Why are nursing students so completely disrepected?

[agent]

From everything I've heard and read so far, it seems that nursing students aren't respected at all.

This is in stark contrast to med students of whom most ppl generally respect and are treated like adults.

Instructors seem to talk down to and treat students as children.

I sincerely hope I don't get treated like that.

[hcfraughton]

MED students get respect??? Oh man do you have that wrong....they get plenty of humilation where I work at....maybe more of put in there place (some have the "I know it all" attitude)

Nursing students will get the respect, but they must earn it....work hard, admit when you don't know something, take the time to find the answer, be compassionate, etc......

I don't think you sound like you will have a problem!

This is SO off! EVERY person should be respected. I didn't say "worhipped", but they have the right to not be treated like a piece of ****!

[hcfraughton]

I have been pretty lucky when it comes to respect. I'm on my third week of clinicals at a LTC facility. The nurses have been great, maybe it's because I show so much enthusiasm about the job I'm going to be doing one day. If they ask if I want to see something (wound care, cath change, FSBS) I jump on the chance. The only problem I've had is with one of the CNA's who likes to try to tell me what I should be doing next. I guess my clincal instructer doen't know what's important for me to do.:chuckle

I wouldn't even see that as a problem. You can learn a lot from CNAs. You'll have to be delegating to them soon. Which is a delicate balance, let me tell you!

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Welcome to AN! hcfraughton..... The largest online nursing community.

Just to let you know this thread is 9 years old.

[SC4Nurse2B]

I guess I wouldn't borrow trouble until you find out how it is going to be. We are going to have to deal with all kinds of people and our instructors will be the first. Yikes! I am trying to keep an open mind and to not try to guess how they will be. Good luck to you!

[SC4Nurse2B]

Oh dear. Just saw how old the thread is. Haha. Sorry folks. If I could delete it, I would.

[kdbean530]

I have experienced both. But here's how it works. If you go into clinicals knowing what you're doing, totally confident, appreciate the staff, get to know them, don't act intimidated, speak up, ask smart questions (not ones you already know the answer to because you're trying to kiss ass), and are very helpful, you will be respected and they will love you. If you are timid, disrespectful, don't ask questions, don't help them, etc. they will not like you and you will not be respected. They like students that take a stand for themselves and who are not intimidated. Some nurses just have a grudge though and hate nursing students. Most of them are older, been there too long, and need to retire. OR they have had a bad experience with a student. You need to be that student to change how they feel and stick up for the rest of us students!

[OKNurse2be]

Since R E S P E C T is never a new or old issue, I will put my two cents in. In my life, I try to treat others, no matter who it is, with the same courtesy and respect that I would like to be treated with myself. I find that for the most part, it works. I am 29 years old so I am kind of the middle of the pack usually when it comes to the age range of students in class. Sometimes, because I do look a bit younger, professors have treated me with the "fresh out of High School with no life experience" deal. I just let my grades and effort prove my worth. I intend to do the same in Nursing school. Go forth with humility because as far as nursing goes I have next to no experience yet, and just study my butt off and let my achievements earn me respect along the way. I really don't know how I will handle things if I come up against disrespectful preceptors later on, but I will most likely try the "turn the other cheek" approach first, not to mention pray a lot.

[OB-nurse2013, BSN, RN]

I have never really had any problem with this. I really have been lucky and I've only had one bad clinical instructor but she actually wasn't too bad to me just to some of my classmates and she didn't teach me much which was disapointing and since the floor nurses didn't liek her we didn't have as much opportunities to see and do stuff on the floor as we may have. I've worked with many great nurses too and some crabby ones but they don't bother me much either and I've had far more good then bad actually I can only think of one bad one. I'ld say I've been pretty lucky and since I'm a senior I just hope my last two semesters will be okay :) One think that bothers me as a nursing student is that people don't always respect nurses in general and I've found tehy really have no clue as to what nurses actually do, but who cares thats why I enjoy this site :)