Med Surg clinical instructor OMG!

allthingsbright · Jan 10, 2007

First clinical this am and we are all scared and jaws dropping because First thing this instructor said was "Don't EVER call me! If you have questions or need help with care plans ask your classmates". She let us know that our clinical day is her day off (she is the med surg unit supervisor at the hospital we are doing clinicals at). She told us that if we ask her a stupid question during clinicals she will either not answer us, or tell us it was a stupid question she doesn't have time for. I am soooo not looking forward to working with this woman for the next 16 wks!:trout:
So how is your semester starting?

Uh-oh. :uhoh3: :uhoh21: :uhoh3: :uhoh21: GL on that one... :devil: she sounds like a doozey!

S.T.A.C.E.Y, LPN · Jan 10, 2007

I think I would nip this in the bud. You are purchasing a product (education) from a shop (college). This is unprofessional and rude. You need to take this to the dept head and if no satisfaction there, to the college dean.

AGREED! Start taking care of this before it is a problem. That is totally NOT acceptable.

OnTheRoad · Jan 10, 2007

Thanks for all the replies. Your responses have helped me decide how to handle this. I think I will wait and see what happens, maybe hope another one of her personalities comes through;) . I will try to always be as prepared as possible and be as helpful as I can to the nurses so they maybe won't mind answering questions. If the instructor does anything too outrageous or really hinders my clinical experience... then I will go to the chain, making sure along the way to document anything that happens. As long as I get a good clinical experience with or without her and make it through, I will wait till Eval time to say anything to the chain so as not to provoke retribution.

Jules A, MSN · Jan 10, 2007

Well whaddya know one day I asked her something about IV piggybacks and she walks away. I stood there for 15 minutes going over and over and over what I had asked trying to figure out what I was missing. She comes back and asks me if I am ready to go hang it..and I said NO b/c I am still trying to figure out why you walked away. She looked at me like I was nutzo and then started to laugh. Seems she walked away b/c that stupid thing she had in her ear to hear messages on told her she had a call at the nurses station. She didn't even say excuse me.....caused me 15 minutes of absolute anxiety ridden panic.
I'm telling ya....I wanted to knock her block off hahahhaaaa.

This is priceless!

moongirl · Jan 11, 2007

That is completely unprofessional and rude. :angryfire
Maybe you should let her boss in on what she has said. Seems if she can't be bothered to answer "stupid" questions from her students then perhaps she shouldn't have a job teaching them. Awful.

omg- DONT do that! you will have the semester from hell.

shut up and put up.

be sweet, be considerate. trust me... you question her and your rear will be hers and it WONT BE PRETTY. SHE is the instructor- she holds the cards. do what she says and do it with a ' yes ma'am"

allthingsbright · Jan 11, 2007

Boonersmom, that is too, too funny!!!! OMG! I would have died!! :lol2:

Tracey2bRN · Jan 12, 2007

I have just learned to accept that in my program the instructors have a boot camp mentality. They do everything to try to beat you down and make you feel stupid. (Like calling us "all a bunch of da** retards") Complaining to her supervisor only made it worse. I just do what I have to do to get by and remember that in one more year I will be out of there and have my license.

mvanz9999, RN · Jan 12, 2007

I think I would nip this in the bud. You are purchasing a product (education) from a shop (college). This is unprofessional and rude. You need to take this to the dept head and if no satisfaction there, to the college dean.
Good luck. It is vitally important that you have a good med-surg experience since this is the basics for much of nursing care. Good luck.

The more I hear from Trauma about education, the more I agree. You are PAYING for education. You are not there to be harassed or cheated from the product you purchased. I would definitely contact the department head. Don't feel that your instructor is so almighty that he/she doesn't need to provide good service. It's your money and your education. You are entitled to getting what you pay for.

If that instructor cannot provide what you paid for, they should be replaced. I'm sure there is one available that can provide you with proper instruction without being rude. There is one thing I cannot tolerate, and that is rudeness. There is simply no reason for it.

psalm_55 · Jan 13, 2007

consider yourself put on notice -- and get a lay of the landscape before acting.

politics and culture play a major role in each nursing department.

there are many possible reasons for this person's behavior -- one being that she didn't want to take nursing students -- but b/c she's management, she HAS to.

another being that sometimes 'new recruits' just don't look the part. they don't appear to measure up on the first look.

anyway, i'm not saying that her "introduction" was appropriate -- but Good Luck! focus your thoughts, energies, and skills on your patients.

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Jan 13, 2007

There's two ways you can handle this:

1. You can complain, moan, and go over her head, make life harder for her and ENSURE that you will have a rougher go of it this semester than if you shut up, do what you need to do, and be ready to care for EVERY patient you're assigned.....

2. Realize that instructors often try to weed out the mentally and emotionally unprepared because FAMILIES and DOCTORS will be breathing down your neck in your first job, and if you don't know your stuff....you're screwed and you're "unprofessional". Just hold yourself to a high standard and you'll be set....be ready to work all day and relax when you get home.....

nurse4theplanet, RN · Jan 13, 2007

First clinical this am and we are all scared and jaws dropping because First thing this instructor said was "Don't EVER call me! If you have questions or need help with care plans ask your classmates". She let us know that our clinical day is her day off (she is the med surg unit supervisor at the hospital we are doing clinicals at). She told us that if we ask her a stupid question during clinicals she will either not answer us, or tell us it was a stupid question she doesn't have time for. I am soooo not looking forward to working with this woman for the next 16 wks!:trout:
So how is your semester starting?

Good Luck to you! Sounds like you will need it.

OnTheRoad · Jan 14, 2007

There's two ways you can handle this:
1. You can complain, moan, and go over her head, make life harder for her and ENSURE that you will have a rougher go of it this semester than if you shut up, do what you need to do, and be ready to care for EVERY patient you're assigned.....
2. Realize that instructors often try to weed out the mentally and emotionally unprepared because FAMILIES and DOCTORS will be breathing down your neck in your first job, and if you don't know your stuff....you're screwed and you're "unprofessional". Just hold yourself to a high standard and you'll be set....be ready to work all day and relax when you get home.....

Are you in a bad mood loco or am I taking you wrong? Cause I read your response harshly