I'm in my last semester of nursing school and have met so many amazing nurses in my clinical experiences. These nurses were patient and willing to take a minute in their busy day to teach or allow me observe.
Of course I have also met nurses who wanted nothing to do with us students. I've had nurses roll their eyes at me when being assigned a student, nurses introduce themselves by telling me "stay outta my way", nurses that don't want me to do anything with their patients, nurses that say "your assessments don't count, you're just a student", I've had nurses say "I don't get paid to teach", nurses that have been mean and rude. Why??? Haven't these nurses been new? Students Eager to learn?
So last week on Medsurge unit in our "teaching hospital" I knew I was in for a long day when I saw my assignment. I worked with this nurse once and had heard nothing but horror stories from other students. I started by introducing myself [received an eye roll], and let her know my assignment included med administration, labs (blood draw from central line), general nursing care, and of course shift assessments. Her response a sarcastic "great". I prepared my meds and discussed them with my instructor. As we headed into the room to administer the nurse was already there giving meds. "You took too long" she said. I apologized and explained I needed to do them with my instructor. She also did the blood draw. My day went on like this.
Frustrated I caught her at the nurses station and asked if we could talk. I asked her "what made you want to be a nurse? Do you remember being a student?" She didn't answer. Then I said " I feel like I am an inconvenience, I want nothing more to be a great nurse and in order to do so I need to learn from someone with the same passion". I then walked away. 30 minutes later she came up to me and said that she thinks we have it easy. Computers and nclex prep courses we are just taught to pass an exam. Although I don't fully disagree I did explain that the nursing field is growing and medical advances, increasing comorbitities, and advancing technology does not make it any easier to learn. She then said "I wanted to be a nurse to take care of people, to be respected, and to make a change... I almost forgot". Aside from my end of shift report we didn't talk again.
Since this day my fellow students have said she's a great nurse, willing to teach and patient.
Moral of my king story -- stick up for yourself and never forget why you want to be a nurse.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Nurses are so quick to forget they were students and another nurse had an extra workload and at the time as a student you didn't see it that way.... Quick to forget the past I notice with a lot of nurses. I best nurses I have experience always said "I was once a student...." And helped me SO I didn't miss up and they had to fix that also... Oh well
As a future RN, you shouldn't be so quick to judge. Nurses HAVE been in your shoes. We've all been students. Most of us remember it well and are grateful for the clinical experiences we had and the nurses whose work we tripled or quadrupled. That doesn't mean it's always easy for us to teach a student -- and some days are harder than others. Nor do we now, as we used to many, many moons ago, have a choice about whether or not we have an orientee or a student to teach. There used to be far more crusty old bats than students. Not so much anymore.
I won't speak for any of the other COBs around, but when we were students we were quite aware that the nurses were doing US a favor; we weren't doing them one. We knew we were increasing, not decreasing their load, and if we forgot even for a second, our instructors were quick to remind us. I don't see that attitude anymore; students seem to believe that we're there for their benefit. Especially in teaching hospitals. (And for the record, "teaching hospital" means that we teach medical students, interns and residents, NOT that we teach student nurses.)
We've BEEN in your shoes. You've never been in our shoes. If you're very lucky, you'll get a chance to teach nursing students one day. And after you've done it for awhile, you may find that some days are easier than others. Some students are easier than others. And the students from some schools are easier than others. And perhaps you'll have a bad day and some student will come on AN complaining about the nurse that was so MEAN to her . . . and you'll know that she's wrong. Please come back and tell us when that happens.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Except everything the OP mentioned had nothing to do with a nurse who was/is interested in teaching. Eyerolling, sarcastic remarks, rudeness, and doing things without showing the student, defeats the purpose of the student being there.
But the point is, it's not ABOUT the student or the student's learning experience. It's about the patient. If the student isn't ready to give meds and the meds need to be given, then the meds get given. If the student isn't ready to do the treatment and the treatment needs to be given, the treatment gets given. ICU nurses may have a bit more leeway to wait for the student (or not, if the patient isn't stable) but Med/Surg nurses are run ragged and they don't have extra time to wait. Many of them have no interest in, knack for or time to teach students. Nor do they get the choice to refuse.
Eyerolling, sarcastic remarks and rudeness aren't anything to be proud of, but they don't really negate the teaching that does (or doesn't) go on, either. Just saying.
But the point is, it's not ABOUT the student or the student's learning experience. It's about the patient. If the student isn't ready to give meds and the meds need to be given, then the meds get given. If the student isn't ready to do the treatment and the treatment needs to be given, the treatment gets given. ICU nurses may have a bit more leeway to wait for the student (or not, if the patient isn't stable) but Med/Surg nurses are run ragged and they don't have extra time to wait. Many of them have no interest in, knack for or time to teach students. Nor do they get the choice to refuse.
Eyerolling, sarcastic remarks and rudeness aren't anything to be proud of, but they don't really negate the teaching that does (or doesn't) go on, either. Just saying.
But the point is, it's not ABOUT the student or the student's learning experience. It's about the patient. If the student isn't ready to give meds and the meds need to be given, then the meds get given. If the student isn't ready to do the treatment and the treatment needs to be given, the treatment gets given.
I agree with this; however, I think I was misunderstood. I'm talking about nurses who have no interest in teaching the student, much like the one the OP mentioned.
The eye rolls, sarcastic remarks, overly being rude to the "underling" is still uncalled for.
Except everything the OP mentioned had nothing to do with a nurse who was/is interested in teaching. Eyerolling sarcastic remarks, rudeness, and doing things without showing the student, defeats the purpose of the student being there.[/quote']
The OP had also heard horror stories about this nurse so she was already going into the situation expecting to be treated like she says she was. I wonder how different the experience may have been if she hadn't had any preconceived notions about what the day was going to be like.
The OP had also heard horror stories about this nurse so she was already going into the situation expecting to be treated like she says she was. I wonder how different the experience may have been if she hadn't had any preconceived notions about what the day was going to be like.
Are you saying because the OP was expecting her day to be unfavorable after hearing horror stories that she should have accepted it? I don't see how being forewarned about something would have automatically changed the nurses behavior towards her. But if you think so, please elaborate.
Are you saying because the OP was expecting her day to be unfavorable after hearing horror stories that she should have accepted it? I don't see how being forewarned about something would have automatically changed the nurses behavior towards her. But if you think so please elaborate.[/quote']
No. I'm saying maybe the OP made a bigger deal out of things than they really were because that's what she was expecting from that nurse. And I'm not saying being warned would change the nurse either. OP said, "I knew it was going to be a long day when I saw my assignment". She went into it expecting it to be difficult and that's exactly what she got. Maybe if she went in to the day with the mindset that things were going to go well and she would get along with the assigned nurse, she wouldn't be complaining about these things.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Are you saying because the OP was expecting her day to be unfavorable after hearing horror stories that she should have accepted it? I don't see how being forewarned about something would have automatically changed the nurses behavior towards her. But if you think so, please elaborate.
Self-fulfilling prophecy.
If you go looking for nurses eating their young, you'll find them. Even if there is no eating of the young going on.
If you go looking for something bad, you'll find it. Whether or not it exists. If you go looking for good, you'll find that, too.
If you go looking for nurses eating their young, you'll find them. Even if there is no eating of the young going on.
If you go looking for something bad, you'll find it. Whether or not it exists. If you go looking for good, you'll find that, too.
Right.
I sincerely hope you don't go telling patients the reason they are in the ER was because they were looking for something bad to happen to them.
I will continue to question why people defend bullying with ridiculous excuses as I unsuscribe from this thread. I just simply can't entertain this. Lol!
Specializes in Asthma and Allergy, Sleep Disorder.
I'm in my last semester of nursing school and have met so many amazing nurses in my clinical experiences. These nurses were patient and willing to take a minute in their busy day to teach or allow me observe.
Of course I have also met nurses who wanted nothing to do with us students. I've had nurses roll their eyes at me when being assigned a student, nurses introduce themselves by telling me "stay outta my way", nurses that don't want me to do anything with their patients, nurses that say "your assessments don't count, you're just a student", I've had nurses say "I don't get paid to teach", nurses that have been mean and rude. Why??? Haven't these nurses been new? Students Eager to learn?
So last week on Medsurge unit in our "teaching hospital" I knew I was in for a long day when I saw my assignment. I worked with this nurse once and had heard nothing but horror stories from other students. I started by introducing myself [received an eye roll], and let her know my assignment included med administration, labs (blood draw from central line), general nursing care, and of course shift assessments. Her response a sarcastic "great". I prepared my meds and discussed them with my instructor. As we headed into the room to administer the nurse was already there giving meds. "You took too long" she said. I apologized and explained I needed to do them with my instructor. She also did the blood draw. My day went on like this.
Frustrated I caught her at the nurses station and asked if we could talk. I asked her "what made you want to be a nurse? Do you remember being a student?" She didn't answer. Then I said " I feel like I am an inconvenience, I want nothing more to be a great nurse and in order to do so I need to learn from someone with the same passion". I then walked away. 30 minutes later she came up to me and said that she thinks we have it easy. Computers and nclex prep courses we are just taught to pass an exam. Although I don't fully disagree I did explain that the nursing field is growing and medical advances, increasing comorbitities, and advancing technology does not make it any easier to learn. She then said "I wanted to be a nurse to take care of people, to be respected, and to make a change... I almost forgot". Aside from my end of shift report we didn't talk again.
Since this day my fellow students have said she's a great nurse, willing to teach and patient.
Moral of my king story -- stick up for yourself and never forget why you want to be a nurse.
Forgetful Nurses-
Hi,I have been an LPN for 30 years...wow, I just counted up the years on my fingers to make sure. I worked for 16 years in a hospital setting. I remember being treated that way. When I started Rn's were the only preceptors, which at the time, was a nightmare. RN's did not speak to the "lower class". So how were we supposed to learn? Fortunately, I came in at the end of that era. Things changed very rapidly. I became a preceptor. I trained many an RN as well as LPN's. It was really hard to train only that individual that went in to nursing for the wrong reasons. The "true nurses", RN or LPN, were an asset to my day, eager to learn and help! Great topic, we all need reminders from time to time! I wish you a wonderful and rewarding career! Carmen
Because it's a site for nurses. If you want to complain about nurses, perhaps you'd be better off going to student doctor dot net
Okay at this point this is my last post on here, because I feel like this thread is just beating a dead horse. The point of my question was, why is the behavior of complaining about being mistreated okay for RNs but not for student nurses? The answer that its okay because this is a nurses site doesn't make any sense because it is still condoning the behavior- meaning that you still accept it as okay behavior from the RN, but not the student. Of course student nurses will want to ask other experienced RNs for their opinion on it, that's the purpose of this site. I'm just saddened to see some RNs defend this type of bullying and behavior, however I do know not all RNs do, so that at least comforts me. But the simple fact that RNs believe they should not be mistreated by busy doctors who can't be bothered with them, should mean that RNs should not be doing the same to student nurses. This idea that student nurses who want to learn are feeling entitled or naive is counterproductive. If a student is naive because he/she doesn't know what to expect, then that's the school's or facility's fault for not preparing them. The whole reason for clinicals is so that the student can learn those things that can't be learned in the classroom- rolling your eyes at the student or getting angry at them for not knowing those things is well....illogical. I feel very fortunate that I am not experiencing this at my clinicial. The nurses, LPNs, RNs, and CNAs, have all worked well with me- allow me to listen to reports on my patient, and let me know when I can be helpful or when they want me to step back or just watch. Never once are they rude to me, and their reports to my instructor have been all positive. I am sorry for the the student nurses on here who are experiencing the opposite and I hope you all can work through it and graduate! I hope that my opinion on this thread won't have upset the RNs on here so that in the future when I seek help, I won't receive it. I have asked questions in the past and have received very helpful advice; I do respect all of the experienced nurses and CNAs, but I will say this thread has really saddened and depressed me. I suppose I am no longer going to be "naive" about the politics and "ranks" in nursing.
I have asked questions in the past and have received very helpful advice; I do respect all of the experienced nurses and CNAs, but I will say this thread has really saddened and depressed me. I suppose I am no longer going to be "naive" about the politics and "ranks" in nursing.
Ruby Vee, BSN
17 Articles; 14,051 Posts
As a future RN, you shouldn't be so quick to judge. Nurses HAVE been in your shoes. We've all been students. Most of us remember it well and are grateful for the clinical experiences we had and the nurses whose work we tripled or quadrupled. That doesn't mean it's always easy for us to teach a student -- and some days are harder than others. Nor do we now, as we used to many, many moons ago, have a choice about whether or not we have an orientee or a student to teach. There used to be far more crusty old bats than students. Not so much anymore.
I won't speak for any of the other COBs around, but when we were students we were quite aware that the nurses were doing US a favor; we weren't doing them one. We knew we were increasing, not decreasing their load, and if we forgot even for a second, our instructors were quick to remind us. I don't see that attitude anymore; students seem to believe that we're there for their benefit. Especially in teaching hospitals. (And for the record, "teaching hospital" means that we teach medical students, interns and residents, NOT that we teach student nurses.)
We've BEEN in your shoes. You've never been in our shoes. If you're very lucky, you'll get a chance to teach nursing students one day. And after you've done it for awhile, you may find that some days are easier than others. Some students are easier than others. And the students from some schools are easier than others. And perhaps you'll have a bad day and some student will come on AN complaining about the nurse that was so MEAN to her . . . and you'll know that she's wrong. Please come back and tell us when that happens.