STOP! Or somebody's going to get hurt!

Hello everyone! I am in need of advice from nurses who have spent a lot of time with nursing students. I am beginning a BSN program next week and would like to know:

1) What are some things that nursing students do that annoy you?
2) How can we help you best?
3) What is the one thing we should never say or do?

Thanks guys! Last edit by jjhc2006 on Mar 29, '11
Could you explain how your thread title relates to your question?

Quote from AltraCould you explain how your thread title relates to your question?

Oh my goodness guys! Yes of course you may ask that. I can see exactly what you both are saying and it gave me a big laugh. I apologize, but it's an inside joke between my EMT friends and I. I have been an EMT for six years and have been a skills proctor for an EMT school for five of those six years. When testing students, oftentimes they would be so nervous that they would do/say things that were inappropriate so we proctors would say, "Stop! Or somebody's going to get hurt!" Totally lame I know. Anyhow, I am wondering what advice you might offer as an experienced professional for new nursing students. I know that there were many times that students would do things that would get on my nerves, but I often reminded myself that I once was a student as well and to be kind and compassionate. Here I am now, a new nursing student and wanting to avoid doing thing that may annoy nurses (looks like I already annoyed a few of you lol - definitely not going well).Thanks so much for any advice you are willing to give me!

I'll give it a shot (pun intended).Nursing students should never treat me like I know nothing. They should also never treat me like I know everything. Either way one of us gets cheated out of learning opportunities.

You didn't annoy me....you just confused me haha---definitely not hard to do!Does your nursing school do clinical rotations/days with school nurses?

1) You should never be afraid to ask questions or do anything you've been told not to do.2) If you want to best help me, ask me. It can vary from minute to minute and can be anything from getting a patient a glass of water to checking vitals, taking someone for a walk, etc.3) Never say or do anything you haven't been trained on. Never refuse a learning opportunity. Never be afraid to say I don't know.BTW your title made me laugh. I remember one of the nursing students I went to school with was telling us all at report how he had helped this elderly gentleman who was admitted sit next to his wife on the couch since he hadn't been able to in weeks. We were flabbergasted that no one in weeks had offered this man the opportunity and so were delving more into the situation. Why? we asked. Well his oxygen tubing was too short. How did you get around that? Well I just took it off him for a bit so he could sit on the couch. The patient was admitted with dyspnea and hypoxia.

It's rare that someone seriously annoys me. But, I was training a new nurse in once, and she didn't want have hands on experience, just watch. Didn't make sense as she would take the cart the next day - alone. "I don't do trachs, I don't do IV's, Go ahead and hang that GT and change the dressing, my feet are sore, and I just need to get some tylenol and sit and drink some coffee." The day was crushingly hard, and I could have used another set of hands, and she could have used the experience. Take your tylenol before you start- your feet will be sore. Get a good snack in before we start, preferably at home or on your way in. If you are afraid your blood sugar will drop, get some hard candy in your pocket. It's time consuming enough explaining tasks, schedules, and peoples idocentries without having to wait for another person to eat, drink, pee and stick their legs up every hour.

I think it's a generational thing...but stay off the damn smartphone. If you have time to surf the internet, update facebook, tweet or whatever, you have time to be cleaning equipment, stocking items, helping other staff and learning what you should be learning. Just my opinion.

Quote from MelEpiRNI think it's a generational thing...but stay off the damn smartphone. If you have time to surf the internet, update facebook, tweet or whatever, you have time to be cleaning equipment, stocking items, helping other staff and learning what you should be learning. Just my opinion.

a lot of issues usually relate to communication. So ask questions or ask your instructor/preceptor for explanations. I am annoyed with students who think they already know it all and do not want anyone to tell them anything. Keep phones on vibrate or silence and use them only at breaks. NEVER argue with the patient or the family. Say I am sorry that we disagree, then go get your instructor/preceptor or the primary nurse or tell the charge nurse. If you have any time, see if you can follow another nurse to observe a new procedure (blood transfusion, correct transfer from bed to chair, sterile dressing change, etc. ). I was SO scared of trachs while a student but after I watched a few being done I realized it was just vaccuuming and I had been doing that for years.

If a nurse comes to you and offers you a chance to do or watch a procedure - jump it. You don't know when you will get the opportunity again. But don't expect them to wait on you if you are watching. I had an MD come to take out a g-tube - after checking with him - I grabbed as many students as I could to come watch. One student dawdled about and missed the procedure. She figured the MD would wait until she got there. Don't say "This is boring unit" "You don't do anything exicting here" or "I am only going to work in ER when I graduate - they do important work there". 1 - this insults us who work in Rehab and enjoy it and 2 - When you graduate in a few months, you may discover that jobs in ER are only filled internally, and you need experience before you are hired. The only job open is in Rehab but they won't hire you because of the comments you made as a student!

One of the most annoying students I had was an EMT that had worked in the ER. Please do not try and take the nurse's pt over and show the nurse up in front of the pt. Even if you have some medical knowledge, it is different than nursing knowledge - and it is better to be respectful to the person trying to teach you, and not undermine the nurse/pt relationship to show off.