Dropped from LPN school last week--have OCD.

[kovercomer]

Am an older student in my 50s and have a touch of OCD, but do very well with it. Have had an absolutely merciless, nasty, power-loving instructor on my case for 1 1/2 quarters of school now. She is director of the nursing program and is also employed at one of the hospitals where we do clinicals. I been tardy several times and absent once. You immediately get on her black list if you're tardy or absent. But, I did well in clinicals until we were assigned our own patient (the second week), and my patient requested that I not be her nurse the second day I was to care for her---the first day we hit it off great. Then the 2nd day, my instructor and the PCT teamed up and started scrutinizing me and maximizing any little error I would make, documenting everything. When I confronted the instructor about what I was doing wrong she said that all the nurses had been complaining about me, but she wouldn't tell me what they said. Then, instead of letting her humiliate me in front of patients, classmates, employees, etc. I refused to do the second AccuChek she wanted to observe me doing, then she got the other instructor coming in to relieve her, she, and myself and we talked about 30 minutes and said for me not to come back to school any more. This has been devastating to me--but I'm going to talk with this instructor again this coming Tuesday, because I am an excellent student, do have good patient care skills (they need refining), and am very concerned about patient safety. Still trying to put all the pieces together. Any advice from anyone would be greatly appreciated!

[kovercomer]

Thanks! What do you do in behavioral health?:)

[annmarie899]

Hi,

I agree that some instructors can be harsh and critical, and just power mongers. I had one in LPN school. She terrorized me. But instructors have the right to watch what you do - but if they ask you to repeat something over and over - that might be contrued as some type of harrassment!

You need to gain enough confidence in yourself so that you can stand confident in what you do - do it calmly and not get shaken, even if this means you practice when alone with no one around. I did much the same thing, when ever I got the chance. I also watched other people, and learned from how they did things.

sometimes you just have to 'look confident' - you know, fake it till you make it , like the saying goes. there are some teachers, and it unfortunately sounds like you have one of these - that hone in on someone who seems even a bit unsure of themselves, and will just fly in for the kill. Don't let her shake you. Blow it off, and do your best. If she knows you get rattled - she will make it harder for you.

I'm surprised to hear that with having OCD you had a problem with being late- I thought it would be the opposite?

my sister is OCD, and is extremely organized, on time, etc etc. Im bipolar, so I'm less organized, and always late, but not a slob. My husband is ADD - and he is very disorganized!

if you can work on your confidence skills - you will find that people will no longer take advantage of you.

good luck!

annmarie899:yeah::redbeathe

[greatgirl123]

well, you she see there side of the story. see there point of view, try to understand what the other nurses are complaining about. take constructive criticism because no one is perfect. accept your mistakes and make changes from your mistakes...

now... as far as clinicals, try not to make conflicts, when an instructer ask you to perform something, ... perform the procedure!

try again, go back into the program again, learn from your mistakes, try not to make conflicts with the instructors, remember, they are grading you.. interpersonal relationship is as important as well! imagine, you are going to need a letter of recommendation... so dont have conflicts with staff members. just do what you are told, forget about embarassment, its what your grade that counts!

[kovercomer]

Thanks for both your replies. Yes, I do definitely need to improve my confidence! I never, never have had any conflicts with my instructors until that last day at clinicals when I knew it was all over for me. As far as OCD and being late---has always been my biggest challenge--thought that was typical with OCDers. Thanks again!!!

Karen