Grrrrrr...insulted by clinical instructor

275Main · Oct 26, 2003

There is a phrase I was told by an instructor during the first semester of my accelerated program "nurses eat their young".

I feel that there are some instructors which are almost too good to be true, while there are others who make you want to scream or cry, the sam holds true for the nurses on the floor. This is a phenomenon that I did not experience in my other degree.

While her comment was not constructive at all, I assume that she is trying to make each student the best nurse that he/she could possibly be...and just realize that this is not happening to you alone, I bet that others have had a similar experience. Nursing school gets downplayed A LOT and it is difficult, not just the academics but it can also be mentally challenging.

SJSU_Mami · Oct 26, 2003

We at our school have complaints about certain instructors.. the teachers tell us that we need to take it to higher authority. If she is head of the department, talk to somebody higher like the director of nursing. Hopefully your nursing school has some kind of student advocate program. If you really were working like you said than your teacher has issues of her own. I don't think all her personal insults were necessary. If a patient refuses a bath, then you don't force one on him. If somebody wants a wash basin rather than an emesis one, let him have it. What the hell is the difference? Seriously, don't let her do this to you. Stand up for yourself and voice your thoughts. Good Luck!

RNmomma · Oct 26, 2003

I agree with going to another instuctor or higher authority. Your idea of going to your other instructor is a good one. If anything, she can make you feel better. Your experience sounds horrible, and I would react just as you did, maybe worse. There was no reason to treat you like that! All of your explanations sound perfectly reasonable, and she sounds completely bizarre. Let me know how it goes talking to your other teacher.

Mithrah · Oct 26, 2003

It sounds like you are a great nursing student. I think your clinical instructor has unresolved issues of her own. Perhaps she was a horrible nursing student herself and by picking on you it makes her feel better. Don't take it personally. I know students aren't busy (if anyone is I am amazed) doing things 100% of the time, so it is inevitable that an instructor is going to pop in on you during a slow time at one point and think you are doing nothing.

If this happened to me and the instructor thought I was lying, I would have dragged her into the patient's room and have her ask the patient what happened. This way it proves the situation and makes the instructor look stupid.

TeresaRN2b · Oct 26, 2003

First off hugs to you. I am sorry you had such a rotten experience. I am sure you will be a great nurse and just keep yourself focused on that. One of the things my instructor has told me is that I tend to rationalize my behaviors and that kind of sounds like what your instructor is telling you. They see you get defensive and jump on that. In the future with this instructor maybe you can try asking her for feedback or instruction like for example with not giving the bath to the patient in pain, you could say something like I didn't give him a bath because he didn't want one, but could you help me with some approaches to work on getting him to take one next time? Instructors don't want to hear rationalizations (whether or not they are right or not) they just want to hear you accept responsibility. Kind of like the power not going out in your house so your alarm clock not going off, not your fault, but still your fault? You know what I mean? So just a simple yes mam or no mam. Ok, I will make sure that doesn't happen again. Thanks for pointing that out. You're right. Any of those will probably work better than trying to justify your point of view.

Teresa

Jennerizer, ASN, RN · Oct 26, 2003

Yes, I do agree that under normal circumstances, those replies would have helped. That is what I was used to with the clinical instructor I've had for the last 6 weeks. If she felt I needed to improve, I'd ask her to show me or tell me what I needed to improve on. This other instructor is the opposite of that. The more I think about it, the more I realize that her personal attack was a result of her own actions. Like when she approached me & started asking me those questions in front of everyone, I think she totally expected that I would not have answers to her questions & she would make me look bad. However, when I did have legitimate answers & she noticed everyone watching us---she was the one that became embarrassed.

I don't even feel that I was defensive so to speak, she was asking me questions & I came up with answers. However, when the personal comments started being made, I realized I had to diffuse the situation & started saying "I appreciate your comments." I truly am still baffled by what happened. If she treats me like this on a good day, what will she be like if I do make a mistake?

I do want to clear the air. I feel that if I had followed the approach of asking how to do things better, that she would mentally note that I was lacking in my patient care techniques. Her opinion of me is what decides whether I pass clinicals or not & right now that scares me. I feel like she has pre-judged me & no matter how wonderful I do, that she still won't give me passing marks.

I will meet with my classroom instructor on Tuesday afternoon. She was my clinical instructor for the last 6 weeks & she is also in charge of the 2nd semester nursing department. I am not looking for her to do anything more than tell me where I need to improve & to make her aware of the situation that happened. I don't want to end up sitting in evaluations 5 weeks from now bringing this up. I rather make her aware of it now.

Can they fail you even though you haven't made any medical errors & have no written warnings?

Todd SPN · Oct 26, 2003

find out what it is they want me to "improve" on, because I don't understand where they think I'm lacking.

I, too, do better when I am told what they want me to improve on and how. But, some instructors use the method of telling you that you need improvement and want you to use your critical thinking skills to overcome what they perceive to be a less that stellar performance. You are doing this now by posting, asking others in authority at school and just plain giving the situation some thought. I know it is hard in an already stressful situation that you hoped would be enjoyable. She is probably teaching the same way she got taught. Despite how it seems, most instructors do not want to "wash" out students, but it is true that some do really well at the books and are miserable at clinicals. It is clear that you want to succeed, so I have no doubt you will prevail.

classicaldreams · Oct 26, 2003

Dear Jennerizer,

I am a career changer and I am amazed with some of what these instructors get away with. They certainly are involved in their own powerplay. It is truely pathetic when I watch them intimidate students. What does it achieve? (Yes, I am a 4.0 student, and I have good clinical skills.)

I plan to voice my concerns about my clinical instructor's attitudes and her lack of knowledge and consistency (she couldn't figure out a drip rate if she had to), but be careful about making waves at this point. Instructors have tenure, and it has been my experience that tenured instructors can be incompetent and still keep their jobs. (And sometimes it boils down to their word against yours.) Save your energies for *yourself*. Don't spend it on trying to fix this problem, at least not now. Return to it when your schooling is done.

Classicaldreams

renerian, BSN, RN · Oct 26, 2003

You can always ask the nurse assigned to the patients to join in and validate your work attempts to 1. get a second eye and witness on the situation and 2. see if the assigned nurse agrees or disagrees and 3. have a witness to an "attack" if one occured. I know I have had students assigned to my patients and talked at length with the student and instructor about their concerns.

renerian

Jennerizer, ASN, RN · Oct 27, 2003

The nurse was present earlier in the day when I was being asked about mrsa & after the instructor walked off, she told me that even she didn't know what the instructor was talking about. Most of my classmates did witness what happened, but I don't feel comfortable bringing them into it.

I'm not looking for things to be changed or for her to be reprimanded. I just want to cover my butt so that I'm not sitting in evaluations 5 weeks from now bringing up these type of incidents (if they do continue). She can be as rude to me as she wants as long as I pass. I don't take her criticism to heart.

I do plan to inform my classroom instructor/dept head (it's the same person) about the incident that took place & approach her with more of a confused attitude----and ask what I need to do to improve because I am worried that one person's opinion can cause me to not pass clinicals.

This is a new situation for me & perhaps I'm overreacting, I just fear that something like this could fail me. I rather deal with it now & find out from both of them just what it is that they feel I need improvement on so that I can improve myself & make them happy also.

It's amazing the realm of emotions you go through with something like this. I went from being hurt, to being mad back to being rational. 5 more weeks......let me get though the next 5 weeks!!!!!!!

tazzyjo · Oct 27, 2003

I can totally relate, you aren't alone and it happens everywhere. I just finished my own six weeks from hell in a clinical rotation. My instructor called me superficial on the first day, and accused me of socializing with the nurses and not doing my job. I had two patients one of whom went home within a few hours of my arrival on the floor and the other was independent and was about to be discharged within a day. I worked with my assigned nurse or any other nurse that needed help, because I had nothing to do for my patients, except for a few meds (vitamins).

By the time I hit my eval time, I had had patients who were independent and required little in the way of help, they didn't even have much in the way of dressings. She later told me that her immediate first impression was that I knew it all and would just breeze thru the term, inspite of my attempts to tell her that some of my previous experiences were lacking in many skill areas. She made my life a living hell, along with a couple of other students. Her demeanor was one of negativity and demoralization. She was strictly by the book, and had no flexibility in how we did our skills, if it wasn't by the book it was wrong. I lost 10 lbs and barely slept, those six weeks...

I am glad you are surviving and just remember, that these instructors are but one in many and it is just an experience. You will be a better student and nurse for it. Good luck and don't let them get to you! :)