Nursing Explained™

Lessons / Placement skills

A busy nurse hands you a patient's tablets. What do you do?

Short · 2:22 · with Mia · Last updated

Kip's still colouring this one in.

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The question

A busy nurse hands me, a student, a patient's tablets: am I allowed to give them, and what do I say if I'm not sure?

Understand

On day two of placement, a busy nurse asks student nurse Alex to give bed eleven his tablets. Before any task, ask three questions: Have I been taught it? Is it allowed for students here? Is a registered nurse supervising me? If any answer is no or you're unsure, stop, speak up and ask. In NSW, Queensland, WA Country Health and New Zealand, students give medicines only under direct supervision. Alex and Jo are fictional; rules vary by state, uni and hospital, so always follow your local policy. Full story: our first-week placement survival guide, on the channel.

  1. NMBA: students can do the full range of care under supervision, if their uni supports it and they're competent and confident.
  2. Medicines have their own rules: in NSW, Queensland, WA Country Health and NZ, students give them only under direct supervision.
  3. Any no: reconsider and seek advice. Good intentions don't make a task safe.

Key takeaways

  • Three questions before any task: taught and able to do it safely? allowed for students here? supervised right now?
  • Any no, or unsure: stop, speak up, and ask.
  • Medicines: only under direct supervision, every time, whoever asks.

In practice

  • Three questions before any task.
  • Any no or unsure: stop, speak up, ask.
  • Medicines: only with a nurse supervising.

In one line

Before any task, ask three questions: have I been taught, am I allowed, am I supervised? If any answer is no or unsure, stop, speak up and ask.

Check yourself

Your supervisor's on a break. Another nurse says, "Go ahead." Go or stop?

Show the answer

Stop. "Go ahead" isn't supervision. Ask, "Could you watch me?" or wait for your supervisor.

Got it? Nice. Kip's proud of you.

Words to know

Direct supervision
the supervisor takes direct responsibility for your care
Scope of practice
the care you're educated, competent and allowed to give

Transcript

Read the narration

Could you give bed eleven his tablets? I'm flat out. Jo, a ward nurse, asks Alex, a student enrolled nurse. Alex wants to help.

But should she say yes? Jo shouldn't have put Alex on the spot. But on a busy ward, these requests happen. And good intentions don't make a task safe. Australia's nursing board says students can participate in the full range of nursing care under appropriate supervision.

But that doesn't mean every task is automatically okay. Question one. Have I been taught how to do this, and can I do it safely?

If you haven't done it before, or aren't confident, that's not a weakness. It's a reason to ask for help. Question two. Is this task permitted for students in this hospital?

That depends on your university, placement arrangements and hospital policy. Medicines are especially important: students can only give them under direct supervision. Question three.

Is a registered nurse available to supervise me right now? If the nurse is too busy to supervise, the answer is no. Not right now, not for this task.

Here's the rule. If any answer is no, or you're unsure, stop, speak up and ask. Alex runs through her mental checklist. Taught?

Not sure. Allowed? Not sure. Supervised? No one is available.

I'm a student, so I can only administer medicines with the required supervision. Could I come with you and watch instead? Jo pauses, then smiles. Good call.

Come with me. Remember these three questions before taking on any task. Have I been taught? Am I allowed?

Am I supervised? If any answer is no or unsure, stop, speak up and ask. Being a good student nurse isn't about saying yes to every request.

It's knowing when to act, when to ask, and when to say no. Alex still wants to help. Now she understands that speaking up is part of keeping patients safe.

Sources

  1. NMBA - Decision-making framework for nursing and midwifery (2020): students may undertake under supervision the full range of care activities; educational institution supports, competent and confident; RN available to supervise; accountability cannot be delegated (read 14 October 2026)
  2. NMBA - Decision-making framework summary: nursing (2020): 'No to any' leads to reconsider and seek advice; competent and confident (read 14 October 2026)
  3. NSW Health - PD2022_032 Medication Handling: a student must be directly supervised when administering any medication (s6.1); the same person selects, prepares, administers and records (s6.6); for every medication, check the patient's allergy or adverse drug reaction status, re-checked at the point of administration (s6.6) (read 14 October 2026)
  4. Queensland Health - Key legislative requirements, registered nurses and enrolled nurses (factsheet, March 2026): students may possess and administer medicines under direct supervision (read 14 October 2026)
  5. WA Country Health Service - Medication Prescribing and Administration Policy s2.8.8: student EN or RN may check and administer under direct supervision (read 14 October 2026)
  6. NZNO - Guidelines for nurses on the administration of medicines (2024) s5.7: students must never administer or supply medicines without direct supervision (read 14 October 2026)

Checked against these sources at the time of publishing. Sources change, so check the date above and your local policy. Spotted an error? Tell us and we'll correct it.

General education, not clinical advice. Check your local policy.