Contradicting instructors!

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Curious to know how many of you feel like you are constantly getting mixed messages from instructors. Am I a student nurse or a mind reader? Example, today we had to form a care plan for a child with an abscess. We have ALWAYS been told that you should use warm compresses to promote vasodilation, leukocytes circulation, wound healing...

SO, in front of our entire class my instructor asks if our group is trying to cause a septic infection and that never would you use a warm compress to promote healing. Wha?

Its like that constantly and I am afraid when it comes board time, I'm not going to have a clue what the RIGHT answer is? Love to have your input and experiences.

SarahCeleste

32 Posts

I will heartily agree that yes, I am getting some extremely mixed signals not only differing between our two instructors, but also from our instructors to our test. They will drive a specific subject in our head, and then the test will totally contradict the very thing they've driven into us! It's driving me insane and I don't really know how to decipher each message----how are we ever supposed to learn the right thing if contradictions continue to happen?! Sorry, not to rant, but I will say, as an LVN student, that is my biggest, most annoying and prevalent gripe. :( Anyway, my thoughts are with all of you student nurses and I pray we all get outta this alive! God bless~

twarlik

573 Posts

Specializes in CICu, ICU, med-surg.

:chuckle

I was just ranting about this same subject last night with some of my fellow nursing students. It seems to be a common thread throughout nursing school and I think illustrates a very important thing that all of us need to learn. Everyone has opinions on how certain procedures should be done and for some things there probably isn't one definitive method. I've decided I'm just going to learn as much as I can and once I become a nurse I can make my own decisions.

In the mean time, enjoy this cartoon which I think protrays this struggle quite well: http://www.nurstoon.com/comic168.html

BarbPick

780 Posts

I see where your instructor was going and yess, she was right. Don't get huffy, I will explain. The mixed communication came from a few practice standards. 2 things are said about abcess"you never let the sun set on and abscess" and the best antibiotic for an abcsess is made by Bard Parker"

Now that in English: Abscesses must be opened and drained, called an I&D, inscision and drainage. The instructor was saying warm compresses might increase circulation and make the patient septic.

The Bard Parker thing: the best antibioric for an abscess is made by Bard Parker...BARD PARKER MAKES SCALPAL BLADES. The abscess has to be opened and that is the only way to make the person better. Here is a gory situation. Xylocaine does not work if there is exudate (PUS) present, so the surgeon usually does a non anesthetized stab would to open the abscess. The patient might scream yikes but his pain cure is relieving the pressure of the acscess. I am proof you can actually live through this, I had one under my arm. If you are squeemish, stop reading now. When he did it,the stuff flew so far, it hit the opposite wall, ok enough, blech

colleen10

1,326 Posts

Barb,

Thank you so much for your explanation and the sayings.

I am first semester and haven't covered abscesses yet but your catchy sayings make it easy to understand and remember the correct treatment.

Thank you much!

Col

rpbear

488 Posts

Specializes in OB.

I just had a situation similar to this today. We were doing exam review and one question asked how a healthy stoma should look. Half the class choose "slightly pink" and half choose "beefy red". One instructor told us it should be pink the other said red. I think it should be between pink and red. Too pale - no circulation, too red - infection. Anyway, the instuctor whose test question it was said it should be "beefy red" well the other instructor was also in the room and she addmitted to telling us it should be pink. So the question was thrown out. Good thing the other instructor was in the room otherwise we the students would not have stood a chance with our story.

This will come up a lot in your nursing school, sometimes it is just a matter of opinion.

BarbPick

780 Posts

It will come up in real life. Different charge nurses want different things in report. One wants the facts, like does the patient have a pulse and where is their IV or Hep Lock places, left or right hand.

The charge nurse who is on when the other is off wants to know the patient's third grade teacher's name. color of eyes, horoscope sign and oh yes, maybe a diagnosis.

Talk about walking on egg shells, these people write your evaluations.

About instructors, I have thrown out a few questions in my life. Believe it or not, this is the small stuff, and never sweat the small stuff. Remember, there is always the Dean. ( I can't believe I am telling how to use Nursing Internal Affairs, like police, we have a rat squad.)

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