The student nurse can administer client medications on his own.
The student nurse may assist other nurses in turning and repositioning their clients.
The student nurse may read his assigned client’s chart and access lab results to determine interventions.
The student nurse should take all opportunities to provide direct client care under the preceptor’s oversight.
The student nurse may report details of the assigned client’s case to others in the post-clinical conference as long as client privacy is maintained.
Numbers 2, 3, 4, and 5 are correct.
Rationale: Nurses often help turn and reposition other nurses’ clients, so this is an appropriate action for a student nurse. Student nurses should read the chart for their assigned client and be familiar with the medical history, current diagnosis, diagnostic tests, and medications. This allows the student nurse to see how care is provided for various conditions and allows opportunities to ask questions of the licensed nurse. The student nurse should work closely with the preceptor and perform as much hands-on care as he is qualified to do under state nursing law and facility policy. If the student nurse is not qualified to provide the care, he still has the opportunity to observe and ask questions in preparation of advancing his skills. Post-clinical conferences allow groups of student nurses to share interesting procedures or observations that facilitate learning among the group. HIPAA rules still apply; the student nurses are reminded not to share client names or any identifying data when sharing with the group.
A student nurse may not administer medications on his own. Instead, the precepting nurse should accompany the student nurse in medication administration, once the student nurse has passed the medication exam and is allowed by the ins tructor to administer medications. Before giving any medication, the student nurse should be able to explain to the preceptor what the medication is for, contraindications, and side effects. The precepting nurse is still responsible for the student nurse’s actions and can be held liable for medication errors by the student nurse.
