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.
Ask....sure. Expect? No. Hope for experiences....sure. Demand them? No. Offer to assist....sure. Insist on taking the task "off the nurse's hands"? No way in hell.
Really comes down to POV of the situation. Expectation of accommodation versus thankfulness for whatever experiences come your way. Entitlement versus gift.
what I am reading the most is that the nurses are not being compensated for teaching students. Soooo people don't become nurses for the awesome salary I mean for real if a nurse wanted a high paying healthcare job they should've went to med school, so why all this emphasis on monetary compensation, When the main reason people become nurses is because they care about what they do.
Just wanted to point out that physicians, while well paid, don't mentor underlings for free either.
Personally I'm fine with my income. I made $45K for working a 0.5 FTE, with an associate's degree. My husband makes several times more than I do, so as a household we do just fine.
That said, I don't work for free (unless it is in a purely volunteer capacity, e.g. medical missions.) Nor do I strive to do more work for the same pay.
Now if I had less work patient-wise, plus a student, that would balance out just fine and I would have had more time for the students.
The issue isn't purely monetary -- it's that the RN is expected to take this pt + student workload with neither increased pay nor decreased floor responsibilities.
As has been said, the clinical instructor is the one to do the teaching, not the floor nurses. If there is an issue, you need to talk with the instructor. If that doesn't work, take it to your class room instructor for the class. The clinical instructor should be teaching and guiding you on new tasks. This instructor should also have give you a list of expectations, what you do each day, etc.
One thing that students don't seem to realize is that they aren't really there to help. As an experienced nurse, it is much quicker and easier to do something myself than to walk a student through it. Also, patient acuity has increased exponentially as have nurse to patient ratios. This means that nurses continue to be expected to do more with less. They also have routines that are disrupted by having students. There is often no notice that the nurse will be assigned a student- they find out when the student comes on the floor. Nurses also aren't compensated to take on the additional responsibility of students. Additionally, it used to be that educating the students was the responsibility of the clinical instructor. Now, there are so many students scattered throughout that the instructor can't possibly be with all of the students, again, meaning more falls onto the nurse who isn't compensated and likely didn't receive education on how to be a nursing instructor. Additionally, not all nurses are meant to be preceptors, but have the responsibility thrust on them anyway.
Wrong. The floor nurses ARE there to help. They work for the hospital that has accepted nursi
All you can do is make the best of the situation, learn what you can, and approach your instructor for assistance if you think you need a new nurse preceptor for the day.
WRONG. The floor nurses are there to help; to instruct, to mentor. The hospital accepted the students, therefore that is part of the mission as well as patient care. As for quicker and easier, that is not relevant. It is about quality of care to the patients and instruction to the student. The nurse should look at the student in the aspect he/she is training their relief. Students disrupting the routine? Since when is patient care a routine? Patients, as varied as they are, constantly disrupt the so-called routine. For example, the patient(s) who watch the clock and call at one minute after their pain meds are due while you are dealing with your other five patients. Clinical instructors are there to lead and manage the students and provide liaison with the charge nurse and the staff. You mentioned compensation twice. I didn't know nursing was all about compensation. You are an MSN and Guide, and I am surprised by your response. You might want to rethink your responses given your credentials and position before you respond this way to a student. I have had great nurses during my clinicals and the occasional Piece of Crap who was burnt out and/or dumped on me and my fellow students. They were the exception rather than the rule. Student nurses aren't an extra PCT or a burden. They are a future nurse.
WRONG. The floor nurses are there to help; to instruct, to mentor. The hospital accepted the students, therefore that is part of the mission as well as patient care. As for quicker and easier, that is not relevant. It is about quality of care to the patients and instruction to the student. The nurse should look at the student in the aspect he/she is training their relief. Students disrupting the routine? Since when is patient care a routine? Patients, as varied as they are, constantly disrupt the so-called routine. For example, the patient(s) who watch the clock and call at one minute after their pain meds are due while you are dealing with your other five patients. Clinical instructors are there to lead and manage the students and provide liaison with the charge nurse and the staff. You mentioned compensation twice. I didn't know nursing was all about compensation. You are an MSN and Guide, and I am surprised by your response. You might want to rethink your responses given your credentials and position before you respond this way to a student. I have had great nurses during my clinicals and the occasional Piece of Crap who was burnt out and/or dumped on me and my fellow students. They were the exception rather than the rule. Student nurses aren't an extra PCT or a burden. They are a future nurse.
You are saying this as a *student*. Please work as a nurse a few years and then get back to us.
You are saying this as a *student*. Please work as a nurse a few years and then get back to us.
Thanx for the dismissive reply. It is noncontributory. Work experience has NOTHING to do with work ethic. Let me elucidate. My experience is clinical and prehospital; military and EMS. My clinical experience was in the ER and Acute Care settings. We trained nurses, PA's, medics. Our military clinic was the busiest in the Navy. I never viewed training someone as a burden or disruptive to my routine. As a paramedic, I was a Field Training Officer. If I viewed my paramedic student as a burden, they would have never gained the skills to intubate, start peripheral IVs, Central Lines, diagnose accurately, etc. Or manage a multi-trauma patient. Or be able to tell an MD that his order was contraindicated for the patient. For example, pushing atropine in a hypothermic patient to treat bradycardia. Your response to my post is BS as you said "You are a *student*" How assuming, erroneously, and condescending.
Good grief. Did you read any replies in this thread?
Multiple people have explained very thoroughly why it is not meant to be the responsibility of floor nurses to train students.
And yes, compensation matters.
Not your responsibility? Ask your hospital what they say your responsibility is concerning students. Geez. Whose responsibility was it when you were trained as a student?
Not your responsibility? Ask your hospital what they say your responsibility is concerning students. Geez. Whose responsibility was it when you were trained as a student?
My clinical instructor who was *paid* to teach me.
Specializes in Oncology, Rehab, Public Health, Med Surg.
Not your responsibility? Ask your hospital what they say your responsibility is concerning students. Geez. Whose responsibility was it when you were trained as a student?
Mine.
And if my instructor was not there on the floor to give me the guidance i contracted for, then I would be all over the school for not living up to THEIR responsibility
RNsRWe, ASN, RN
3 Articles; 10,428 Posts
Ask....sure. Expect? No. Hope for experiences....sure. Demand them? No. Offer to assist....sure. Insist on taking the task "off the nurse's hands"? No way in hell.
Really comes down to POV of the situation. Expectation of accommodation versus thankfulness for whatever experiences come your way. Entitlement versus gift.