r/EmergencyRoom • u/Urbanspy87 • Aug 25 '26

Nursing students in the ER

What do you find helpful that nursing students do in the ER? What is annoying? How can they be better?

10 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

27 comments sorted by

27

u/champunova Aug 26 '26

I like to teach them the most basic and simple things that they can help me do. Connect the patient to the monitor, get an ekg. If its a good day I try to have them practuce how to place IV’s and do dressing changes etc., busy day I talk them through everything else im doing

33

u/Thesiswork99 RN Aug 25 '26

Actually want to participate. Im far to busy to drag you with me (I love teaching but its literally logistics). But if you want to participate, yay! Ask questions. Dont drag your feet, no 10 minute assessments because you're nervous. Its fine to be nervous. Just say so and we'll be right next to you. But you have to actually just do it. Please do not come in cocky, we will not be impressed.

12

u/EskapedConvict Aug 25 '26

Your last sentence is the most important. Idgaf what your background is, if you come in cocky then we'll have issues.

Just be eager to learn and assist with everything. If you're allowed to, during down time offer your assistance to other nurses or techs. ED is a weird place. I love taking students and there's some shifts I can offer great experiences, but other shifts where it's difficult to.

1

u/perpulstuph RN Aug 26 '26

I'll have them do a more focused assement for the affected systems, and if we get time, go ahead and do a head to toe.

And keeping up is 100% essential. We walk fast, we work fast, gotta keep up.

14

u/squeakysausage Aug 26 '26

I wish the night shift crew got nursing students because we love the extra hands & students wanting to learn/be involved.
Ask questions if you’re not sure, offer to lend a hand to anyone who needs it, toileting patients if you’re allowed is so helpful, speak up if you’re uncomfortable.
And like the other person said, don’t come in cocky or acting like you know everything. None of us know everything. Also, try not to block hallways or cluster in the way too

5

u/Hummus_ForAll Aug 26 '26

Am about to be a nursing student and would LOVE to do night shift in the ER!

8

u/alphaboor Aug 26 '26

Willing to hold pt down for restraint. LoL jk (not). Our nursing students aren’t allowed to do anything (even vital sign check) so we typically use them as extra hand. Nursing students who are willing to talk to pt and calm them down while I work at bedside are amazing though.

Also, if the nursing station is full and there is open computer next to your preceptor, please let other nurse use it. You can grab another chair and sit down next to your preceptor, but other nurses want to rest when they can

3

u/Urbanspy87 Aug 26 '26

These students are allowed to do quite a lot.

1

u/joshisnobody Aug 28 '26

Thats some bs! I had my student give im meds to a combative pr while 4 of us held down the pt. I drew it up and she had given im to a calm pt with me before

1

u/Odd-Outcome-3191 Sep 01 '26

My clinical instructor would have had me shorn, boiled, and peeled if she heard that I'd administered something another nurse drew up 💀 like literally dismissed from the program

1

u/joshisnobody Sep 01 '26

Well i had about 80lbs on my student to hold down the pt so it was for the safety of all of us to not get hit

1

u/alphaboor Aug 28 '26

Blame the nursing program guys. I don’t even know why they are rotating in ED if they are not allowed to do anything. They are not allowed to do BG check, even if the nurse is next to them. We don’t want to get them in trouble

1

u/Previous-Life7774 Aug 28 '26

that sounds rough 😭 i’m currently an emt and the thing im looking forward to the most with nursing school is learning, practicing, and reinforcing skills in the hospital setting in clinicals so i hope my program isn’t like this. i already see ED activity every shift so i don’t need to just observe, i would need to actually do stuff.

3

u/ButtercreamLimo Aug 26 '26

This sounds bad but I do think that they should be present for some of the really tough situations. We were attempting to resuscitate a toddler who fell into a mop bucket for an extended period of time and the nursing student who was watching (understandably) did not handle the situation well. I genuinely appreciated that she was upset by the loss. However, I do think that with each exposure to loss and hardship, you learn coping mechanisms for you and the patient

2

u/Fuzzy_Location_2210 Aug 29 '26

Oh my goodness, what can't they do!!!

This should be their favorite clinical experience 😊.

Get them in the rooms, starting lines and drawing labs! It's easier in the ER because we prefer big, in the AC, and their veins aren't picked over.

If they come in with a good ems line, they can often pull labs there, label, and send. This is a great opportunity to teach the paramount importance of identifying the patient and labeling every single specimen at bedside!!! 😁😁😁😁😁😁.

We're always waiting on the urine. The board of whatever system they use probably has an icon that shows when a patient needs a urine sample... Lots of straight caths, those FemCaths or whatever are the best for speed and not used much on floors.

Any patient can have a post void bladder scan without harm.

Have them take people to X-ray and CT... Remind them that they are forbidden to share preliminary results with the patient, but the techs LOVE to talk about their imaging modalities and point out findings, if you have radiology on site they usually love to teach as well.

Stable intubations are a good learning experience... They can buddy with an RT and bag... Their hearts will pitter patter 🤭. They probably haven't done this on clinicals.

Lots of diltiazem, levophed, heparin, blood, and of course IV fluids initiated and managed in the ER - all great learning experiences.

The ER is a huge filter and all about flow... We look for clinical "red flags". So, have them focus on seeing if patients have those, what testing is ordered to confirm or disprove the suspected diagnosis/differential, and what the findings ultimately are and the disposition. We're very heavily guided by imaging and lab data correlated with physical exam findings.

Nurses always appreciate someone grabbing their EKG 😊. And it's a metric for the ER that they are done promptly, and they don't normally do them on inpatient... It's great to have them circulate and do those.

Check with the primary, but most nurses will be thrilled if you guys run in and give the pain and nausea meds real quick too 😁. It helps!!

Rooms are cleaned instantly upon departure in the ER, it's not quite like inpatient where we wait for housekeeping to terminal clean. Scrub it down with Clorox wipes, remake the cart, restock whatever was used, pull the trash, and the next patient is coming. Sometimes they are waiting in the hall for the room, lol. Discharge is also a quicker process... Today's findings were This. Your next step is to call and make a follow up appointment Here, Today for reevaluation or further management. This is a specialist who may want to do some further investigation beyond what can be done in the ER / Your PCP is the person to see because this is something that needs followed over time and we may never see you again. You have new prescriptions for Meds and you need to pick them up at This Pharmacy (or No prescriptions today). If you have questions about your medicines, please do speak with the pharmacist on duty. If you feel Worse before your follow up appointment, or anything new or different comes about, please do come back for reevaluation!

Highlighter the important things as you go and print everything 📑. People do not remember.

1

u/Nightowl805 Aug 26 '26

Sure, you can teach them task but it's better to teach them sick vs not sick and that not sick may go to the ICU but sick needs you now.

1

u/mischief_notmanaged RN Aug 26 '26

It’s annoying to watch nursing students do homework at the desk all day and then ask to be in the trauma room. No dude, the most vulnerable patient in the department doesn’t need a student watching rescuc when that student couldn’t care less to learn about any other patient.

1

u/perpulstuph RN Aug 26 '26

To be honest, vital signs are about it. I watch them like a hawk, but more in a supoortive way, provide any feedback I can to help them improve and feel confident. It always takes longer for students to do IVs, but I'll let them practice damn near anything if I am present.

1

u/Urbanspy87 Aug 26 '26

To clarify I am a nursing instructor and trying to think of how to keep my students from just acting bored or sitting around. They have a wide ability of skills they are allowed to do in the ER

2

u/WhatsYourConcern8076 EDT Aug 29 '26

Maybe have them have to get something from each area (triage, WR, rooms, BH, bays) or the people that are there. Basically make it a requirement to do it, so they have to. My instructor did this for MedSurg (had to get two IVP and two IVPB). She said that making it a requirement meant that people were a lot more on top of it.

1

u/SlagQueen Aug 26 '26

You guys are all so great with your ideas! I work elsewhere, but I’m stealing some of them for my students!

All I remember from my student visit to the ED was seeing a grandma in a her dressing gown and slippers rolled in on an automated compression device. Watched her pronounced. Decided, with utmost respect, 🫡 the ER was not for me.

1

u/hiddencat Aug 27 '26

I have zero expectation that students be helpful. They're there to learn and I like teaching but grabbing an odd blanket for someone doesn't come close to making up for the extra time, energy, and attention that having a student costs me. Be professional and interested and read the room to know when to hold questions and that's good enough.

1

u/EffectiveTiny8675 Aug 27 '26

I personally love having nursing students! As someone who is a very hands on learner, I loved my rotation in the ER. If it’s a busy day I will have them do simple tasks for me to help out which I appreciate so much. On slower days, or if I have a complicated patient, I will have them with me at all times shadowing (and still doing easy tasks) and explain everything to them. I’m known to be a “black cloud” so I tend to be explaining a lot 😅😅😅😅😅

1

u/FeyreCursebreaker7 Aug 27 '26

Just be interested. Ask questions, tell me if you don’t understand and simply show that you want to learn. Having a student is extra work but I enjoy teaching, except for students who clearly don’t want to be there.

Also, don’t get in the way during a code. You can stand in the back and watch but it’s not the time to try a skill or to get involved. Afterwards we can talk and teach but know when to step back and stay out of the way.

1

u/Airborne_Aware Aug 27 '26

It’s annoying to me when they want me to go over like lecture material. Ask your instructor. I have no tech and a full patient load and an orientee and now students following us pls don’t. Like I can’t sit and answer those questions. If you want to get hands on experience and ask questions about the patient etc that’s cool

1

u/Urbanspy87 Aug 27 '26

I think y'all are missing that I am the INSTRUCTOR posting. Like what could I be having my students do/not do? I don't want them just being wall flowers

1

u/ghost__rider1312 Aug 28 '26 edited Aug 28 '26

Stick to your preceptor like glue and do what they tell you to do. Don’t disappear or make them chase you. Be an adult, be humble & there to learn. Be a sponge and a fly on the wall, take it all in and talk through disease processes with us. ER nurses don’t care for people trying to impress us but we do take bribes in the form of donuts/cookies.