Student nurse placement coping strategies

[Studentnursesos12e]

Firstly, I posted last nights reg illness, i've been to the gp and it turns i have lingering bronchitis and bacterial tonsillitis.

However, I have had time to reflect since then and I would like a second opinion.

My mentor and I dont seem to gel so to speak. I am a beginning of 2nd year and only on my second week. (Luckily, I do have 2 main mentors and a associate mentor, so i may try to work with them as much as poss)

There has been a lot of nitpicking from my mentor. I am extremely aware of my limitations, however when working with other staff nurses/csw's I have been fine, and have had no issues on other placements.

I have actually only worked 1 shift plus 3 hours of last night with her. The one day shift I worked way more with the other nurse than with her.

Examples include:

1. When crushing a tablet she told me off for not crushing it nicely enough, then when I crushed it further she told me off again.
2. When I did obs and one patient had sats below 96, this was when sat up and on both fingers. She told me it was unacceptable to present low sats, and I should instead make them take enough deep breaths until it goes up. This may be fair, but if they have to breathe really deeply to achieve higher sats surely that isnt representing how they normally o2 saturate? We were taught that if we had any concerns to pass it in on to the RN, she doesnt seem to like me doing that.
3. When doing NG meds she told me off for using the conventional method - using a syringe and pushing the liquid in. Instead, she took the pusher bit out and said to use gravity, which is fine apart from she then told me I was pulling it or holding it low or too high.
4. I overhead her tell a csw she finds its very stressful to have me around.
5. On my very first shift my pen ran out whilst i was documenting obs, in the time I was gone to get a new one she told me I didnt understand obs or news because I hadnt written in a bit of it-( because my pen ran out! )
6. When doing meds, she signed them off in the kardex, passed me the kardex told me to get the pt the meds. I did this, she left the bedspace for a long time and I gave the pt the meds, she then really badly told me off saying she should always check them, even though I had said should I give them to him?
7. Despite the fact mentors are supposed to sign part of my book in the first two days she has shown zero interest, and cut over me when I did bring it up.
8. When the meal coordinator gave me a very small portion to try with a patient, she told me off saying she is very ill and I shouldnt force her (which i would never ever do)

This is largely in one 2 hour period.

I have realised my other main mentor is going to have to do the paperwork, and I think I am going to have to only work with the other main mentor or the associate mentor. I am planning to arrive in good time for fridays shift and look at my hours and who I'm working with, because I should me rostered with the two main mentors roughly equally.

If I hadnt gone home ln and missed tonight, I would by saturday have worked 6 shifts in total, 4 with the aforementioned mentor, two with no mentor. I have 15 shifts in total, although will have to do extra to make up my sick shifts. Although I cant change my shifts, I am going to ensure any extra shifts are with the other mentors.

The other nurses have said about spending time in other related departments for half a day etc. My mentor hasnt once said about me being able to do this, and has made comments saying they waste time.

I have decided if I am rostered to work with her a lot I might try and arrange my half days in other places then. I will have to do this all myself.

They include attending diabetic clinics, watching procedures and working with han staff.

Ultimately, she doesnt like working with me and i dont want to impose my presence on her. She gets on well enough with other staff, although I wouldnt say is the best of friends with them, and is a good nurse so it may just be my fault.

Any advice welcome.

Thanks x

Bumping myself here 💀

Unfortunately some mentors only become mentors to have power and control over others . A good mentor should be positive about your presence, and encourage you in a supportive way. Do the mentors have supervisors? Maybe you could speak with them?
Nurses are known to 'eat their young' so a certain amount of robustness is needed.
My ex mentor even now gives me a hard time and when I answer the ward phone saying 'staff nurse hectic' she always without fail responds 'barely'

Some people are just finnikity pedant bastards. I do think when using an NG you're meant to let gravity do the work though. How long have you got left? I would take the half day visits get off the ward and thank God when you're out of there

finickity sorry spelling mistake

It sounds like you've had a tough shift. I think some things you've brought up are unfortunate break downs in communication. For instance, with the medication situation, she is right. She may have signed it off, but unless she watched you get the medication and checked that what you got is the correct drug, the correct dose, and it was in date, then checked the patient details matched the kardex with you, then you really shouldn't have given the medication, because it is her registration at risk, not yours, and you can't give medication as a second year student nurse in your own right.

Again, your pen running out, although unfortunate, I would say that you should be prepared for your shift, and one of the things you should be doing before you go on shift is to check your uniform, which includes checking that pens have enough ink/are working. They are essential equipment.

Says readings is a judgement call. If a patient is otherwise fit and well and is not breathing sufficiently deeply, then it's perfectly acceptable to ask them to take a few deeper breaths. Equally, if a patient has particularly cold fingers, giving their fingers a quick rub before your place the probe is perfectly acceptable. You are trying to get an accurate representation of their physiological function. They will not get a SpO2 reading above 96% if they breathe deeply if they are physiologically compromised, I promise, no matter what they do! If they are poorly, they can do gymnastics and it will still show in their obs.

The gravity Vs push for meds tends to be more of a parade thing, but you should be able to ask for the rationale.

Overall, try to go to your next shift with a positive attitude, and see if you can get the most out of it. We all have bad shifts, even as qualified staff.

Some mentors/placements can be crap for various reasons, I used to just think it was a means to an end and I wouldn't be on that placement forever. Maybe try and busy yourself with HCA's or other qualifieds throughout the shift too?

Looking at your examples, it doesn't seem like you're doing anything worthy of excessive negative feedback, but unfortunately sometimes you'll have mentors that make your placement really difficult.

The idea of arranging half days elsewhere is a great idea; I did it loads on my most uncomfortable placement. Get on the phone to the other departments, and ask your other mentor about any other suggestions for places to try out.

I would also suggest carefully asking your other mentor if there's any way of moving your shifts around to work more closely with them.

In the meantime, remind yourself this isn't forever! Start counting down your remaining shifts

Ive been a studen nurse and the majority on my course good placements and bad placements don’t let her test you down and knock you’re confidence.

Raise all these concerns directly with her, ask for a one to one meeting with her and ask if you can go over the above. Then you will have covered yourself, if she refuses or is rude take it on the chin but ask for clarification of everything she states. Meet your link lecturer - early if needs be and explain. Some nurses should not be mentors. Don't let this one get you down.

Thankyou all for your responses.

I am fully aware that some of the things were my fault. However, I have found working with said mentor even for a short period has made me very nervous.

I've been doing some reflecting on the lessons I need to learn. My mentor wasnt completely in the wrong but the way she addressed it was over the top.

I've compiled a list of all the people/teams/departments I want to fit in visits to, and have decided that as friday may be my last proper shift with this mentor I will have to make the best of it, and ensure from now on my observations, basic care, documentation and medications is as perfect and to the letter.

I am also ensuring from now on I am over prepared for placement.

The HCA was very nice last shift, but I felt sorry for them as my mentor was being overly nice to them and using them to do basic patient care which I could have done (or me and the HCA) in order to avoid speaking to me.

I really did have a confidence knock, but I dont have long left on this placement and can use multiple mdt visits to make some hours up. I am back again in January, but that is a bridge to be crossed at a later date.

10 shifts to go

Just use this placement to learn and gain experience in the essential care, don't worry about what other staff are doing, it doesn't matter what she asked the hca to do, it's not really anyone else's concern. Enjoy visiting other departments, it's good to see what else goes on in hospitals and you may find something that particularly interests you. You obviously don't really like each other, you can just ask for a different mentor when you go back in January.

Thankyou, I am still very tired from being sick multiple times so I dont think i've come across the best.

But I will just focus on being the best st nurse I can be for the patients.

This is a learning experience and I have to remember that.

Xx