Why are nursing instructors so intimidating?

Nursing Students LPN/LVN Students

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Why do nursing instructors feel the need to be so intimidating and humiliating? I am really struggling with this in my nursing class. Is there a good reason for this that I am just not getting yet?

I was in a BSN program prior to LPN school, and those instructors were the same way. So I hoped that maybe it was just RN instructors that were that way, and maybe LPN instructors would be different. WRONG!

My instructors have pushed students to the point of tears, yell at students right in front of the nurses station, not to mention in front of classmates. Seriously these women will question you until they find something that you don't know the answer to and pounce on you like a freakin pit bull and make you feel like a total idiot for not knowing what your patient's RBC count was ten years ago.

I mean really, we are STUDENTS! Why does it have to be this way? I just don't get it.

This attitude from my instructors has really ruined my clinical experience, and makes me dread every single clinical day.

I have serious doubts about returning to school to get my RN, and am seriously thinking about going into another field entirely. I just can't deal with such a negative learning environment.

i think we all have war stories about some of our instructors.

in hindsight, i even appreciated the battleaxes.

it was good prep/forewarning in what the real world was comprised of.

leslie

Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

At my school the instructors are nice its the classmates that bring you to tears.

I had an instructor that was very intimidating. At first, I easily got offended. Soon, though, I realized that, just as a child who has a parent who cares enough to scold a child to prepare it for the world, I was lucky to have an instructor who cared enough to teach me. I mean, other nurses, patients, physicians, patient's family members, etc., are all going to expect us to know our stuff, and if we don't or if we show weakness, it's not as though we'll likely be treated tenderly.

If the instructor is just purely mean, that's a different topic. It's hard to tell until you're done with school, or faced with a stressful situation, so as students I guess we should try not to take things so personally, and see we might be getting a lesson even if it feels bad.

My "nicest" clinical instructor-the one we all liked so much-didn't prepare my group for the rigors of the next semester. I thought she was awesome until I moved on, and now realize she wasn't doing me or our group any favors-but actually hurting us toward trying to become capable nurses.

Well, I guess you could look at it this way- it will be good practice for when the docs yell at you (and it will happen).

You really haven't been yelled at until a doc screams at you (for something that wasn't your fault in the first place) at the nurses desk at shift change while your patient is walking in the hall with their family. AND the student nurses and their instructor are there getting report along with the eve shift.

Seriously, though, I feel for you. You have a good head on your shoulders. Grit your teeth through it and you'll be brilliant.

Well, I guess you could look at it this way- it will be good practice for when the docs yell at you (and it will happen).

You really haven't been yelled at until a doc screams at you (for something that wasn't your fault in the first place) at the nurses desk at shift change while your patient is walking in the hall with their family. AND the student nurses and their instructor are there getting report along with the eve shift.

Seriously, though, I feel for you. You have a good head on your shoulders. Grit your teeth through it and you'll be brilliant.

Seriously???? Because while I understand suck it up and deal when it comes to getting through school any way possible, because the end justifies the means, there is NO way I would let someone yell at me like I am a child in my place of business. none...zip...zilch.... If that means I leave my job and find some place where my coworkers are held to a higher standard, so be it. If it means there is no place for me in nursing, well thats fine too (although highly unlikely IMO) because no adult should be treated like they are a disobedient child.

Thankfully there are 5 hospitals and about a thousand doctors offices, outpatient surgeries, LTCs, psych hospitals within driving distance for me, so I don't think it will be a problem, but I don't think ANYONE should tolerate being yelled at by a doctor or anyone else who is being paid to work together. Patients I understand because they are sick, scared, frustrated with their illness, etc and we are there to take care of them, but there's a big difference between a sick and scared and miserable patient possibly looking their mortality in the face for the first time and the doctor with the $100,000 sports car and salary to match.

Seriously????

Believe me, once the dust settled I had a word with the unit director, and then the doc, in private. He apologized profusely, and we had a pretty congenial working relationship from there on in.

You are right, nurses don't have to tolerate bad behavior of docs. If you are able to deal with it calmly and professionally the first time it happens, (thus one-upping the doc), you can nip it in the bud. Just about every facility has at least one of "those docs", unfortunately- but if you handle it the right way, the nurse always comes out on top.

At my school the instructors are nice its the classmates that bring you to tears.

How true! Its almost like being thrown into a den of hungry lions.

Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

Yeah I don't know what it is. Maybe the stress but geez...

Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.

this is going to sound terrible, but i wish each semester for a drill seargant CI.

the students in my class (which is very small) have been allowed to get away with pretty much whatever. many of them scare me and if they were ever my loved one's nurse or my nurse i would go running for the hills.

they have been slapped on the wrist and passed through. med errors have been made and covered up. they take two hour breaks. "i forgot" care plans were due today, and its ok. it drives me crazy.

i just wish i could borrow one of these instructors. i wish someone would push harder. while i am not condoning intimidating or bad CI behavior, i wish i had an instructor who asked 1000 questions and kept us on our toes. we are graduating in 3 months, and we have students starting IV's bevel down and hanging medications that cannot complete the drug calculations correctly. students who think peridex is ok to flush a g-tube with. students who forgot thats it is not ok to mix lantus with regular insulin.

someone should have ridden them harder, but they didnt, and now they will be allowed to test for licensure as a nurse. the world needs more battle axe CI's....

Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
this is going to sound terrible, but i wish each semester for a drill seargant CI.

the students in my class (which is very small) have been allowed to get away with pretty much whatever. many of them scare me and if they were ever my loved one's nurse or my nurse i would go running for the hills.

they have been slapped on the wrist and passed through. med errors have been made and covered up. they take two hour breaks. "i forgot" care plans were due today, and its ok. it drives me crazy.

i just wish i could borrow one of these instructors. i wish someone would push harder. while i am not condoning intimidating or bad CI behavior, i wish i had an instructor who asked 1000 questions and kept us on our toes. we are graduating in 3 months, and we have students starting IV's bevel down and hanging medications that cannot complete the drug calculations correctly. students who think peridex is ok to flush a g-tube with. students who forgot thats it is not ok to mix lantus with regular insulin.

someone should have ridden them harder, but they didnt, and now they will be allowed to test for licensure as a nurse. the world needs more battle axe CI's....

And people criticize me when they think my posts are too harsh! I've seen the damage some of these students do when they get jobs.

I am with the mind set that I prefer strict instructors that push their students to be and do the very best possible.

I personally look at it as a challenge.

I am with the mind set that I prefer strict instructors that push their students to be and do the very best possible.

I personally look at it as a challenge.

I agree with you, though it took me a bit to realize that. My CNA clinical instructor was SO easy on us, and while I'll admit it was nice, those were skills that were easy to learn and didn't require nearly as much responsibility as the duties of a nurse.

She was a very nice instructor, but I sincerely hope my instructors for LVN and RN when I get there are harder on us than that and make sure we really know our stuff. Though I could do without yelling. :)

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