things, and I can't do these things. We did everything with our clinical instructor because the floor nurses may or may not be qualified to teach or have the desire to teach students. We periodically updated the patient's nurse of what has and hasn't been done and any abnormal findings.
That's why we weren't paired with the floor nurses. We got our assignment which usually included more than one nurse. We found the nurse in the morning and told them that we were assigned their patient, I can do these things, and I can't do these things. We did everything with our clinical instructor because the floor nurses may or may not be qualified to teach or have the desire to teach students. We periodically updated the patient's nurse of what has and hasn't been done and any abnormal findings.
We get it, it's a PITA and you don't get paid for having a student with you. But we also are paying for the opportunity to at least attempt to learn.
So perhaps the people you are PAYING to give you the education should be the ones doing the actual educating.
Sorry. I've been nice in my responses so far but this sentence just really rubbed me the wrong way. The fact that you are paying for school isn't my responsibility. I don't owe you anything. Not one thing. Maybe you students should have done your due diligence when choosing a school and asked them how clinicals are run so you could have the experience you want.
I think that my comment there got taken out of context.
Read back through my posts. I have never said that I feel like I'm owed anything. I have repeatedly said that if a student, myself included, does not take responsibility for their learning they are to blame, as there is always something to do.
What I was trying to say is that I can see it from both sides.
The program I am in is doing just fine teaching me. And I am doing just fine on the floor.
An "us vs them" mentality never turns out well for anyone.
We get it, it's a PITA and you don't get paid for having a student with you. But we also are paying for the opportunity to at least attempt to learn.
I think that my comment there got taken out of context.
Read back through my posts. I have never said that I feel like I'm owed anything. I have repeatedly said that if a student, myself included, does not take responsibility for their learning they are to blame, as there is always something to do.
What I was trying to say is that I can see it from both sides.
The program I am in is doing just fine teaching me. And I am doing just fine on the floor.
An "us vs them" mentality never turns out well for anyone.
No you didn't say that exactly but you did say that you were paying for an education (as did other posters) and the implication is that because you are paying tuition we, as staff nurses, are responsible for providing you that education in the clinical setting. In reality you should primarily be taught by your school's clinical educators not the floor nurses. The schools that just dump their students on the floor with a cell number for the CI or have too many students for the CI to handle are the ONLY ones to blame. That's who you should be complaining to. It isn't an us vs. them situation because we aren't the problem. By and large the floor staff does the best they can in an impossible situation where students are involved. It is the school's and the student's responsibility to make clinicals as educational as possible NOT the nursing staff.
Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN
5,047 Posts
You were working your way through the thread, but replies from the likes of ixchel, BuckyBadgerRN, psu_213, and FlyingScot preceded Aggie's (since your next-most-recent comment). Yet, Aggie was the one whom you thanked for the feedback.
Following that comment, you also received very thoughtful feedback from elkpark, Ruby Vee, janey, myself among others... but then you return to the thread to jump on Nurse Leigh.
I think that's probably how she got the idea that you were responded to the one who was sympathetic to you. Then you respond to that post rather than the numerous thorough explanations to your premise that "floor nurses are so unwilling to teach," and so yes, it does look like you're ignoring said posters, and hearing only what you want to hear.