Clinical Roles

This semester the Intro students are also known as Guinea Pigs. My school is piloting a new approach to what the students will learn and take away from the clinical experiences starting with my semester. If all goes as expected this will become the new standard practice. From what I read on other nursing blogs, this isn't a new idea for nursing students...just new to this school.

Previously we would go to the hospital as a group of 10 and our instructor would take 8 patients and "assign" them a student for the day leaving 2 left over to assist the main student caregiver as needed. Each person would do everything during an 8 hour shift that their patient required for direct patient care. (Bath, Meds, ect...)

Now, we are taking turns in roles that are designed to encourage independent thinking. Now there are only 4 patients on a floor that will be assigned to students. So there are only 4 caregivers. The extra students would be in one of the following positions Team Leader (have 2 care givers under them), 2 Safety Nurses and 2 Resource Nurses (1 each per team). This is the schools way of exposing us to different expectations of nursing before being tossed into the fire once we do finally get our license. All of those are roles that an single RN does at any one point of a shift, these will to be expected of us by the time the program is over.

Today I had the opportunity, due to manning issues (yes as students you can face that too) to be in the position of safety and resource nurse for 3 patients. A LOT of paperwork to fill out....fall risk assessments, pressure sore risk assessments, assessment of manifestations, figuring out patient safety goals and then a Larger Health Care System Safety Goal. As you can see all very important topics but no direct patient care. Meaning not really that much to talk about, sorry.

Next week I get to be Team Leader, bring on the delegation! ha