Advice needed about clinical instructor - Page 4

Okay everybody, let's ease up a bit. It's her last semester of school, she's anxious, and she wants an ICU placement.

2bnurse, I think if you relax and take some of the suggestions of the previous posters, I think you'll do fine. Practice is all you need to gain that confidence. I prefer a student who is a little unsure and says so, instead of one who pretends to know what they're doing and then screw it up. How are your classmates faring? Are they having any problems with this same instructor? Could it be that she treats everyone this way? If she decides against an ICU placement, how about 1/2 a semster on another unit (IMU, Step-down, etc.) to show her you've got the skills, and the other 1/2 in the ICU. To be honest, nursing students rarely get to do anything susbstantial in the ICU anyway, the nurses don't allow it.

Relax, enjoy the learning experience. Take any and all advice given, attitude is SO IMPORTANT. Most importantly, don't **** off the instructor, she can make your life hell. Good Luck!

Dear 2bnursebet... I completely understand where you are coming from. Before going into a room to do a procedure for the first time. It was our standard to verbally go over the steps out in the hallway with our instructor before going in to room. At that time the instructor would give me tips and or pointers. Then go in to see patient, let them know what I will be doing and begin the procedure with the instructor "overseeing" what I was doing. If I started doing something out of order, or improperly she would say "take a second "my name" , think of what we talked about earlier and you'll do fine". It was awesome. Without making me feel inept or self conscious, she would calmly give you a second to make sure you were thinking things through. Therefore, I could certainly remember what we just went over 5-10 mins ago out in the hall and if I DID fumble she would remind me, or step in gracefully and help. I felt that was very confidence building. Sounds like she never even gave you a chance to intellectualize then verbalize what you were going to do. I am i no way saying she isn't a good instructor and YES you are working under her license until you get your owm. But by far a little positive reinforcement goes a long way! I think those kind of instructors anymore are the exception to the norm. Just as so many unit nurses are overwhelmed and in a rush. So are Nursing instructors most of the time too. But I also had an instructor that seemed to get off watching us squirm and get frazzled. Well, I have to say I learned WAY more from the patient instructor!!! so here is a big hug for you:kiss okay a friendly kiss on the cheek LOL I couldn't find the hug. If you could politely say to her out in the hall. "Ms. nurse Instructor can we please just take a moment now before we go into the room to mentally walk myself through it. I'd be much more prepared and less nervous". Might work. Good luck and god bless.

OKAY.. agrees with kguill whatever you do don't get on your instructors bad side!!!

That is incorrect. Haven't we been over this a million times on this forum?

here's the thing...no instructor is going to make a determination of preceptor placement based on these two events (i.e. IV placement and an isolated communication event)

what does make sense is that your instructor has made a determination based on a period of assessment and has determined that you are currently lacking or need development in areas that he/she feels are necessary for successful completion of ICU preceptorship

there is more to this than what the OP is revealing

You mention that you don't want to fail, but you never actually stated if you are in fact failing. If you are in fact failing, the only thing you can do is go above her head and dispute your case. If I were in my last year and felt I was being given an unfair situation, I would certainly fight. If you aren't failing, then I wouldn't worry about it.

I came to the conclusion during my nursing classes that some instructors love to try and break a student...for whatever reason. Keep in mind, they are trying to prepare you not only with the necessary skills, but also for the "real" world. And after working as an RN for two years now, I can attest that it is in fact a very harsh world for RN's. If you think your instructor is harsh, wait until you have to give report to a more experienced RN with a God complex. Talk about making you feel like a complete looser! Thank the Lord they are few and far between, but non the less, prepare yourself!

" since you have not yet passed the nclex and don't possess a nursing license of your own, you are doing every single thing in that clinical under her license."

common fallacy. students are not "practicing under (the instructor's) license." they are expected to practice to their own scope of practice, which is, what they've already learned in school, and not to exceed it without someone watching/assisting who has the scope of practice that can do it. schools are held accountable to see that the students behave under those constraints.

"i think i'm learning that i shouldn't let others know that i have self doubt. it's ok to ask questions when i'm unsure... but i should never show a lack of confidence in myself. "

this may actually be a very functional way to proceed. how would you like to be lying in the bed and sense that your nurse is full of self-doubt about what she's doing? your instructor has the background to put herself in the patient's place as well as in her instructor place, and is trying to improve your essence of being a nurse, for lack of a better way to put it.

do your rants and self-doubts here, where no one can actually see you and no one will be marking you or paying you. get it off your chest...but never let 'em see you sweat.

ps. i never said anything about your not being appropriate for an icu rotation. i said i could understand, perhaps, why the instructor might be seeing something you don't.