Scared to death!

scorpiogrl · Jan 15, 2004

My very first semester of nursing school I had the SCARIEST clinical instructor ever!! She was HORRIBLE.... we called her the nazi... if that gives you any insight into the horror of my clinical days. She ran our clinicals as if we were in the military & every morning before clinicals I'd puke my guts out before I went!!! It was soooooo bad! But, I never let her get me down & I tried my best... believe me... it was no picnic.

Be glad that you didn't start off with a clinical instructor like you have now. And, as bad as it was, and as corny as it sounds, I do think that she made me a better nurse!

Hang in there & be confident in your skills.... & just think, when you get through this semester, you'll really have something to celebrate!!!

Good luck!!! You're not the only one that's ever had a clinical instructor from HELL!!! :devil:

jschut, BSN, RN · Jan 15, 2004

You ARE going to be a wonderful nurse!

Don't fret so...make it through and remember...

what don't kill you can only make you stronger!

Good Luck!

Heartattaq · Jan 15, 2004

Don't let this one teacher ruin what could be a wonderful fruitful career. I am graduating in May also and have had the luck of lucks to not have one bad clinical instructor, they have all been really supportive and really given me my independence when appropriate.

You answered your own fears. you have one B on your transcript the rest are "A's" and have never had a bad experience on clinical, by the sounds of things quite the contrary. Now is the time for you to take that knowledge and skill you have gained and run wth it. you know you can do it right as you have been for the entire program, just keep doing what you have been doing and May will be here before you know it.

As for the teacher if it becomes an issue that threatens your graduation don't hesitate to take the problem up with your coordinator and if you have to College/University president.

Good luck, keep your head up, and keep plugging along you will be fine.

Chaya, ASN, RN · Jan 15, 2004

Sounds like an instructor I had. It was a vicious cycle. The more hesitant I seemed to her the more she singled me out and the more nervous I got. There were several questions she would ask me over and over and her answers differed from what we were taught in class so I would give her both answers which pissed her off royally. She would be sure to quiz me then correct me in front of my patient-the better to trash any self-confidence I might have had. I did not respect her for being tough and do not feel her little power plays made me a better nurse, except for being such a strong negative example (how not to train students or do staff education...).

Long story short-when I did get a job and had to give patient care and realized I was doing this NOT to try to please the instructor but for my patient who needed my care, I felt-and was- totally competent.

RNSuzq1, RN · Jan 15, 2004

Trying,

You are where I hope to be in 2 years time. Sounds like you've received great grades and hey - only a few months from Graduation - That's Wonderful.

I'm not sure if this will help you or not - but I'll give it a shot. I was in the Navy for 6 years - during boot camp the Company Commanders a.k.a Drill Sargeants - pushed us to the verge of dropping out almost everyday and in every-way. Those of us who were really "on the ball" and knew what we were doing realized that the Company Commanders gave us a harder time than the ones that were just skimming along and it made us crazy. We couldn't understand why they were constantly getting on us - when we were the ones passing our exams and doing everything right.

Graduation Day - when I was a full-fledged Sailor, I got up the nerve to ask them why they gave those of us who did so well - such a "(*)&)&)&)" hard time. They said they never doubted that we would make it - but wanted to test us to our limit because they knew we were the ones who were truly serious about it and would make great leaders.

I'm not sure what your Instructors motives are - but sometimes they push the best ones in class just a bit further so they won't settle for being just an ok student - but reach their full potential and be outstanding in everything they do.

Hope this helps. SusanNC

JuicyJem · Jan 15, 2004

Dear Trying,

I just graduated in Dec. I had good grades as well and great experiences with instructors until my last semester. In fact, I posted about this particular instructor on this board back in Nov. because I was so upset. I almost let it affect my attitude and I was even to the point of giving up................but, I got an A in the class anyway, and graduated!!! I Still hate that teacher and probably wouldn't say Hi if I saw her again, but I passed and there is nothing she can do about it now!!!! Whatever the reasons for picking on you, you can't control it. You can just control how you react to it, so keep on studying and doing well and ACT resilient even if you don't feel that way.

tryingtomakeit, RN · Jan 15, 2004

Thanks for all of your support, you guys are great! I know I will make it and that I will be stronger for it, but it makes it easier knowing that I'm not alone.

Rapheal · Jan 15, 2004

I had an instructor like that. I became as invisible to her as possible. She moved on to pick on someone else. Good luck in school.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Jan 15, 2004

My senior year med-surg instructor was just like that - we had her both in the classroom and in clinical. I was scared to death the first day at the hospital!!!

I had an advanced MS patient that day. I did her AM care (light sponge bath, new TED hose, mouthcare, etc.) and then I needed to change the damp linens but the patient was so tired and sore that she asked me to please wait 15 minutes to do the bed when physical therapy was scheduled to pick her up. So I took some dry towels and placed them under her and went to tell my instructor what was up. She said it was fine as long as the patient was clean and dry and it would only be a few minutes.

Well, suddenly the NURSE MANAGER is standing there, telling me that one of the floor nurses noticed that my patient was in a wet bed and hadn't had AM care, and that this kind of student behavior was NOT acceptable!!! My first day and the freaking nurse manager is on my butt!!! But I surprised myself - with a shaky voice I explained everything, telling her that the reason the bed was damp was BECAUSE I had done a bed bath, and in addition to that I had alerted the doctor to some bleeding excoriations on the patient's legs, and that she could go and see the new band-aids and TED hose if she wanted. The nurse manager told me she understood but that it still wasn't acceptable and that I needed to get in there and change the bed that second. So I run there and do the bed (luckily the patient had just gone to PT, right on schedule).

I was scared to death about what my clinical instructor was going to do to me. I was almost in tears as I changed that bed. She came into the room and asked me what the manager had talked to me about. I told her the story and she was so mad that the floor nurse had "told" on me! She said that she was well aware of what I was doing and she would have done the same thing, and that the nurse manager had no right to approach a student without talking to the clinical instructor as well. She commended me for sticking to my guns and explaining my actions. After that day, we got along great and I got an "A" in both the class and clinical. She continued to pick on the nervous students the most.

Do you watch Scrubs? The attendings are always picking on this really bumbling resident - call him "Nervous Guy" and such. As long as you're shaking, they're going to try and push you over!

Carolanne · Jan 15, 2004

It's the final test of what you're made of before you graduate. It's the one more turn on the screw to tighten your skills and make you the best you can be. I know that instructors like this don't appear to be helping, but as much as I hate to admit it, they're pushing you to be your best. I had an instructor like this as well, hated her guts, called her every name in the book behind her back. I could do nothing right in her eyes and she gave me the self confidence of a black fly. I couldn't wait to get through the semester and counted the days. I ended up with a B in the course. At my final evaluation she told me I was a very intelligent woman. I almost fell off the chair. Then this past semester I saw her in the cafeteria on dinner break at clinical and she came up to me all smiles, complementing me on my hairdo and making small talk. I couldn't believe it was the same woman. So to cut a long story short, I think a lot of the Hitler tactics they pull is a front that they put on. They mean business and they want you to know your stuff. And you will. But hold your head up in the process and be proud of your accomplishments. There's an old saying which I believe Eleanor Roosevelt said ... "No one can take advantage of you without your permission." Stick to your guns and knock 'em dead this semester -- you'll be fine !

shortsteph12 · Jan 15, 2004

I am also nervous becuse the instructor I have for my next class is suppossed to be tough. This teacher picks on students ( or so the gossip says), and then rides them and usually the student ends up dropping. Well I am determined that no matter what I am not going to let this person do that to me. The class is only 8 weeks but everyone is nervous about this teacher. Although there is alot of gossip and stories floating around the nursing students so I will have to wait and see until next week how this teacher actually is. I also have not done any shots yet, only going into MED Surge I so that is kinda scarey..... Just dont let this experience get you down,,, remember this shall pass. When things are tough I tell myself this