Working with student nurses

guest430699 · Oct 31, 2011

I am a student, and I love all aspects of nursing. I love dealing with all types of situations. I love learning. I also love the nurse, that on my first day of clinicals EVER, asked me "If I would wipe her butt for her since I would be up it all day long." I just smiled at her and said, "Yes maam, I will wipe your butt and do whatever else it is you want me to do today."

I have learned that nursing is extremely challenging. It scares the crap out of me to be honest. I also hope I have never come across as a "know it all" to any nurse I have worked with.

This brings up another uncertainty in my mind. We learn the way things should be done by the book. The closer I get to graduation, I learn the way things are done in the real world. It sometimes makes me sad to see how the stress of the job can dissuade us from the real meaning of our profession..... the patient.

RedDirtNurse · Oct 31, 2011

As a recent grad about to start my first job (in a teaching hospital), I just gotta say I'm glad I didn't read this while I was still in clinicals...would have made me even more nervous to mess up or get in the nurses' way! As a student I always tried to be helpful and attentive to the nurse I was with and ask lots of questions without being obnoxious or annoying. Some nurses were awesome - patient, kind, informative, and encouraging...even when we were busy busy busy and under stress. A few others were rude, impatient, and grouchy when census was low and we barely had anything to do.

Guess which nurses inspired me and made me want to be the best nurse I could be??

I have been told numerous times that nurses eat their young...which is very sad to me, in a profession that is supposed to be based on caring for people in their lowest moments. I hope that I can remember what it felt like to be unsure, eager, nervous, and high on new knowledge when I have students following me someday.

**NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN** · Oct 31, 2011

I like students because they can be a great help and are so eager to learn! I just wish we had them on night shift!

I always try to give a heads up to the students about what assignments would be the best for learning experiences in the ICU and what patients might have procedures (such as dc'ing an A line, or maybe getting a pacemaker that day.

The short time I was on day shift, I had a nursing student once, and I almost made a huge med error that day. While embarassed, I was still glad she was there, so she could see what happens when you get busy, when the double check fails, etc.

I will say I don't think every nurse is a good teacher, and those who aren't comfortable with it probably are better off not doing it. And yes, there are students that get on your nerves. My guess is that for the most part, many of them are so nervous, and thinking of how crappy the economy is, they are doing anything they can to impress anyone in the hopes of getting a job!

NotFlo · 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.

When I have students I am still 100 percent responsible for that patient. I'm sorry that some nurses take it as they don't have to bother with that patient that day, but that certainly isn't how I take it. I still do my full assessments, charting, etc. I guess it depends what type of facility because where I work the instructors only have time for a couple students to pass meds per day, so out of ten students only two will pass meds so most days the students aren't doing the meds.

Also, there are many reasons why a nurse might be a tad bit annoyed with questions and it's not ONLY because they don't know or they're lazy. A lot of it is timing. I work in sub-acute and have had days where I have four of five students on my list. I have 20 patients to take care of and pass meds for. It's not always great to run up and ask questions right when I have tons of meds out on the cart, am drawing up insulin, etc. It might be fine the first few times but when I have multiple students approaching me multiple times during my med pass and I have many things going on behind the scenes that you might not know about...someone going bad, PT/OT taking away patients before I can even see them because my meds are behind, several people waiting for pain meds, CNAs waiting for me to do skin checks before they get their patient dressed, dressings falling off, the MD on the phone I just paged impatiently waiting for me ,etc...any and all could be a reason for a nurse to get annoyed.

If I'm in a situation like that I'll usually just smile and ask if they can hold that thought for just a few moments until I can catch up with the current crisis and get back to them. I try to never act annoyed, but I'm human, I might feel slightly annoyed at times.

I always loved opportunities when I was in school so I always try to provide the students with opportunities when they come up. For instance, the chance to plant PPDs, insert foley caths, hang IVs, hang tube feedings, give a pnumovax, just little things that come up during the day. I don't know if it's the programs we've had lately or what, I know my facility isn't a hospital and maybe the students just want to get the hell out of there into the hospital, but more and more they seem to just want to come in and finish their pt for the day and hang out in the lounge. Their instructor is so busy with the one or two passing meds and giving insulin that she doesn't seem to notice what the rest are doing. I really appreciate the students who take opportunities to learn, even in the nursing home.

NotFlo · Oct 31, 2011

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,

Wow I never had a clinical where I was required to tell the nurse what to do. Even in leadership we would make the assignments for the day (as far as what patients our fellow students would have) and do other tasks like that but we were never told we had to go tell the nurse on the floor what to do. What exactly are you telling her to do?

I appreciate students who are assertive and good communicators but certainly wouldn't appreciate being told what to do by a student nurse.

I always touch base with each student assigned to one of my patients and make sure it's clear as glass who is doing what. Are they getting accuchecks, are they giving insulin, and they doing PO and/or IV meds, are they doing the dressing change, etc.

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Oct 31, 2011

I love having students. I never expect them to help me out, if anything I expect them to slow me down because I'll spend time explaining things. And that's OK: if I can take that time I'm happy to do it and if it's a time sensitive situation I explain after.

My one big pet peeve: if you are walking with me, walk at my speed!

diva rn, BSN, RN · 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

Um, excuse me, but did you say that part of your clinical is to "tell the nurse what to do and which patients we will take"....????

Um, call me crazy, call me old fashioned, call me a b**ch...but those are MY patients, I am working under MY license and I am not going to take orders from anyone, unless that person has an MD behind his/her name and is writing said orders in the patients chart...or giving me verbal orders....and I am especially NOT going to take orders from a nursing student......Honey, I don't care how assertive or aggressive they want you to be....ain't gonna happen....not on my shift....just what nursing school are you going to, anyway? Now, I know I have been doing this for some time, but I can just imagine going up to a nurse when I was a student and telling them what to do...................OMG...(and I was a much older student too)...wow, just wow.....

Sanuk · Oct 31, 2011

I don't get a lot of chances to work with students because I work nights and also because we don't get as many in the ED, but I try to remember how nervous I was as a student and put them at ease if I can. It helps that the students that come to our hospital went to the same school, so I can talk to them about instructors, etc to help break the ice.

I still can't imagine that any program is sending their students out with instructions to tell the nurses what to do. :eek:

That's like sending sheep to the slaughter. Maybe they want to see who survives??

KSU-SN · Oct 31, 2011

I have to say that I enjoy having students that want to learn and who have some common sense. It seems like lately we have had some very bad clinical groups who come in, take all the computers, talk loudly about nothing related to school or nursing, take charts and put them back in the wrong places. Then when they are out on the floor they hurry and do their vitals and assessment and are done. Then they sit at the desk the rest of the day....with call lights going off, some of which are their assigned patients but they dont bother to answer. Just the other day I had 2 students with my team of patients. I told the one student at 0730 that her patient was going to surgery and needed her IV antibiotic before she went to surgery at 0900. At 0905 transport was here to pick up the patient and the student was still wandering around carrying the antibiotic. I had to take it from her and hang it myself. The other student assigned to another one of my patients had to be asked 3 times to check his patient's room air O2 sat so we could call the doctor with the result. I cant tell you how many times the students have left without charting. You know they assisted the patient to the restroom a couple times because you saw it but there is no I&O's charted, or the patient ambulated in the hallway as ordered after surgery but its not charted, or vitals arent charted. Irritates me to no end.

Or theres the students who hide because they are afraid that someone is going to find a new skill for them to try.

I truly enjoy having students that do what they are supposed to do, want to learn, and use their head about being respectful to us and our facility. I think that is what the OP is trying to say as well. And for all you nursing students who are flaming her, learn from this. You have no reason to be upset if you feel you truly feel you are doing what is expected of you.

diva rn, BSN, RN · Oct 31, 2011

I don't get a lot of chances to work with students because I work nights and also because we don't get as many in the ED, but I try to remember how nervous I was as a student and put them at ease if I can. It helps that the students that come to our hospital went to the same school, so I can talk to them about instructors, etc to help break the ice.
I still can't imagine that any program is sending their students out with instructions to tell the nurses what to do.
That's like sending sheep to the slaughter. Maybe they want to see who survives??

I know, I was thinking, If that had happened when I was last working the unit and a student came up to me and told me what to do...in the immortal words of Clint.."go ahead and make my day"....

That would definitely thin the herd of sheep.... :uhoh3:

Sanuk · Oct 31, 2011

I actually had the funniest mental picture of a nursing clinical hunger-games style obstacle course with the finale being "tell the nurse what she's doing wrong." :lol2: Other obstacles could be: avoid getting the pt with c. diff, give a bed bath without getting one, leaping bedpans while balancing a urinal on your head...it could be tons of fun!

xtxrn, ASN, RN · 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

first- i like students :) i'm a bit stunned, but i do like students- please read this as i'm writing it- not to tear you up, but to maybe open your eyes re: how this came across... :)

:eek: this sounds like it's from the syllabus of delusional state university. is your instructor unstable? :confused:

you might want to clarify all of that with your instructor- seriously.

this is one of the most "out there" things i've heard from a student- including the class i was in (that goes from 1983-2004)- then on and off with students following nurses when i was a patient from 2004-the present- including med students). i won't forget you !!! and aggressive is seldom the right approach.....and not even close to 'assertive' when it comes to interpersonal interactions.

you need to understand the hierarchy of things really fast, or you will burn any bridges before you ever get to them. even nurses who work together for years don't go around telling each other what to do. as a charge nurse, i didn't "tell" the floor nurses what to do- i let them know they had new orders, and asked how they were doing, and if they needed help. being a charge nurse, if i'd heard you tell a licenced/registered nurse what to do, there would have been a lot of discussion with your instructor, and then (without the instructor) with my supervisor explaining how i'd be glad to not participate in your clinicals at all anymore.

when i worked as a ltc supervisor, if i'd heard a student nurse tell one of the staff nurses what to do, i would have been on your instructor like white on rice re: what the actual problem was- or, if she had talked to me about management/assertiveness assignments, i would have let the floor nurses know about it, and then they could talk to the students during the shift when those situations came up. but it would not have been a student blindly telling a working nurse what to do. it would have been a student/nurse interaction.

no way. students do not tell the nurses what to do, and if your instructor is telling you to do that, ask for a refund- cuz you won't last a minute on any floor with that attitude. :flmngmd: a lot depends on how you word things, and the wording of that post would prevent a lot of nurses from being willing to work with you.

i love students, and have worked with some great ones over the years i was working. never did one "tell" me to do anything, what they would do, or delegate anything. that's what role playing is for. not in real life, on a real floor, around real patients and doctors. nope. :no:

as a student you are lucky to get patients at all (the hospital can sever that access at any time)- and you will not tell me who you will and won't take care of- if you do- go home. as a student you do not delegate to anyone- including housekeeping, dietary, maintenance, the yard guy, or the dust bunny under the bed.

what you seem to need some work "faking" is some humility, and understanding of where you sit in the grand scheme of things. period. if you feel so badly about it- don't do it.

if you tell your assigned nurse what your assignment is, and ask for examples during the day in an appropriate place/time- then, you'd probably get more people to work with you....not for you to accomplish the goals you need re: delegation and assertiveness. don't count on a nurse just doing what you tell her :uhoh3: (cuz that ain't likely to happen). big difference. if and when you become a manager (or even in charge) you will learn those skills on the job. not with working nurses as your minions.

my guess is that you posted in a position to state something supportive of both students and the nurses you work with :up: ...... but it came out way not right......

good luck. (and i do mean that sincerely :)) :up: