Issues with a Clinical Instructor

Nursing Students General Students

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Hello all.

Here's the deal. I just started my first semester of nursing school. It's the summer term so everything is a lot shorter but we still have to get the same amount of information in - standard summer term scenario. I just finished my third week and we only have two weeks until we start clinicals.

I'm exceptionally nervous about my instructor. Firstly let me say, he's a really nice guy. He seems more than willing to help; the problem - he doesn't seem to know... anything. He's an older gentleman who's been a psych nurse for twenty-something-odd years and has never taught nursing from what I understand. I am NOT trying to discredit his credentials. He's an RN, MSN, et cetera, and I'm sure he's very smart. But this is not his thing; this isn't what he's used to. I understand that a response might be to empathize and understand he is new at this, and he's trying his best. I get it, I really do. But respectfully, I don't care. This is my education at stake. Any questions that surface he seems unable to answer. In lab he points us in the direction of the other groups and instructs us to watch them or ask the other instructors.

Again, let me re-emphasize, I understand that he's new to this. And it's probably as difficult for him as it is for us to try and figure out what's going on. But I feel my education will suffer. I want an instructor that can teach me, not one that's learning with me. I'm paying out-of-pocket for this so it's quite frustrating. I also didn't want to go above his head because that seems exceedingly disrespectful because he's not actually breaking any rules or doing anything wrong, there is nothing for them to talk with him about, this just isn't what he does. Furthermore, what could they say? The other students in our group have mentioned something to the department head and the response they were give was 'that's who they chose, I don't pick the instructors so we just have to work with what we've got'.

I guess I don't have a questions, and I don't really know what kind of responses I'm seeking, I guess I'm just venting. I'm just very ambitious and want to be the best nurse I can be. :down:

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I think this is a great opportunity for you to learn how to be teaching yourself. I more than understand the frustrations of having a professor who absolutely was NOT made for teaching - I've had more than my share of this. However, your stuck with this instructor for the semester, whether you like it or not, and if you're not learning what you need to in class, then you will be spending extra time looking up answers to questions you have. Although you may be unhappy and it seems unfair that your money is going towards a class that isn't teaching you much, plus you have to spend extra time outside of the class time that your paying for to learn the material, think of it as a challenge to step up and learn how to look for reliable, detailed resources that can help you. Who knows, this may be an actual problem you may have at your place of employment later, where some of your coworkers may refuse to help you, and you will find yourself having to make do with any information you can find on your own. Sorry about your situation, and good luck!

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I think this is a great opportunity for you to learn how to be teaching yourself. I more than understand the frustrations of having a professor who absolutely was NOT made for teaching - I've had more than my share of this. However, your stuck with this instructor for the semester, whether you like it or not, and if you're not learning what you need to in class, then you will be spending extra time looking up answers to questions you have. Although you may be unhappy and it seems unfair that your money is going towards a class that isn't teaching you much, plus you have to spend extra time outside of the class time that your paying for to learn the material, think of it as a challenge to step up and learn how to look for reliable, detailed resources that can help you. Who knows, this may be an actual problem you may have at your place of employment later, where some of your coworkers may refuse to help you, and you will find yourself having to make do with any information you can find on your own. Sorry about your situation, and good luck!

P.S. You may find yourself retaining the information better as well, since you went through all the hard work to obtain it. I'm just more of an optimist. :)

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Specializes in Education, research, neuro.

You have JUST begun nursing school and you've decided this guy knows nothing. Let that sink in.

What do you expect your first clinicals to be about? Managing chest tubes and pressors for some train wreck trauma patient?

I'll tell you what your first clinicals are going to be about. Talking with patients. This is the best instructor you could possibly have for this particular semester. If you don't learn communication techniques now, you won't have them when you're in the ICU trying to help the mother of that trauma patient deal with the fact that her son is unconscious and doesn't have the same face or the same number of limbs he used to have.

If you'd let him this instructor could teach you how to read a patient/family member's body language. He could teach you how to ask probing questions in the most gentle way. He could teach you how to interview and how to just listen.

No seriously, this guy could be golden for you. This is the most important skill you could learn as a beginning student.

I would absolutely stay out of the director's office. First semester. Really? I know it shouldn't be this way but you'll be identified as the whiny student. I'm serious as a heart attack.

And don't get into "oh-ain't-it-awful" chat-fests with other students. That's a terrible way to begin your nursing career. (Please tell me you aren't doing any of this chatter via social media... please.)

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Oof, sorry about the double post. I tried to edit but I guess it just posted again?

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*snip*

I made it clear my intent was not to discredit him. You can be nurse-of-the-year but if you haven't been in school for (God knows how many) years and are trying to teach students to be floor nurses when you have been a psych nurse for so long, you're not going to be able to effectively teach them. Never did I state he knows nothing. I did, however, state that he hasn't been able to answer any questions. If I can't get feedback from first-month questions... hell yes I'm nervous. I'm a student; I know nothing. That said, my rationale is not unjust. In life (or school) there are going to be people you like, and people you don't like. It's nothing to do with that. It's a competency issue. He's a very nice guy and seems well-educated. But he's not an instructor. I'm not saying he won't bring anything to the table. And I'm more than willing to give him a chance, but I feel I have the right to be concerned... and right now, I am.

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Hi! First semester is fundamentals. Communication and, well, fundamentals are what you'll be doing. A long time psych nurse would be an ideal instructor, IMO. You'll learn how to do a full assessment on your patient and learn how to therapeutically communicate with him/her. Sure, you're learning basic tasks, as well, but fundamentals is learning how to implement nursing process, something which he as an accomplished nurse is likely used to doing well.

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Specializes in Education, research, neuro.

You have not given us an example of his deficiencies. You're really saying you've stumped the guy? He can't follow your question? You're inquiries are over his head? He can't give you an idea of where to access the answer to your question? Is he really ignorant or are you impatient because he's lost some motor skills over the years?

I will tell you this... If he is new to your program and is NOT a lead/principle faculty for this course, then yes... absolutely he should be deferring to the faculty member who is. He's being responsible. One of the worst things we do to students is to give them mixed messages. I do NOT (for example) teach NG insertions because the way I've done it for 43 years is different than that of any other nurse. I defer to the lead faculty and on those lab days, I teach gloving, sterile technique and foley insertions.

Does that mean I'm ignorant. Nope. I can drop an NG tube lickity split... but if I were to teach my method, I'd get the students all nutted up.

How much of what you're frustrated about is truly ignorance on his part? If he hasn't started an IV in umpty years, then yes, he should step back and let someone else show you how. But, really...

* Can he show you how to wash your hands?

* How to introduce yourself to your patients?

* Do the 3 checks and 5 rights?

* Put the side rails up?

* Do basic medication calculations?

* Transfer a patient from bed to chair?

* Read a doctor's order? Chart on a flow sheet?

On the other hand... If you could only see the guy for what he can do teach you that the rest of your faculty could not...

Look... should a fundies student be learning how to do patient education? Sure. But do you have the skill to assess how well the patient followed you? And if you're not sure you got through... was it an ethnic thing? Did you use the wrong vocabulary? What's the educational level and the age of the patient and how will that influence his ability to understand? Did you use the right methods and tools? Or was the patient whipped and it was the wrong time of day?

Say the patient to whom you're assigned totally ignores you... is it the meds he's on? Does he have a field cut or neglect? Or is the guy really telling you behaviorally to get the heck out of his room? You have a disruptive patient or a disruptive family... you have no idea how important patient satisfaction scores are (determining if the hospital is paid or not!) and you have got to be able to negotiate these delicate situations.

This guy has a skill set the rest of your faculty does not. AND... you have no idea what the deficiencies and weaknesses you might find in other faculty members. You haven't noticed them yet... but they're there.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

Honestly, he doesn't have to be the one to teach you the skills. He can teach you the therapeutic communication you'll need that you won't typically get until you do your psych rotation. In that regard, you'll be well ahead of the game. If you listen to your patients, really listen therapeutically, you can learn a LOT about them.

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Specializes in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.

Well, at least he says he isn't sure or points you in the direction of someone else who does know instead of saying "Look it up." Cuz, "look it up" is about as good as you'll get from many instructors. This is your first semester of nursing school so it's natural that you're nervous. This is not going to be your first go around with these skills (which are basic and will build on them during med surg) and you will have the opportunity to have CNAs, LVNs and RNs and the like in your clinical site that will be more than happy to have you do all the basics for them after they give you a quick tutorial on how their facility does them. This is kinda how it goes.

A lot of nursing school is taking your education in your own hands, by the way. As others have mentioned, so much of the learning you do is on your own and you need to be able to be effectively self-taught as a nurse in a lot of scenarios (i.e. from the NCLEX to your CEs it's ALL you). Don't expect the professors to give you much, let alone everything. You will find that you will take something from this instructor (i.e. like therapeutic communication, which is incredibly important as on our med surg floor we had TONS of "confused" pts and 5150 drop offs) but be patient and embrace the "learn as we go" mode. Cuz, seriously, what if you get hired on a unit that is in the middle of changing their eMAR system over and you and your preceptor have to "learn as you go"? Are you going to be resentful of your preceptor because they don't know and it's their first time, too? Sheesh, I hope not. You have to be patient and self-sufficient in nursing school.

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Specializes in ED, Medicine, Case Management.
Never did I state he knows nothing.

I hate to point this out, but that is exactly what you said:

"Firstly let me say, he's a really nice guy. He seems more than willing to help; the problem - he doesn't seem to know... anything."

You are getting excellent advice from the PP's - I understand your concerns but often we have our own expectations that do not align with the reality of the situation. I would suggest putting aside what you think he should be teaching you and just listen to what he presenting. He probably knows a thing or two after 20-some years. Also, if you are really uncomfortable with the situation, go have an office-hours conversation with him about what you think you are missing out on. Chances are good that he will be able to give you more perspective on what he wants you to get from him this term.

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I've already addressed that via PM with the member I quoted.

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