Any caring nursing intructors?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2007

I'm going to break it down for you, albeit in my usually controversial manner.

First of all, you and the other students are very much deserving of more respect and basic dignity than what you've been receiving lately from your instructors.

Nursing instructors are virtually irreplaceable, because very few licensed nurses want to take on the responsibility of molding students for extremely low pay, when they can earn twice as much if employed at a healthcare setting. Imagine if you had a MSN degree, and were only receiving $48,000 yearly as a full time nursing instructor. The same MSN degreed nurse could earn $100,000 yearly as the chief nursing officer of a hospital, or surely in the $80,000 to $100,000 range as the DON of a skilled nursing facility.

There's a dire shortage of nursing instructors, because the job doesn't appeal to a whole lot of people. Since instructors are almost irreplaceable, schools are reluctant to get rid of the really bad ones. School administration often knows about the horrible instructors, but they refuse to act out of the fear that they cannot find anyone to replace the bad instructor.

On the other hand, students are easily replaceable. If you or any one of your classmates drops out of the nursing program, there will normally be about 500 applicants ready and willing to take your place.

Since instructors are hard to find, some often take advantage of their position of authority.

bklynborn · Sep 7, 2007

Of course you need improvement...........this is all new to you and your fellow students. Hang in there. Just remember this the instructors are there because they want to be their salary is terrible!!!!!

Tweety, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2007

Commuter on the other hand, those who do take those lower salaries might just do it because for the love of teaching.

Nursing school is tough and demanding for sure. It takes an impartial and tough instructor to get students through the coursework necessary to pass NCLEX and become an effective nurse. Often this is taken for a lack of compassion, a power trip and desire to deliberately be mean. Yes, there are lousy instructors out there for sure. Too many from the sounds of it on these boards (but I also understand this is the place to vent and it's a bit skewed to the negative.)

The instructor can of course do a better job at point out areas that need improvement in a student without making them feel like a failure. But it isn't easy. My first clinical I got a "marginal", which I suppose is the equivalent of a "needs improvement". She was kind about it, she even waited until after a test so as not to distract me. I was a 4.0 student up to that point. There was nothing she could have said or done that would have not made me feel defeated and like a failure but that was my stuff, not hers.

Is the "needs improvement" unfounded and untrue and only a power trip she's on just to make it hard on you and get her ego fed, and to weed you out? If she's totally off base can you talk to her about it? Sometimes instructors misunderstand the actions of another.

I understand well the feelings, and no it doesn't get easier. I urge you to just pick yourself up, dust yourself off. Do an honest assessment of the instructors concerns and continue to keep on keeping on with your eye on the goal.

Know this to be true: there will be many times in the coming months and first year of nursing where you're going to feel defeated, where bagging groceries will seem preferable than being a nurse. That's normal, we all go through it. Hang in there and best of luck. Always come to us to vent.

Preemienurse23 · Sep 7, 2007

Know this to be true: there will be many times in the coming months and first year of nursing where you're going to feel defeated, where bagging groceries will seem preferable than being a nurse. That's normal, we all go through it. Hang in there and best of luck. Always come to us to vent.

Having just graduated, I have to agree with this statement. But you will make it through school. I had the instructor from you know where, and I made it. Just hang in there.

YellowFinchFan · Sep 7, 2007

Hi I'm new on the block. I need some quick answers. I am in my second year of ADN, with less than one year to go. I really feel defeated! After clinicals yesterday I feel that no matter how much I put into this, I am inadequte!!!! I received a "needs improvement" for clinicals yesterday and have a ton of work due next week. I don't know if I want to spend any more energy just to get shot down again at clinicals next week................. !
I love caring for my clients but not at the risk of me being so stressed that it makes me sick. Thanks for reading and commenting. I really need some answers!!!!!!!!!

We can all relate to the stress of nursing instructors and the demands they make on students in a clinical setting.

What specifically was her criticism? I used to practice some skills at home on my family (ie: history,assessment,etc) This would help me see where I was 'lacking or would get flustered' but in my home setting! Also, if its medication administration - you just need to spend the extra time to learn the meds...I'm just guessing here what the problem was.....

I had a nursing student assigned to one of my patients a few years ago who got in trouble because she failed to let me know the IV site had infilitrated....and unfortunately (arrrgh) she was a patient with an erratic Blood Glucose who needed stat dextrose (this is how I found out the IV infilitrated) ....all this happened in the matter of 30 mins and the nursing instructor/student were very involved with this patient etc so I figured things are ok...and the nursing instructor assumed the student told me....etc.......so when it became a crisis ....well, we got the IV in her Stat, gave dextrose, but the nursing student really got in trouble for not following through and letting me know sooner etc....

If you try and remember that the instructor's trying to make sure you practice safely ... then you may be able to see her in a different way and meet her standards/needs.

It's not easy ...we all know that!

If it's something specific she's critizing you on then mabye we can help!

CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2007

venting is ever so helpful and therapeutic besides. i wish i had known of these nursing forums back in the day, when in nursing school. i agree with the forementioned: nursing instructors can be petty, they can be biased in favor of one student over another, they can do obsurd things to make you cry at the end of clinicals. however weigh the good positive experiences (those times when you scored well on a clinical lab test, those times when you helped that classmate with her/his care plan and got it right with the nursing instructor's seal of approval, those bravo iv sticks with clean dry and intact dressings) with the bad and i'm sure you'll end up even. ;-)

ps. remember, sometimes being the nurse to save the day is like going into battle and to be battle hardened a good nursng instructor will test your mettle. remember, when you sign in to take a nursing assignment as a staff nurse you are not alloud to leave, which is deamed abandoning your patients, unless ill or a family emergency. so understanding that meanness may just be how a doctor may treat you sometimes, how a family member may treat you sometimes, how a fellow coworker may treat you sometimes. develope a thick skin and be assertive, chose your battles. carry on! 1 !

blueheaven · Sep 7, 2007

You made it this far...why quit and give them the satisafaction??? I am positive that all nursing programs have a few instructors who must have been in the military and let the power trip go to their head. Yes, Tweety, after all this time, I STILL have days where working at the dollar store seems like a real career choice!!!

I actually had a critical care instructor who had a list. That is to say she had specific students that she tried to "weed" out of the program. Guess who was #1??? My best friend was #2. I found this out from her daughter who worked as a unit clerk one summer when I was working as an intern. I got down to the day before graduation before I knew if I was going to graduate. My best friend quit with 2 weeks to go.

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Sep 7, 2007

I'd stick it out just to get in her craw.

flashgoddess · Sep 7, 2007

Everything you say is valid. However, it really doesn't get better after you start working. You will have the same experiences with doctors, nursing supervisors, managers, co-workers. Sorry, but maybe the instructors are showing you something important about what the atmosphere can be like. At least in hospitals, anyway. Good luck. Hang in there.

leslie :-D · Sep 7, 2007

i don't know why instructors are like this.

regardless of their personalities, most seem hellbent on browbeating most of us.

whenever i would see all my instructors together (the broad squad), walking down the hall, i would study their silhouettes (sp), muttering an inaudible obscenity at them.

and it would only make me more determined to succeed.

perhaps that is what they want?

to make us angry enough to prove them wrong.

or, for those who end up quitting, they see it as a weakness?

who knows what their motivations are?

whatever it is, turn it back on them.

suck it up and do whatever it takes.

because you will need this skill in the real world of nsg.

as an advocate for pts and yourself, you need to be able to deal w/the most stressful of human conditions.

personally, i like what nsg school taught me.

it made me an impassioned, determined and persistent son-of-a-gun.

and my pts thank me.

leslie

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2007

Everything you say is valid. However, it really doesn't get better after you start working. You will have the same experiences with doctors, nursing supervisors, managers, co-workers. Sorry, but maybe the instructors are showing you something important about what the atmosphere can be like. At least in hospitals, anyway. Good luck. Hang in there.

Exactly.

First there is no "worldwide" shortage of nurses. There is a shortage of nurses willing to work in the current conditions for the pay.

Second, no matter whether there is a shortage or not, it does not mean that it should be easy to become a nurse. If it is hard to work as a nurse then nursing school will be hard. Much like medical school is hard for a reason...the work after graduation will be hard.

From what I understand, most nursing schools have varying degrees of what you are experiencing. Is it because nursing instructors are naturally mean people or underpaid? While some probably are, the vast majority have a tremendous responsibility on their shoulders. If any of their students screw up, a patient can be seriously harmed and it will be their responsibility. They begin evaluating students from day one, and if they see problems early on, they need to be corrected fast, when the tasks are simple. Even those that are good in classwork, may immediately excel as a nurse. Some very good academic students cannot adapt to actually working as a nurse - the instructors are the ones put in the unfortunate position of determining this.

Most are truly caring people...but they also have to care enough about the patients, safety and nursing to hurt the feelings of those that are learning, so that they go the right way.

Nursing school is not an easy journey.

The other thing to remember (and you find me saying this alot)

Life is not fair and neither is Nursing School.

When you graduate, you will find: unfair employers, mean patients, jerky coworkers, arrogant MDs, nasty supervisors, and and manipulative assistants. You will have to find a way of dealing with them, valuing their assets and dealing with their negatives....and work with them effectively. Better start learning now.