bad day at clincal...

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I am almost done with the program (graduate in May), I had managed up until this point to not ever have a really bad day at clinicals. But yesterday was so bad I went and cried in the bathroom. My nurse was from the float pool and she and I didn't click at all. She couldn't believe I had made it this far in Nursing school and not having seen anyone change a triple lumen dressing or hep lock one. Yeesh, sorry, it's kind of been the luck of the draw with pts, Sorry I hadn't done one but at least I was eager to try. In our clinical rotations we only spend about 4 days on a certain floor before we are moved to a different floor or hospital. So I wasn't sure where some of the supplies where throughout the day, she wouldn't tell me where they where, she made me go look all over the unit for them. OK I get that, I would need to find them myself if I was working. She was just not that great of a teacher, I was going to change another Pt's dressing after I did the triple lumen dressing change when she decided to do it herself. I would have done it. I didn't think I was taking that long. It just didn't go well. To make me feel like an even bigger moron, she told my instructor about the how she couldn't believe that I had made it to 4th semester and not seen one. I just felt like I could do nothing right, I was slow and I was pulling out the wrong meds form the pyxis (5 rights are what prevented an error). Just about everything I could do wrong with this nurse happened and it just got worse as the day went on. I kept thinking, I am still in school, still trying to learn! Oh well, just wanted vent, and wallow in my own self pity. I will strive to do better next time!

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Sorry about your bad day. Sometimes when one thing goes wrong, it all snowballs from there and turns into one big mess.

As for the RN you were with, I don't think she should've acted like she did. We have students on our floor who are graduating in May and there are many procedures they have not had the chance to do on a real person yet. Like you said - it's the luck of the draw. As for finding all the supplies on your own - I always ask when I am working. It saves time and somebody I am working with can usually answer the question. It's common courtesy.

Again, I'm sorry you had a bad day, but it is far from your fault. Just try to relax and remember, tomorrow's another day.

Elizabeth, RN

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I am sorry you are feeling this way and have to go through this :icon_hug: I *totally* agree it can be the luck of the draw when it comes to doing and seeing procedures--regarless of how personally ambitious one is in clinical. We are there to learn, but that seems to escape many busy staff members. You can do it. You can get through this!

I am in my second to last semester, and the biggest skill I have performed--beyond vitals--is insterting ONE straight cath. No IV sticks, blood draws, dressing changes, trach suctioning, or even much medication administration (our instructors must always be there for that), etc. And I probably will not be getting that experience this semester simply due to the nature of my clinicals (again, luck of the draw, but I must say that I'm enjoying them so far). So, I wonder how I will fair in Transition and ICU next semester haven't hardly had performed anything really technical :rolleyes: I'll just do the best I can with the resources I have, as I am *determined* to graduate no matter what!

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Sorry I hadn't done one but at least I was eager to try.

Which would have been key to me (the fact that you WANTED to know). In the time it took for that nurse to be a condescending witch, she could have demonstrated what to do and how to do it, instead of exploiting her superiority complex.

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Specializes in Staff nurse.

...we were always given a quick orientation to clean and dirty utilities, any extra storage areas on each floor. I would write a summary of what happened on your bad day, and then decide if I should give a copy to my instructor. Just writing it down will help me see where there were errors on my part and where it was just a dressing down from Nurse Ratched. She had no business saying that to you and your instructor and maybe your instructor should file an incident report with the hospital. If you are there for clinicals, then it is a TEACHING hospital. It sounds like Nurse R. didn't want to teach...or have you assist.

...when I did my OB clinicals, my "preceptor" told me she didn't want to be stuck with a student, she was tired of teaching and us getting in the way. I didn't tell her I had OB experience, so when I was a step ahead of her with non-medicinal chores (teaching partner how to massage the laboring women's lower back, efflurage, how to help pt in shower, keeping bathroom clean, bed clean etc), she couldn't complain. One time she came in the room and said "You can straighten out the bathroom" and I said, already done. Then she said she was going to teach them how to relieve back pain with massage... the pt.'s mother told her how I already taught her and the fiancee how to rub her back and kept her comfortable with position changes, etc. After my shift I told her I learned a lot from being on the floor.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.
...we were always given a quick orientation to clean and dirty utilities, any extra storage areas on each floor. I would write a summary of what happened on your bad day, and then decide if I should give a copy to my instructor. Just writing it down will help me see where there were errors on my part and where it was just a dressing down from Nurse Ratched. She had no business saying that to you and your instructor and maybe your instructor should file an incident report with the hospital. If you are there for clinicals, then it is a TEACHING hospital. It sounds like Nurse R. didn't want to teach...or have you assist.

...when I did my OB clinicals, my "preceptor" told me she didn't want to be stuck with a student, she was tired of teaching and us getting in the way. I didn't tell her I had OB experience, so when I was a step ahead of her with non-medicinal chores (teaching partner how to massage the laboring women's lower back, efflurage, how to help pt in shower, keeping bathroom clean, bed clean etc), she couldn't complain. One time she came in the room and said "You can straighten out the bathroom" and I said, already done. Then she said she was going to teach them how to relieve back pain with massage... the pt.'s mother told her how I already taught her and the fiancee how to rub her back and kept her comfortable with position changes, etc. After my shift I told her I learned a lot from being on the floor.

Ha! Good one.

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Seriously, this is just one of those situations that you can blow off as "the nurse was a b***h. You didn't do anything wrong, don't keep dwelling on it. I know that sounds simplistic, but it is true. We all went through the same thing as a student. There were a million procedures that I had never done when I started as a new nurse. No big deal!!

:nurse:

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Try not to let it get to you. I'm in my last semester too and this was my first time dealing with TLC's and dressing changes for PICC lines, etc. Alot of the experience I have gotten not from school, but from working on the floor in a mentorship position. You can't be expected to have been exposed to everything and then actually remember every detail of it all. Get used to unfriendly and difficult people and let things roll off your back. Take deep breaths, sing a happy little tune, and take care of your patients.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept, M/S.

Hmmmm.....makes you wonder why this nurse was SOOOO special that she was BORN with "RN" behind her name, and never had to be a nursing student???

And Geez Louise.....not telling you where things are kept??? How immature is THAT? Isn't the goal of the unit PATIENT CARE? Not hide-n-seek? We did an orientation to our unit also, but they can't tell you where everything is. Sometimes (like today, I couldn't find thermometer covers) you just have to ask. And that's a problem for her?

Someone got off on the wrong side of her broomstick when she got to work today...

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Hi,

Sorry to hear about your bad day, but keep your chin up! I know some recent graduates that never had to do an IV! I can only imagine the field day she would have had with that one!! As far as her training skills go, perhaps she forgot what it was like to be a student and having all the pressure that goes along with it!?, Unfortunately that happens in many places. I always remember a saying one of my instructors said while I was in school for my LPN--NEVER FORGET WHERE YOU CAME FROM, none of us are so perfect that a day goes by that isn't without setbacks. It sounds to me like you have been very successful throughout your clinical experience, so just keep in mind that you have had more successful days than bad days!!!Hang in there, your so close to the end. I still have 1 more semester to go, graduating in December!!

Keep up the GREAT JOB you are doing!!

Cruzanyumkc65

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Specializes in Neuro/Med-Surg/Oncology.

I feel ya. I had a clinical instructor like that during my last semester. I just counted the days until I was done w/her. Just let it go. It was one day of your life. You'll probably encounter co-workers like this when you're working. Some people are just miserable. A-holes like that aren't worth your precious tears.

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Specializes in Ortho/Neuro.

Don't feel bad. Today at clinical was the first day I had two patients! :eek: Together, they had about 35 meds!:eek: My instructor said, oh they are easy, turns out, they are a little complicated. One guy, MRSA in the urine, total cares, suprapubic catheter, blood glucose AC and HS, sliding scale insulin, 2-3 assist to get up, meds, IV fluids, pressure ulcer on bottom, and I can't even think of what else, my other guy, not as bad, but still blood sugars AC and HS, sliding scale insulin, IV push drugs, plus about 20 oral meds! Assessments...Baths...Linen...:eek: :eek: :eek: . Last night (after prelabbing) was the 2nd time I cried about clinical. The first was our first clinical day of this semester (4 of 4)! I feel your pain!:rolleyes:

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