[tutored]

Hi folks, I am a nursings student scheduled to graduate this year - I've had many clinical instructors, with all sorts of personalities. I am also an older student who has lots of life experience dealing with many people. Here's the deal: last week in clinic, I made a mistake signing an MAR on the wrong spot while doing medication administration with my instructor. I caught the mistake as I did it, brought it up to my teacher before she had a chance to reprimand me, and voiced my understanding of the mistake I had just made. The rest of the day went smoothly, and the next day I was told that I had to write a one-page paper on "listening to my teacher"...I thought this was a joke, but found that most other students had to write similar "Papers", which are obviously punishment without no value. Any feedback? I don't even want to write these papers - what am I, 9 years old?

[firstyearstudent]

I would diplomatically tell the instructor that you don't think you have any issues "listening" and that you would prefer to reseach a related topic and write a short paper summarizing your findings. Then go find an article or two about properly filling out forms or confusing forms or something like that. That way this misguided soul can dole out her "punishment" while you actually learn something useful.

You are going to be shocked at how ridiculous nursing culture is. My advice is to maneuver through it as best you can and do not perpetuate it.

[Jolie]

Abuse? No.

I highly suggest that you do the paper as assigned and get over it.

[Soup Turtle]

...maybe silly, but not abuse.

[TraumaICURN]

Definitely not abuse.....nitpicky, yes....useless, yes. But hey, just do it and get it over with. Don't argue with her about it, there is really no use.

(If this helps, I still make mistakes when signing off on my MARs. I sometimes write the time under the wrong column, and sign my name where the date should be. )

[tutored]

Originally Posted by firstyearstudent

I would diplomatically tell the instructor that you don't think you have any issues "listening" and that you would prefer to reseach a related topic and write a short paper summarizing your findings. Then go find an article or two about properly filling out forms or confusing forms or something like that. That way this misguided soul can dole out her "punishment" while you actually learn something useful.

You are going to be shocked at how ridiculous nursing culture is. My advice is to maneuver through it as best you can and do not perpetuate it.

I am a third-year nursing student, and I am, indeed, shocked, "firstyearstudent"...excellent suggestion, and I did try exactly that, but got nowhere. "This is the way I do things"....I should be noted that this woman is in her late 70's. Thanks for your response!

[tutored]

Originally Posted by TraumaICURN

Definitely not abuse.....nitpicky, yes....useless, yes. But hey, just do it and get it over with. Don't argue with her about it, there is really no use.

(If this helps, I still make mistakes when signing off on my MARs. I sometimes write the time under the wrong column, and sign my name where the date should be. )

Hi TraumaRN - it does help to know these things happen. Your response to "just do it" seems to be the most common response. It's true, there's not much I can do. I just can't believe that I'm being asked, at 40 years old, to write a paper about listening to teacher. Next I"ll probably have to write 100 times on a board, like Bart Simpson! Thanks for everyone's replies so far!

[Jules A]

Originally Posted by Jolie

Abuse? No.

I highly suggest that you do the paper as assigned and get over it.

Ridiculous yes, abuse no. Definitely just do it. No need to get in a ******* match over something so petty. You will be done with her forever soon enough!

[Natkat]

Yep. They have the power to pass you or fail you. Just suck it up and do it.

[EmerNurse]

I think you should just do it. But do it in the right way. Ok, I tend to go overboard when having to comply with silly stuff like this. Go find yourself an article or three re: nursing school instruction and such, and cite them in your paper. Put the paper in APA format. Make it very formal. Meet every requirement the instructor asked for. Not one sarcastic comment about your age, or being treated like a 9-year old. Not one article quote that shows the teacher as "wrong". Your goal is to do such a serious, complete and appropriate job of the paper that you make it clear that someone who could write such a paper obviously has no need TO write that paper in the first place.

You'll get your point across and give your instructor NO reason to complain about the paper.

Advice to everyone - read Miss Manners' old books. They are superb and helping one make a point in a perfectly proper and polite way, leaving people saying "huh?" without ever actually saying or doing anything wrong. Great fun