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 have always enjoyed working with ex-military types with very few exceptions.
I appreciate the integrity, work ethic and willingness to act with a sense of urgency when it's needed. The ex-mil nursing students are a pleasure to have around because they get it and are on top of everything, especially their patient's needs.
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
I had some nursing students on my unit the other week.
One of them kept popping out for smoke breaks, without telling anyone where they were going and came back absolutely stinking of smoke. Great for some of our patients with major respiratory issues.
I had students who needed help to hoist a patient at the same time I'm dealing with one of our patients who had passed including supporting the family, getting the doctor to verify the death and contacting the funeral director.
In the afternoon, when the students had the opportunity to participate in part of the rec program and have some social contact with the patients. Instead I found about six of them all sitting at the same table, no patients. I got alot of eye rolling when I suggested that they split up and sit among the patients and help them out
Some students are great, some are painful. All add to our work load
Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
Because they dislike novice, student nurses. People like that need to crawl back into the cave they came out of. Talk to your clinical instructor.. The hospitals have contracts with your school so they MUST comply. Hang in there
I certainly hope that you are not a nursing student because, really, this is simply idiotic.
Unless you are slow on the uptake, you must by now understand that there is no contractual agreement that the hospital staff will teach and train the students of the college. There is contractual agreement that the school may utilize the nursing units to instruct THEIR students.
You.Are.Awesome. I work around military (veterans and active duty) ALL the time, and I can tell you that the truly GREAT ones are not thrilled to have *certain* ones as representatives of their unit, their branch of service. Claiming military experience isn't the same thing as doing something that others should be proud to recognize. It's not interchangeable.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
You did not just call a staff nurse a "Piece of Crap," right???? Wait, you really did.
And you wonder why said staff RNs find it so off-putting to teach you for free?
I promise, if I ever so much as sensed a fraction of your attitude from a student, you would be reported to your CI, my charge RN, and to the hospital's liaison to the school. And that would be the end of our working-for-free relationship... unless maybe, if you were to submit a paper on the concepts of gratitude and contrition. That with an evidenced change in attitude, and I might consider it.
The proper response to one who takes time for you is, "Thank you," not "that Piece of Crap dumped on me," "they owe me," "I paid for my education, too bad if YOU didn't get paid for my education." The proper response is "Thank you."
What exactly are your qualifications to evaluate her response? Instead of attacking her, why don't you consider that given her credentials...maybe, just maybe, she has some knowledge about what nursing is. Maybe she has been the recipient of a model of nursing education that doesn't take advantage of uncompensated staff--otherwise, wouldn't she agree, if that's how nursing education is done? Maybe she has a ton of experience and wisdom as a practicing RN? And careful, this one may shock you...maybe she knows more than you or any other student in here, put together?
And then, consider that the appropriate response to someone trying to teach you is "thank you?" Even if said teaching is informing you that you're wrong, because if you're wrong you should be made aware?
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
"No one helped me, so why should I help you?" does not help newbies become proficient nurses.
I had brilliant nurse preceptors throughout my training. Some of my class mates were not so lucky. I got to start out my first year with a solid knowledge base on which to build.
I enjoy having students, I enjoy teaching and helping them to increase their knowledge basis. And that sense of pride I have when they manage to master a skill, or they really get a concept is immense
Still doesnt change the fact that having a student adds to my work load.
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
This is an art to simply shadowing an experienced nurse. A lot of knowledge can be gained by watching what the nurse is doing. You can get an idea of how things flow, time management, how to deal with doctors and families, watching procedures etc. You don't always have to be doing something to learn. So if shadowing is the only opportunity you get, then use it wisely.
One of the most profound lessons I ever learned in regards to dealing with palliative/dying patients was from shadowing a medical nurse in my second year. I'll never forget it
We were dealing with a patient who'd had a non STEMI and as a result was in alot of pain. I was finding that hard to deal with. I later had a conversation with the nurse who said "they need me to be strong, they need me to be able to carry on and deliver their much needed nursing care. Doesnt mean I dont have moments where I dont go and stand in the sluice room and have a foot stamp, a cry. I then pull myself up by the short and curlies and get on with it"
Observing patient care still has some amazing opportunities for learning. I find these days alot of students want to be doing the 'exciting stuff" like the IVs, meds, wounds etc that they miss so many opportunities for learning
I was mistaken when I said I posted my last reply. This post demands a reply. I didn't read anywhere in this thread that anyone was "owed an education". One specific point I made previously was that the floor nurse was helping the student apply what they had already learned, not providing an education. The floor nurse provides the "real world" experience as opposed to the "school world" experience. As for not in your job description, not everything can be written into a job description. Some things are unwritten or understood.
I laugh at some of the comments posted here about "students having no clue". Pretty arrogant and condescending attitude as there are plenty of students with other real world experience, not necessarily nursing, who have been in a similar environment where you had a job to do and at the same time help students. The military is a prime example. For those that think you have the corner on responsibility, try teaching live fire (guns) training to brand new students and having another instructor-in-training assigned to you to mentor at the same time. Can't count the number of times I've had a loaded and cocked gun pointed at me during training. I mentioned my Navy corpsman experience previously and some "nurse without a clue" said that corpsmen were just "assistants". Well, as a corpsman, I had my own appointment schedule to see patients, orders labs and xrays, interpret the same, write prescriptions, did minor surgery, sutured, started IV's, gave meds, etc. No, I wasn't a nurse, an APRN, a PA; just a corpsman. I also helped to train other corpsmen and student PA's in the clinical setting. To help them APPLY what they had LEARNED in school. Was it hard doing both? Absolutely. Was it written in my job description? Didn't have a job description. I worked in the ER and Acute Care.
My school provides excellent EDUCATION and also provides excellent clinical instructors. Mine don't sit on their butts. They are out there with the students on the floor guiding and helping out.
And I can't count how many times I've had floor nurses ask me to start IVs for them even though they weren't the nurse I was assigned to. Did I say "Not my patient"? Absolutely not. I helped out because they needed help even though it wasn't in my "student job description". Not to mention the numerous "Code Browns" I was asked to clean up (again, not my nurse or patients)because the nurse didn't have a PCT assigned and viewed us, IMO, as another PCT.
"Real nurses" don't have the corner on tough jobs. A lot of people have tough jobs as well.
As a former soldier, and now a nurse of 15+ years, AND former CI and classroom instructor, I can say that in your previous situation, the US government owns you when you are in the military. A matter of semantics, but true. You sign on the dotted line. That hospital does not own the employees...so no control over attitudes toward students. Sorry, but they have other metrics (patient satisfaction scores, etc) that the bean counters and honchos are worried about. I know that there are agreements between schools and facilities; they simply allow a place for students to gain experience with learned skills and thinking. There is no guarantee of floor nurses helping with that experience.
That said, when I was a CI, it was my responsibility to monitor and mentor my students. They were practicing under MY license regardless of who was in the room with them. I didn't necessarily know all of the floor nurses and I had a standard to teach to. I made that known to the floor nurses when I came and introduced myself prior to clinical sessions. They were receptive to not being responsible. They came to me when procedure or teachable moments came up. That's what a CI should be doing
It depends really. I had two great nurses one in med surg and another in ER who was AMAZING. Yes, majority of the time you will run into a nurse uninterested and not willing to teach but you will also meet one who is great and I suggest stick with them when you return back to clinical. I had a great experience in ER triage and think every nurse student should start there....what I did mostly was take the patients in the back and get them prep for the nurse practioner - take v/s, height, weight and urine/pregnancy test that's it BUT I got to listen to all the patient interview with the NP ....she showed me the PQRST method and it was so helpful. She is also a teacher so she knew I wanted to learn. I also would write down on 3x5 cards information and ask her on downtime....I would also listen in on the doctor on what the results was for that patient so I would try to connect the symptoms and the outcome results. pretty helpful experience especially kinesthetic learners
Specializes in Cath/EP lab, CCU, Cardiac stepdown.
Bottom line is this, staff nurses don't owe students anything. We are not required to take time out of our already hectic schedule to provide that education for you, that is the role of the clinical instructor and school. Does that mean we go out of our way to not teach you anything? No. That just means that if we're busy, you're not our priority.
If we have time, most of us would be more than happy to show you things. Think of it as a privilege and not a right. And what's stopping you from observing us while we are busy. If you think you can't learn anything from just observing, then you're not doing it right. Too many students on this thread is misinterpreting the responses from actual nurses. Just because the nurses are saying that they don't have to teach you, they're not saying they won't. In fact, I'm sure many of them still try a little even if they're busy.
The point is that they don't have to. And the whole thing on compensation is that they're getting paid to be there for the patients not the students. If they were paid to precept students then yes, they have to. But most aren't. And no, nursing is not all about compensation but anyone who says that compensation is not a factor is just a straight liar. I'll like to see that person work for free all the time and then tell me that compensation is not a factor, when you're working hard.
icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN
1,970 Posts
I have always enjoyed working with ex-military types with very few exceptions.
I appreciate the integrity, work ethic and willingness to act with a sense of urgency when it's needed. The ex-mil nursing students are a pleasure to have around because they get it and are on top of everything, especially their patient's needs.