Advice needed about clinical instructor - Page 6

i'm glad things went so well today! i can't count the number of times i've heard my husband say
he'd love to help this or that student learn but he or she had already closed his/her ears because
he/she had already decided that he "wasn't being fair" or "he just won't give me a chance" or "he
must think i'm an idiot." self-defeating and it assumes far too much.

clinical instructors and professors are usually willing to help their students any way they can and that
includes helping their students gain confidence. i'm happy things are working out for you.

I think I have a simliar problem, the CI is coaching me through things, and then threatens to fail me because she feels she is coaching me too much. However, my complaint is, if I've never done the particular skill, how is possible for me to go in like i've done it a million times already? Obviously she expected me to do that, otherwise she would not complain she had to coach me, she is always putting me down. i just feel like okay, if the technical part is such a big deal, and at rounds, i can't explain a patient condition, that not even the doctors haven't diagnosed medically, and then claim it's because i don't read the charting correctly, i'm obviously not to a nursing standard. Blame the CI for a career change, and a student loan to pay, and denying my chance to get a license, making the past 6 years of nursing education a waste of time then. If it's okay for CI's to pick on a last year student, to get her 'fail' quota, then maybe this is not a great field. congrats to those who survived. how was i supposed to build confidence while constantly being criticized for not doing things i've never done before like an expert?

Sorry you are having a struggle with your CI.

A few tips from an unbiased perspective:

1.) Some CIs are better than other and some
have teaching styles that work better for you than others, but do your best to adapt.

2.) I have never heard of any CI having a quota of number of students to fail.

3.) Practice skills outside of the patient room;
open skill lab times are great for this but students
rarely utilize them when needed. If you need coaching, get it before you head in to perform the task.

4.) You are not responsible for forming a medial dx. You are responsible for knowing the patients response to the disease process: vitals, I&Os,
prn med usage, concerns, etc. You should be able to verbalize this during rounds. It's good the medical teams include the RNs at your hospital. I know it's hard on the interwebs, but your post was full of double negatives that make it hard
to follow what you are saying, and this my be part of your report at rounds or end of shift. Take time to organize your report into SBAR and make sure it makes sense;'write it out if you have to.

Ok folks...I can see the OP's point and I'm surprised others cannot clearly see what the problem is with the clinical instructor.

The clinical instructor should make comments at the bedside MINIMAL as yes, this does increase anxiety for the patient.

The proper way with the IV situation is for the clinical instructor to say BEFORE entering the room..."Now, show me what supplies you'll need and verbally go through the steps.". When I have students with me I usually have a clean, retracted cannula so they know what to push to retract the needle, etc. I have them lay out the materials, go over how to cleanse the site, what to say to the patient, etc. That way, only minor corrections should be needed at the bedside.

I walk in with the student and say, "Mr. Smith, I have a student with me, would it be ok if she started your IV?" The only thing that I don't do is say it's a student's first time UNLESS THEY ASK.

When a student is engaged in conversation with a patient...I give them a couple of minutes to stumble through it...even if they tell them something wrong, give them a chance to correct themselves, before I say anything.

Constant interruptions distrupts a student's thought process.

If the instructor wants to micromanage the process, then he/she will probably see nothing but students at their worst.

Thank you for the reply, apologies for negativity, just frustrated, but not giving up. Practice and SBAR are great tips.

I know what you mean...some people only know how to tell you what to do but a real teacher guides and watch you learn and problem solve on your own...i wouldn't want someone to tell me what to do everytime...if it keeps up by the time you are on your own you won't recall anything...