Tips and Tricks When Working with a Nursing Student

Hey Hey, Nurse Jenny here!

Welcome back to my blog! 
If you are new here, welcome and I hope to part entertainment and knowledge with you. Join Nurse Jenny Facebook Group and join us as we vent, make fun of, and talk about all things nursing. 

Today, we will be talking about our dearest Nursing Students. We encounter them during nursing placements or nursing internships.

Aside from nursing, I also have a passion for teaching new budding Nurses. I love taking the next generation of nurses under my wings and teaching them everything I know and wished I knew when I was a Nursing Student. 

Working with and teaching Nursing Students comes with the job. For all we know, we are sealing their fate in their student ATI and nursing major.

We were all trained in some way or form by other Nurses and in many cases we have molded ourselves and are mirroring the attributes of those Nurses in our practice to this day.

I remembered when I was a Nursing Student, I was always excited to have our clinical rotations in the hospitals. I always wanted to apply the things I have learned in books and learn more techniques and tricks from actual nurses.

I remembered that they always refer to us as their “angels” because I guess, we lighten up the load for them as well. And though I’ve already forgotten all the nurses that I have worked with as a Nursing Student, I can still remember the moments when they really tried to teach us, from as simple as how to break an ampule correctly and safely to how to insert NGT tubes on my own, I will forever be grateful to all the Nurses I have worked with and made an effort to teach me before.

It's not always an easy task to teach someone all these new things while all the while you're also trying to get the work done yourself! Most of the time, that's hard enough. But I really enjoy teaching and have through the years developed some strategies that really help me when working with a Nursing Student.

Here are some tips and tricks, when working with a Nursing Student:

1. Give them a warm welcome. This gives the shift a positive start.
2. Ask about their Nursing degree, their placement history, and if they have any upcoming assessments.
3. Set expectations in the beginning and show them how to make a shift planner. You can download my free planner down below.
4. Let them be involved and do hands-on nursing responsibilities. Give them a chance to do things while under your supervision
5. Put some responsibilities on their shoulders so they would participate and at the same time learn the reality of the nature of our job.

Watch Negative Nancy and Positive Penny and learn how to approach Student Nurses: 

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Here’s a free copy of Printable Nurses Day/Night Work Planner that you can download.

You might also like to read about the 10 things I wish I knew before I started Nursing.

I hope that I have shared some useful tips with you and if you have more because I know you do, please share them with us and drop them down in the comments below.
Also, what’s your most memorable Student Nurse experience? I love to hear from you guys!

I realize it's not always ideal to have a student working with you, but just remember when you yourself were a student and how you wanted to be treated. Now treat all students that way and it will be more enjoyable for both of you!

I hope that you have a nice shift and remember as always, listen with your heart.

Nurse Jenny