Hellish Clinicals

Nursing Students General Students

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:angryfire I'm in the clinical experience from Hell! :angryfire

I'm in my last semester of an ADN program. Until this point, I feel I've actually been ENCOURAGED to become a nurse--to ask questions and to take the time to learn to do a skill right the first time. This semester, my clinical experience has me just about convinced that I've made a terrible mistake.

We are on a very hectic telemetry unit. Our instructor has decided it's best for us to "find out now how stressful nursing really is", so she has directed the nurse's aides to refuse any help we might need. Each day we get three patients, at least one of which is total care, and frequently one of which is in strict isolation for one infection or another. In addition to basic care, we are also responsible for researching and administering all of their medications and completing the associated paperwork. The paperwork is always a challenge because the nurses refuse to let us HAVE the paperwork, so we must hunt down the nurse in charge of our patient every time we need to make an entry. Our instructor wants us to be able to "handle pressure", so she belittles us and yells at us in front of staff and patients if we make the tiniest error or omission. The nurses on the floor are also her "eyes and ears", as we have all discovered the hard way when we have asked seasoned nurses in confidence for advice, then gotten reprimanded by our instructor for not knowing the answer ourselves. We are also getting little "mind games" played on us, like nurses offering to get med's, needles or tubing for us, then getting the wrong thing so our instructor can see if we pick up on the mistake before we walk into the room. I'm in a constant state of dread of each clinical day, and my only goal when I walk in the hospital each morning is that I will be able to avoid notice, either good or bad. I can't sleep and my stomach hurts all the time. Soon we will get 4 patients each. I hate to think I've wasted all this time and effort, but if this is what nursing is like, I want no part of it. I wish I had never started nursing school. Yuck. How do I get through the next three months and get some of my confidence back? Is this what I can expect when I start working?

I had an instructor like that. It was a power play. You cannot "prepare" people for stress in that manner. The only way to be able to handle stress on the job is to have confidence in your ability so you do not have to think about what you are doing, just do it.

I would write a letter to the Dean, stating the mind games are not conducive to learning. The instructor's belittlement is unprofessional and about the only thing she has taught you is to not be a nurse like her. She should be a model not a warden. Anyway, your purpose in clinicals is twofold 1) to learn (which you aren't (2) to care for the patient. Creating undue stress in the nurse may result in poor patient care, which could create a libability situation for the school and the hospital.

There is no excuse for boorishness.

:angryfire i'm in the clinical experience from hell! :angryfire

i'm in my last semester of an adn program. until this point, i feel i've actually been encouraged to become a nurse--to ask questions and to take the time to learn to do a skill right the first time. this semester, my clinical experience has me just about convinced that i've made a terrible mistake.

we are on a very hectic telemetry unit. our instructor has decided it's best for us to "find out now how stressful nursing really is", so she has directed the nurse's aides to refuse any help we might need. each day we get three patients, at least one of which is total care, and frequently one of which is in strict isolation for one infection or another. in addition to basic care, we are also responsible for researching and administering all of their medications and completing the associated paperwork. the paperwork is always a challenge because the nurses refuse to let us have the paperwork, so we must hunt down the nurse in charge of our patient every time we need to make an entry. our instructor wants us to be able to "handle pressure", so she belittles us and yells at us in front of staff and patients if we make the tiniest error or omission. the nurses on the floor are also her "eyes and ears", as we have all discovered the hard way when we have asked seasoned nurses in confidence for advice, then gotten reprimanded by our instructor for not knowing the answer ourselves. we are also getting little "mind games" played on us, like nurses offering to get med's, needles or tubing for us, then getting the wrong thing so our instructor can see if we pick up on the mistake before we walk into the room. i'm in a constant state of dread of each clinical day, and my only goal when i walk in the hospital each morning is that i will be able to avoid notice, either good or bad. i can't sleep and my stomach hurts all the time. soon we will get 4 patients each. i hate to think i've wasted all this time and effort, but if this is what nursing is like, i want no part of it. i wish i had never started nursing school. yuck. how do i get through the next three months and get some of my confidence back? is this what i can expect when i start working?

:eek: :eek:

hell, bootcamp was a cake walk compared to your clinical rotation!!

godspeed to graduation!!!!!

Dawson,

I'm so sorry you're going through this. Your instructor should NOT be teaching at all. Some people are clearly not cut out for teaching. I am also surprised and angered that the other nurses are going along with her negative style of teaching. You're not going to know everything and that is why you're in SCHOOL, because you DON'T know it all. This is the perfect opportunity to ask questions and to ask the other nurses for advice. This is what clinicals and school is for. If you knew it all already, you wouldn't be in school wasting your time with this awful teacher of yours. In honesty, you will always have quetions. Even after years of being a nurse. There is always something new to learn. And asking for advice, is a great way to learn. I think you and your clinical group have a very good case against her if you wanted to put in a complaint. I wish you much luck.

Specializes in Emergency Room.

your instructor is very inappropriate and unprofessional. how would she like to get yelled at in front of her collegues? and your clinical structure is very unsafe for the patients. yes, nursing can be rough, but it does NOT have to be like that. believe me, if nursing was like that every where, there would be NO nurses at all. you did not make the wrong decision, but if i were you i would take this opportunity to see what kind of nursing would be best for you to start in. be selective of hospitals. know how long orientation is, and be willing to take a pay cut if that means lower patient/nurse ratios and adequate staffing. this is your career, make the most of it. :balloons:

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