Navigating the Path: Responsibilities of a Professional Student Nurse
Following in the footsteps of Clara Barton, nurses working in the US are the largest group of healthcare workers today. Student nurses are different from students pursuing other subjects, they practice what they learn in class by joining clinical rotations under the supervision of a nursing instructor. As a student nurse, you will work to promote, maintain, and restore the health of patients by following the clearly laid out hospital procedures.
The Crucial Role of Clinical Rotations
Clinical experiences are compulsory in all accredited nursing programs, and they provide important insight that can help improve patient care. According to the AACN, hands-on clinical rotations helps prepare student nurses for a diverse work environment. You will experience what the nursing job is really like and you will be able to determine whether it aligns with your interests before you can commit yourself to a specific clinical setting.
Integrating Theory and Practice
The student involved in the Integrative Practicum (IP) clinical experience has reached a point in the program of study when they are ready to integrate and apply the knowledge, skills, and abilities they have developed in earlier course work. Students are accountable for achieving IP course outcomes, by developing a collegial relationship with their preceptor and seeking opportunities that will help them further develop and integrate the end of Nursing program outcomes.
The Triad of Support: Faculty, Student, and Preceptor
The IP faculty of record is an integral link in a three-person team (faculty, student, preceptor), and holds the ultimate responsibility for learning activities and evaluation of student performance. IP faculty are accountable to develop partnerships with significant persons within a health care organization, to facilitate an environment for learning and to help the student integrate the IP course outcomes. A preceptor is a critical link in a three-person team (faculty, student, preceptor). Evaluation of clinical performance is a shared responsibility among the preceptor, the student and the faculty member. The preceptor is accountable for providing feedback about clinical performance to both the student and the faculty member.
Core Responsibilities on the Clinical Floor
When on the clinical floor as a student nurse, your instructor will give you patient assignments. Your assignment will consist of the names of the patients you will have to take care of that day. Most responsibilities revolve around specific actions, such as visiting your patients and administering the necessary care.
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Medication Administration: A Precise Process
As part of your clinical rotations, you will be required to administer medication after you have determined the effects of the medication on your patient. The process of administering medication begins with preparing the right doses and administering them at the right time. It’s also key that you administer medication to the right patient. You can do this by calling the patients by their names as you administer medication.
Assisting Patients with Personal Care
As a student nurse, you will also be responsible for assisting your patients when they need help in bathing and eating. Bathing is often laborious, especially for bedridden patients. Additionally, when bathing your patients, you should always keep the bed dry. You can do this by placing a towel under your patient.
The Importance of Accurate Charting
“If you didn’t chart it, it never happened.” This is one of the common sayings used in medicine. The information you record on your patient’s medical records is very important and it serves several purposes. Charting involves documenting all medical records, including the patient’s condition, treatment plan, medication list, and symptoms.
Essential Guidelines and Expectations
To ensure a successful clinical experience, student nurses must adhere to specific guidelines and expectations.
Professional Conduct and Communication
Demonstrate professional behavior at all times. This includes, but is not limited to, being on time and prepared for the shift, respectful, honest, and motivated to learn. Act as clinical role model of the professional nurse. Students are not permitted to use cell phones during practicum hours for any reason. Students may give the unit contact information to a sitter, significant other, etc. Comply with all uniform and attendance requirements.
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Absence and Emergency Protocols
Notify the faculty and preceptor (and/or unit) if unable to be present during a shift. Notify the assigned unit, preceptor, and faculty coordinator if absence is necessary. The hospital unit should be notified at least 2 hours prior to the scheduled shift. Students are expected to obtain the name of the individual to whom they communicated the absence. The preceptors are not to be contacted at home unless they request this. Discuss any emergencies that arise with the course coordinator if they will involve missing shifts.
Scope of Practice and Unit Restrictions
Work only with their assigned preceptor. Remain on the assigned unit only. Students should not ask to observe patients in surgery, GI lab, cardiac cath, etc.
Work Hour Limitations
Work no more than three 12-hour shifts in row (4 may be worked if there are days in between the shifts, i.e.
The Role of the Preceptor
The preceptor is a registered nurse employed by the clinical agency who has contractually agreed to serve as a role model, teacher, and mentor while demonstrating clinical expertise for the senior BSN student in the clinical setting. Validate student hours by initialing the student log at the conclusion of each shift. The preceptor is accountable for providing feedback about clinical performance to both the student and the faculty member.
Preceptor Responsibilities
Notify the student if they are ill and unable to work, if they are given “HR” or if they take vacation/personal day. Orient the student to the clinical unit and staff. This orientation should include identification of facility policies, procedures, and protocol.
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Internship and Externship Opportunities
Several institutions offer internship and externship programs to provide student nurses with valuable clinical experience.
Mayo Clinic Programs
Mayo Clinic offers various student nurse internship programs across its campuses. These programs provide opportunities to gain valuable clinical skills and experience.
Summer III Student Nurse Internship (Rochester, MN)
We invite you to explore the Summer III Student Nurse Internship, an employment and learning experience for junior nursing students at Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester, Minnesota. take part in the Summer III Program. During your Summer III experience, you'll be an integral member of an interdisciplinary health care team and work alongside registered nurses at Mayo Clinic Hospital. The Summer III Student Nurse Internship is a skill based paid 10-week full time program, providing opportunities to gain valuable clinical skills and experience. Qualifications include completion of junior year in an accredited bachelor’s in nursing program required. Must have completed junior year and graduating no later than following June of internship. Enrollment in MN summer internship credit required.
Rochester, MN campus has over 60 specialties, two hospitals, 10 ICUs, and around 130 operating rooms. Mayo Clinic is located in the heart of downtown Rochester, Minnesota, a vibrant, friendly city that provides a highly livable environment for more than 34,000 Mayo staff and students. The city is consistently ranked among the best places to live in the United States because of its affordable cost of living, healthy lifestyle, excellent school systems and exceptionally high quality of life. Located 60 miles south of the Minneapolis/St.
Student Nurse Extern Summer Program (Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ)
The Student Nurse Extern Summer Program at Mayo Clinic's campus in Phoenix/ Scottsdale offers nursing students a unique educational opportunity to gain valuable clinical experience in a high-acuity and diverse patient population. During your Student Nurse Extern Program experience, you'll be considered an integral member of our interdisciplinary health care team and work alongside registered nurses at Mayo Clinic Hospital. Nurse extern opportunities are available in all inpatient clinical areas. You will also have access to Mayo medical libraries and are welcome to participate in Mayo-sponsored continuing education activities, such as Grand Rounds and other academic offerings.
Completion of third semester (Block III) of an associate degree nursing program. Mayo Clinic's Arizona campuses are surrounded by the beautiful Sonoran Desert. The region, known as the Valley of the Sun, is a thriving metropolitan area with more than 4.5 million residents. This sunny "desert metropolis" offers the amenities of a big city amid a strikingly beautiful, southwest landscape.
Mayo Clinic Health System Student Nurse Internship (Eau Claire, WI)
The Mayo Clinic Health System Student Nurse Internship Program in Eau Claire, WI is a skill based paid 11-week full time program for nursing students, providing opportunities to gain valuable clinical skills and experience. Interns rotate to different clinic and hospital departments including those in Eau Claire, Osseo, Menomonie and/or Barron. Pay and schedule can be found on job posting beginning in November.
Must be qualified to graduate from an accredited baccalaureate nursing program (BSN) or associate nursing program (ADN) by following December or May of summer internship. Eau Claire, with a metro area of 163,000 is home to the 11,000 students at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. Strong schools, low crime rate, and a reasonable cost of living may be expected. With an abundance of outdoor activities, Eau Claire was ranked #4 on the list of “Americas best towns” (Outside Magazine, 2015) The city also serves as the retail center for west central Wisconsin and the major metro area of Minneapolis/St. Paul is 90 minutes away.
Mayo Clinic Health System Student Nurse Internship (La Crosse, WI)
The Mayo Clinic Health System Student Nurse Internship in La Crosse, WI is a skill based paid 11-week full time program for nursing students, providing opportunities to gain valuable clinical skills and experience. La Crosse, WI, is a city of 52,000 with a metro area of 120,000 in the Upper Mississippi River Valley, located between Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, and Madison, WI. The area offers unlimited, four-season recreational opportunities (biking, golf, hiking the bluffs and cross-country/downhill skiing). We have a great family environment with safe and high-quality schools, including two universities and a technical college. Qualifications include completion of junior year in an accredited bachelor’s in nursing program required. Must have completed junior year and graduating no later than following June of internship. Enrollment in MN summer internship credit required.
Mayo Clinic Health System Student Nurse Internship (Southeast Minnesota)
The Mayo Clinic Health System Student Nurse Internship in southeast Minnesota is a skill-based paid 10-week full time program for nursing students, providing opportunities to gain valuable clinical skills and experience. Qualifications include the completion of two semesters in an Associate’s in nursing program or the junior year in a bachelor’s in nursing program. Must be graduating no later than the June following the internship. Enrollment in a MN summer internship credit is required. Southeast Minnesota, also known as bluff country, offers stunning views of the wooded bluffs surrounding the river front. Explore the region by hiking, biking, or by watercraft on the river.
Memorial Hermann Professional Student Nurse Program (PSN)
Work alongside a Registered Nurse and build clinical skills before starting formal clinicals. The Memorial Hermann Professional Student Nurse Program (PSN) provides students enrolled in an accredited school of professional nursing, or recent graduates (within 120 days), the opportunity to begin working under the supervision of a registered nurse (RN) to develop professional nursing skills prior to joining the Memorial Hermann Nurse Residency Program. Participants in the program have the opportunity to begin developing clinical skills before starting formal clinicals through nursing school, including learning phlebotomy, EKG, therapeutic communication skills and more.
The Student Nurse Intern
The Student Nurse Intern provides direct and indirect patient care under the direct supervision of a registered nurse in the appropriate setting across the continuum of care. They communicate with the registered nurse about changes in the patient’s clinical condition, results of diagnostic studies and symptomatology. The student nurse intern is able to respond quickly and accurately to changes in the patient’s condition or response to treatment.
Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Opportunities
While you may be excited about becoming a professional nurse, challenges are bound to emerge unexpectedly. Your clinical experience will help you overcome any hurdles you face.
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