Navigating the World of Professional Student Nurse Responsibilities
Nursing clinicals are a cornerstone of nursing education, providing invaluable hands-on experience that bridges the gap between classroom theory and real-world patient care. Although nursing clinicals are essential to your nursing curriculum, you might be hesitant to provide hands-on patient care, especially if you're unsure what to expect in clinical nursing rotations. As a student nurse, you'll be immersed in a dynamic environment where you'll work alongside registered nurses, honing your skills and building confidence. This article explores the multifaceted responsibilities of a professional student nurse, shedding light on the expectations, opportunities, and challenges that come with this crucial stage of your nursing journey.
The Significance of Clinical Rotations
Nursing clinicals offer opportunities to apply the skills you learn in classroom and laboratory settings. Although the time spent in a nursing clinical is unpaid, the knowledge you gain is invaluable. Clinical rotations in nursing allow students to work on practical nursing skills in various health care settings under the supervision of an RN clinical instructor. Clinical hours vary from state to state, and each board of nursing determines the required hours and settings. The clinical nursing experience includes diverse clinical settings and specialties, which can help you narrow down the types of roles to pursue. Your school will provide instructions regarding the appropriate attire for your clinical rotation. Most importantly, nursing clinicals require a balance of confidence and curiosity.
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.
Initial Steps and Expectations
During your first day of clinicals, you'll receive a tour of the facility and the floor to which you're assigned. You'll be introduced to staff members and shown the location of equipment, supplies, emergency exits, and patient and procedure rooms. This recurring team meeting with your clinical instructor and other students occurs before the start of each shift. Your clinical instructor will usually discuss plans for the day, go over patient assignments, and allow time for questions.
Assignments for clinical shifts may vary depending on where you are in the nursing program, the clinical setting, and the health care facility. You might start by caring for one patient, working with a student buddy, or being assigned to a nurse. This debriefing with your clinical instructor occurs at the end of each shift.
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Your clinical instructor will be on-site to support and monitor you and answer your questions. The number of students assigned to a clinical instructor is typically six to ten.
Core Responsibilities of a Student Nurse
During nursing clinicals, you'll be responsible for various tasks depending on what stage you're at in the nursing program. Each school has its specific grading system, but all must adhere to the guidelines of the accrediting bodies. By the end of a clinical nursing rotation, you should be able to achieve more autonomy and the confidence to care for multiple patients independently.
As a student nurse, you will work to promote, maintain and restore the health of patients by following the clearly laid out hospital procedures. 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.
Some of the responsibilities include:
Direct Patient Care
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.
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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.
Communication and Collaboration
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.
Documentation and 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 document all medical records, including the patient’s condition, treatment plan, medication list, and symptoms.
Skill Development and Learning
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.
Internship Opportunities
Several institutions offer structured internship programs for student nurses, providing immersive experiences and skill development opportunities.
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Mayo Clinic Programs
Mayo Clinic offers various student nurse internship programs across its campuses:
- Summer III Student Nurse Internship (Rochester, MN): An employment and learning experience for junior nursing students. 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. Rochester, MN campus has over 60 specialties, two hospitals, 10 ICUs, and around 130 operating rooms. 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.
- Student Nurse Extern Summer Program (Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ): 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 Health System Student Nurse Internship (Eau Claire, WI): 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. 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.
- Mayo Clinic Health System Student Nurse Internship (La Crosse, WI): A skill based paid 11-week full time program for nursing students, 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.
- Mayo Clinic Health System Student Nurse Internship (southeast Minnesota): 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.
Memorial Hermann
- 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.
Overcoming Challenges and Building Confidence
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. This is because most responsibilities revolve around specific actions, such as visiting your patients and administering the necessary care.
By actively engaging in clinical rotations, seeking guidance from instructors, and embracing opportunities for skill development, student nurses can build the confidence and competence necessary to excel in their future careers.
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