The Wicked Politics of Clinical Practicum in Nursing School - Page 6

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  1. Mar 8 by
    Quote from TheCommuter
    I'm the OP. I hope you're cognizant that I never personally called any nursing instructor out during my time in nursing school, which was many moons ago. The 'calling the instructor out' scenario was simply an example and a hypothetical situation.
    Then it was indeed a horrible example.

    Posting from my phone, ease forgive my fat thumbs!
  2. Mar 8 by
    Quote from milfordmom
    I've been known to say that what the nursing profession needs is more male nurses to get away from all the cattiness/rudeness that the women give to each other, guess I need to rethink that thought ;/
    My last job at a SNF, a male LPN was offended by something I said (which I thought was harmless.) He went around and told anybody and everybody with his pannies all in a bunch. It got to the point where he wouldn't take report from me so I had to talk to the ADON. She heard both our sides and said he was acting unprofessional. So yes, men can be that way too. A lot of people wouldn't take offence to this, but its always something that makes me cringe a little. Off topic, but before he got all hissy, he used to call me hun and sweetie (along with all the other females.) There was a male nurse at a hospital I worked at that did the same thing. I was a patient care tech at the time, and I found it demeaning. As I said, I'm sure this does not bother many women, but I'm put off by it. Sorry for the tangent.
    Last edit by SleeepyRN on Mar 8 : Reason: spelling
  3. Mar 8 by
    Quote from SRDAVIS
    Rule of thumb praise in public and reprimand in private. It is NEVER a good idea to correct your instructor, boss or even a co worker in font of others, this situation will always end "sticky". Not just in a clinical situation.
    There has to be safety issues well documented to fail someone in clinical. Good luck with trying to navigate politics but they are everywhere not just in clinicals..
    Not only is it rude, but we have to think about the patient overhearing a correction or reprimand . If I have a patient and am corrected or reprimanded in front of that patient, the patient might lose trust and confidence in my knowledge and skills, creating a barrier for my care for him/her.
  4. Mar 8 by
    Quote from milfordmom
    I've been known to say that what the nursing profession needs is more male nurses to get away from all the cattiness/rudeness that the women give to each other, guess I need to rethink that thought ;/
    Men as a population do differ from women, but men as individuals are prone to human failings including the failings often attributed to female population by posters on this site.

    That said, how about some male nursing professors and clinical scholars? Talk about underepresentation... they seem as common as male nurse midwives! That is to say, I've never seen one in a world where men are approaching 10% of the new RN population.

    If you ask me, males are what nursing academia needs to shift its culture.
    Last edit by SummitRN on Mar 8
    Sadala likes this.
  5. Asst. Admin
    Mar 8 by
    Quote from SummitRN
    How about some male nursing professors and clinical scholars? Talk about underepresentation... they seem as common as male nurse midwives! That is to say, I've never seen one in a world where men are approaching 10% of the new RN population.

    If you ask me, males are what nursing academia needs to shift its culture.
    I had a couple of male nursing instructors while attending an LVN program at a trade school in California 8 years ago. I had no male professors during my time in an RN completion program in Oklahoma.
  6. Mar 8 by
    Quote from SummitRN
    Men as a population do differ from women, but men as individuals are prone to human failings including the failings often attributed to female population by posters on this site.

    That said, how about some male nursing professors and clinical scholars? Talk about underepresentation... they seem as common as male nurse midwives! That is to say, I've never seen one in a world where men are approaching 10% of the new RN population.

    If you ask me, males are what nursing academia needs to shift its culture.
    There are plenty of male instructors and academics "out there." I had male instructors in my hospital-based diploma school >30 years ago, there were several male faculty in my graduate program, and there were a few male faculty at the last BSN program in which I taught.

    However, I would not be too quick to assume that more males in nursing academia would do anything to improve the "culture" (of course, I'm not one of those who thinks the culture is so dreadful as it is).
  7. Mar 8 by
    As the saying goes, " you are who your with". The men ending being just as mean as the women because it rubs off on them.
  8. Mar 11 by
    Quote from Amnesty
    Why should anybody have to be silent when s/he knows that she's not learning the correct thing? There is a such thing as tactfully bringing it up and phrasing questions in less offensive ways, but I don't think any student should be penalized for gently pointing out that she's learned a different way to do something and asking questions.
    I have to agree, I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to be in one clinical rotation and learn something only to be told in your next clinical rotation that you are doing it completely wrong. I think that a uniform way of grading would be perfect, at least you would know what the expectation was from the get go. There are ways to speak your mind but to be honest, no one wants to be called out (public or private) on what they are doing wrong, especially if they are the teacher. I have had awesome clinical instructors who, if they did do something wrong, they would laugh it off and probably ask someone to show them how they thought is should be done. Then I have had others with such control issues that they spend so much time telling you that you are so inept that you should still be in NUR101, that they could NEVER take any critisism or suggestions.

    I don't know what the answer is but I do know that thankfully we are in a 13 month accelerated program and I will only have to deal with any of it for only 4 more months!! Whoop~whoop!
  9. Mar 12 by
    I've been catching more and more flak from my clinical instructor
    It's annoying because I don't agree with his opinion (I respect it though). However I keep my mouth shut.

    Example: Everytime I go into a patients room, I break the ice, usually typical introduction,
    then a little later ''do you live around here?" Yes, I live in town X . ME "oh, I live in town Y, right up the road"
    Are you married? ''yes, been married for 38 years" ME "Wow, what's your secret? " , then i'll ask about kids, etc etc.

    I guess my instructor was walking by the room during this and later he told me I was being too ''buddy buddy'' with my patient, I am here to take care of them, not be their buddy.


    The kicker-
    In post confrence we were talking about having theraputic communation with our patients and he (the instructor) said, "It will take longer than one day to develop rapport with your patient"

    Yeah, maybe the way you treat them.
    LOL
  10. Mar 12 by
    Quote from blackvans1234
    I've been catching more and more flak from my clinical instructor
    It's annoying because I don't agree with his opinion (I respect it though). However I keep my mouth shut.

    Example: Everytime I go into a patients room, I break the ice, usually typical introduction,
    then a little later ''do you live around here?" Yes, I live in town X . ME "oh, I live in town Y, right up the road"
    Are you married? ''yes, been married for 38 years" ME "Wow, what's your secret? " , then i'll ask about kids, etc etc.

    I guess my instructor was walking by the room during this and later he told me I was being too ''buddy buddy'' with my patient, I am here to take care of them, not be their buddy.


    The kicker-
    In post confrence we were talking about having theraputic communation with our patients and he (the instructor) said, "It will take longer than one day to develop rapport with your patient"

    Yeah, maybe the way you treat them.
    LOL

    I'm not criticizing your approach to, as you put it, "breaking the ice" with your clients, but would just point out that that kind of social chit-chat is not the same as what we mean when we talk about developing "rapport" with clients. FWIW (and, again, I'm not criticizing at all, and superficial chit-chat has its place), that kind of superficial chit-chat is considered non-therapeutic in terms of therapeutic communication skills.
    Last edit by elkpark on Mar 12