Crazy clinical instructor wants drug actions to cellular level

Gator,SN · Oct 25, 2002

HUGS right back to you Sara!!!!:)

I know what you are going through because my instructor is EXACTLY the same way! I was pretty mad about it the first 3 weeks of clinical, but at this point, I am just trying to get through it! My instructor is, in a "bootcamp sargeant" type of way, trying to make us all critical thinkers and better nursing students.

Maybe someday i will be thankful......right now I just try not to spend any extra energy on being upset with her.

Best wishes to you! Someday we will all look back on these long forgotten days and smile!

Who cares that the smile is because we never have to put up with this stuff again!

Gator

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Oct 26, 2002

Try asking one of your other instructors if they have any ideas for finding further info on drugs than what's in the drug manual.

Just FYI... Sometimes a pt will be on a med that's not in your drug book right? And it's the night before clinicals and you will be drilled and hassled about said med the next morning (or your instructor wants more info than the drug book has) right? Well, one of my coworkers used to call pharmacies out of the phone book when she was in school and ask them about unfamiliar drugs. She said they were usually more than happy to give some info. And many pharmacies are open 24 hours.

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Oct 26, 2002

And yes, wanting more info than what the drug manual provides is a little excesive. Is she a pharamocology instructor?

jamistlc · Oct 26, 2002

Bah, i remember those days and man I would make drug cards for my assigned clients when the instructor would change assignments upon my arrival I hated when that happened,

As far as asking questions about the drugs action on a cellular level, maybe she is trying to weed out the ones who just do enough to get the 80% on the test and pass the course. My advise keep your chin up, hit the books and try to keep one step ahead of this instructor.

Best wishes and good luck,

renerian, BSN, RN · Oct 26, 2002

Never had an instructor ask for more information than was in the drug book...........

renerian

SaraRNin2003 · Oct 26, 2002

Thanks ladies. Yes she was one of our pharm instructors 1st and 2nd semester. I guess I wouldn't mind if I got to research my patient the night before and could look up more on the medications, but in 3rd semester we don't find out anything about our patient until we get to the clinical sight that morning. Unless I am going to carry a pharmacist or some huge book (okay when I figure out which huge book has the info she is looking for) around the drug book is all I have to go on. It is just so dang frustrating. I get 86-92% on all the tests but this being put on the spot thing drives me nuts. It wouldn't be so bad if I had access to the info she wanted there at the clinical site.

thanks again for the advise!

Hugs!

SARA

emily_mom · Oct 27, 2002

Pharm instructors are crazy!! You really have to look in the BIG PDR to find all of this info. My clinical instructor was the same way. You would tell her all this stuff and she would ask, "And, what does that mean?" or "How would you rephrase that?". You really had to know how it worked and not just what the book said. I learned A LOT though. I feel ahead of other classmates and your future clinical instructors will also be impressed!!

Sleepyeyes · Oct 27, 2002

But....as a NURSE....

legally,

you need to remember that you are responsible for the knowledge in the drug book that YOU LOOK UP THE DRUG IN.

For example, if you look up a drug and later that patient is involved in litigation, if you found the drug in Mosby's, you're responsible only for that info in Mosby's Drug Book.

But if you looked it up in the PDR, you are likewise responsible for ALL the info on that drug. And that's waaaaaay too much info for our scope of practice to be responsible for, IMHO.