Working with student nurses

whichone'spink, BSN, RN · Oct 31, 2011

Working with students is the best! They're usually young, which makes them particularly tasty. And since they're just students, it's usually a long time before anyone notices they've gone missing.

Do we taste like chicken?

merlee · Oct 31, 2011

My perception is that the instructor's license might be on the line if the student is not properly supervised.

I loved having students, but I think it was probably having to do with 'growing up' in a diploma, hospital-based system, where so many of the nurses we worked with were also part of the same system. There was a shared comaraderie - that nurse may have been living on your floor in the dorm 2 years ago! She remembers having 'Sarge' as her instructor!

But many, many people have told me that I am a natural teacher. I have always thought that information/knowledge is meant to be shared, not hoarded. I have never felt that someone is questioning me personally, just that they want to know or understand better.

It came as a surprise to me that some nurses felt I was intimidating because I asked questions.

We need to encourage our students, and realize that sometimes that 'know-it-all' attitude is a way of covering up their insecurity. Most of them are quaking in their shoes!!

Best wishes to all, and have a Happy Hallowe'en!

tothepointeLVN, LVN · Oct 31, 2011

I guess what LisaRN1105 is trying to imply is the "know-it-all attitude", which sometimes make some nurse(s) a little frustrated. If student nurses come across with this kind of attitude, I think its best for RN's to start their statement with, 'FROM EXPERIENCE'...

I agree 100% with the above. I have found those who know it all tend to be a little more dangerous in my opinion.

HOWEVER just because you have experience doesn't mean your right on all things. Things change and I am always open to learning something new from those in the learning process because they hopefully are up to date on things and spend 100% of their waking hours inhaling nursing textbooks.

Put them in their place if you feel the need because they are being obnoxious about it.

To students instead of phrasing things "Well thats not what I learned" say something along the lines of "Can I clarify xyz because I noticed you do things xyz but the way I have learnt is this but I am always open to new knowledge" because you never know if your nurse has just been to a new conference and just learnt the latest and greatest.

NursingGuyVG · Oct 31, 2011

I agree with the nurse who mentioned to think about it as a way to give back. In my own career pursuing FNP, I've started teaching clinicals, so I know all about those so-called "irritating students", and I can say that at least the ones I've taught have been knowledgeable, understanding, and very helpful to their RNs (of course, I'm teaching seniors right now).

Prior to me beginning teaching, I had SN's at all levels on my clinical units where I have worked, and while a very few of them seem to have a "know it all" attitude, the vast majority of them are humble enough to be teachable. Sure, they only take one or two (or sometimes 3-4) of your patients, and do some work with them, and at other times try to sit back and get their paperwork done (and again, some take advantage of that and try to take LOTS of floor time off the floor), it's pretty easy to see which ones will succeed and which ones probably won't.

What I'd like to see an end to with regard to student nurses, is the attitude of the staff "hurray, we have students... we can sit back and relax while they do all our work for us." I've seen this primarily from aides, but from enough nurses to make it annoying to me as an instructor... in fact, my most recent class experienced this first-hand, when a couple of aides and a (IMO) lazy nurse (who herself spent more time in the break room than doing patient care) whined that my seniors, whose primary focus for the short rotation was to be learning time management and "coordinator of care" concepts (including delegation of tasks), weren't bathing all their assigned patients. The problems with this attitude were 1) the students were assigned patients who were for the most part, self-care; and 2) the whining, lazy nurse didn't even have patients to whom my students were assigned! I got the feeling the whining staff expected my students to bath all the patients on the unit, not just care for the ones to whom they were assigned. So there it was, that staff attitude of "those students will do everything and we can sit back and do nothing".

I think we all should remember how fresh, and frustrating nursing school was for us, how strange and scared we all felt working alongside the "real nurses" and the doctors, NPs, and PAs, working on real patients, not dummies or (now) simulation labs. We needed to learn back then, and the students coming through now need to learn, as well. I've told all my students that in nursing and medicine, as dynamic sciences, we should take the attitude that we can never stop learning. Whether you've been a nurse for 1 day or 50 years, you can always learn something from someone every day. IMO, any nurse who closes his/her mind and thinks that they're all-knowing and they don't need to nearn anything more, needs to get out of the profession NOW, because healthcare never stops growing, changing, and adapting. We need to be the same.

The time of "eating our young" needs to STOP. We all need to take a deep breath, jump into our day and bring these student nurses alongside us, and help them to learn the profession from the clinical point of view. They get enough of the "ideals of nursing" in lectures; we have the fantastic opportunity on the clinical units to pull back the "veil" and show them the "reality" of nursing, the good, the bad, and the ugly, and help them adapt to the environment they will soon be inheriting from us. We don't need to take the general doctors' attitude regarding 24+ hour residency shifts because "I had to do it"; we can be better than that.

- NursingGuy

iknowican · Oct 31, 2011

As a student nurse - We know which nurses help us because they want to and we know which ones help us because they have to. I know I learn more from the nurse who wants to teach me. The one who doesn't makes me more nervous than I already am. I also know which students act like they already know everything. TEST them - use your knowledge and skills to find out how smart they really are.

beu4me06 · Oct 31, 2011

I am currently a nursing student, and to be honest I am very kind, I am great with my assessments, and I feel bad that I might have to slow the nurse down, but to be honest with you.....as part of our passing clinical is to be assertive and tell the nurse what to do and which patients we will take, and when we will delegate....and honestly I feel so uncomfortable having this attitude b/c I feel bad for my co-assigned. But like I said its part of our assignment as a student nurse during clinical to be assertive & some what aggressive. Just try your best to be patient and realize that as part of the student nurse assignment we have to fake being uncomfortable for our grade

SuperStarRN · Oct 31, 2011

the only time I have ever questioned a nurse in front of a patient was when I witnessed her (begin to) start an IV without gloves. i blurted out "shouldn't you have gloves on for IVs??" and she responded , "ohh i'm old school honey, I don't use them!". my face must've said it all . i handed her a paid of gloves and just looked at her until she accepted them.

Despite what others might have to say about that you were right to call her out. She was not only putting herself at risk but the patient as well. That is disgusting! Gloves are not a new school vs old school situation they are absolutely necessary! :up:

healthstar, BSN, RN · Oct 31, 2011

I don't see why nurses would dislike student nurses. Students nurses take care of 1 or 2 patients, they pass meds, they do everything for the patient the nurse doesn't have to do anything for that patient, just a routine round. I have noticed and I've been told that some nurses get annoyed when students ask questions, the reason for this is because they don't know the answers or they are just lazy. I can't imagine being a nurse, dentist, doctor, lawyer and not answering questions. If I know the answer to a particular question I would answer in a heartbeat, it will make me so happy knowing that I just helped someone, I made their day easier etc.

eagle78 · Oct 31, 2011

I don't think the OP was stating that these students are ALWAYS annoying, just that there were times. I don't think this was meant to be as "flaming" as some people think it is.
I don't mind having student nurses with me, I think it's fun to have the teaching opportunities in fact. However, when there is a particularly busy day at work, it can be more difficult to have a student. I would be able to go about my job and do what I need to without having to verbally explain it to anyone (which makes for a faster interaction). So I can understand where having a student could feel "annoying" at times.... it's a distraction to your day. That doesn't make me mean, or hate nursing students.... it makes me human to feel some frustration and have a bad day.

Now that is a key point I agree with. As a student in my first clinical rotation I can appreciate the OP and this posters candor. I can imagine it must be difficult to have someone always there looking over your shoulder. I want to learn, but I feel for the professionals who have to allot time in their day to instruct/train us. At any rate I want to say to all who make time for us students, thank you, and that includes the OP. :smokin:

aussiemom · Oct 31, 2011

I am currently a nursing student, and to be honest I am very kind, I am great with my assessments, and I feel bad that I might have to slow the nurse down, but to be honest with you.....as part of our passing clinical is to be assertive and tell the nurse what to do and which patients we will take, and when we will delegate....and honestly I feel so uncomfortable having this attitude b/c I feel bad for my co-assigned. But like I said its part of our assignment as a student nurse during clinical to be assertive & some what aggressive. Just try your best to be patient and realize that as part of the student nurse assignment we have to fake being uncomfortable for our grade

I appreciate you taking initiative in clinicals and grabbing interesting opportunities for yourself. This will strengthen your knowledge base and practice. However, I suggest that you not "tell the nurse what to do" while you are on the unit. Maybe I am misunderstanding where you are headed, but as a guest on their unit, you need to be respectful of these working nurses' environment. Keep in mind your chain of command if situations are causing you trouble or you feel you are not getting an adequate experience- go to your CI first, then your dean, and so on. Hang in there, it will get better. As you gain a quiet confidence in your abilities, you will not feel as though you have to "fake it 'til you make it" quite so often. Best of luck on your journey!

nurseygurlie · Oct 31, 2011

How do you guys feel about working with student nurses? They are helpful but at times irritating to my day. I am always kind and polite to them because I remember how it was to be a nursing student. Sometimes I feel that they have a "know it all" attitude.

It might come off as a "know it all" attitude, and you might be right about some people being that way, but I think it is more of the student nurse trying to make a connection between what they've learned in theory to what they are seeing or hearing from you. It might not be so much of a "Oh well I already know about THAT", but more like, "Oh! I already KNOW about that!" This is an awesome time for a student to realize that they know, understand, or comprehend something they see in clinical. It is an enlightening or awakening moment to realize that you actually know something or have a good understanding of a situation and might even be able to make a good decision about it.

Clinical is a complement to learning how to be a nurse. Do them a favor and support what they know, rather than act annoyed. I'm sure you aren't studying 40+ hours a week anymore....maybe you could learn something from them too!

KentechRN · Oct 31, 2011

I've only been a nurse for a short time and nursing school is still fresh in my mind. The nursing students on my floor are all from the same school I graduated from so I have a decent idea of what they're going through. I love having students working in my group and try my best to grab them for anything interesting and help them where I can. I'm also quite frightened that I will mess up in front of them because, as I said before, I'm still new to a lot of things too.

I hope my desire to help students learn doesn't fade but it's true, having a student can be quite time consuming and even irritating if the student has a "done that, don't need to do it again" attitude.