better day at clinicals...however diagreement with instructor!

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Mar 29, 2004

2 tests in one day seems perfectly normal to me.

BabyRN2Be · Mar 29, 2004

I read your other post and I'm glad that you had a better day! Keep on going, and this too shall pass. :)

Katherine

terri0318rn · Mar 29, 2004

When I was in nursing school all my instructors seemed like Hitlers aids...I had previously attended Police Academy and I called Nursing school Nursing Academy. It is the same principle, break you down and build you they way they want you! A friend of mine used to have confrontations with the instructor and thought she was going to fail at evaluation time. She actually got praised and was told that her attitude looked good and showed that she would not have a problem with arrogant doctors one day! Have you ever heard the exprossion "nurses eat their young"? Instructors also apply. They were put through the crap and feel so should you as a student. Take it all in stride and you too will persevere:p You will be better for it too if you stick to it. You will look back on it, as do I and feel so good about yourself and your decision. I think all of us will agree, there is not an easy nuring school out there, if there was, I would hate to see what kind of nurse they are! Keep your chin up and keep smiling, make that instructor wonder.....a nurse without a sense of humor needs to find a new job!:)

Terri

Hi everyone! For anyone who ready my post this weekend where I was considering quitting nursing school, I was on the med-surg floor today and had a better day. I feel like I actually accomplished something today! However I got into a slight disagreement with my instructor (not a good idea I know) and she made me feel so stupid in front of my clinical group! Here's the story....we have a major exam in both of our nursing classes this week, Psych and Med-surg, both tests on Thursday. I particularly think this sucks, as we have only three tests in each class and they just happen to fall on the same day (as well as test 3 in both classes). So, while casually talking to my instructor, I told her I was a little worn out from studying so much. She said that she understood, but we couldn't move her test because she didn't think the class would want to move on to new material before testing over old stuff. I told her I thought most of the class would want to do that, after all, it's not like we can forget the stuff after the test, we still need it for the final! She seemed surprised and said "Really? You think the class would want to do that?" So during lunch before post conference I talked to my clinical group about it to get their opinion. Everyone agreed that they would rather wait a week to take it and start on new material this week...and they all wanted me to bring it up in post conference. So I did..and everyone told her they would rather wait....and she said that it was not an option now because we waited too long! WHAT? She never even asked us about it, she acted like it was never an option! So people in my clinical group were asked me, "Why did you even tell us that she talked about moving it?" Sorry for the long post...I understand it is not our choice of when to take a test, but she made me feel retarded by bringing it up, because no one else would, and then telling me she wouldn't do it! URRRGGHH! I guess I will not gripe and just hit the books....trying to advocate for the students in my class did me no good! LOL, oh well. At least clinicals were better! Hope everyone else is having a good day!

Agnus · Mar 29, 2004

I speak from personal experience and personal observations.

When adults who are perfectly capable of advocating for themselves let you advocate for them they do not back you up when it counts.

They may even, in secret, tell you that they hope you can get what ever it is you are after, for them. But when push comes to shove and you need them to back you up they will not.

These are usually cases where someone like you says what everyone is thinking. This usually is not a case where others requested before you said anyting that you advocate for them.

Speak for yourself alone. Do not ever expect anyone to support you publically who does not already support you PUBLICALLY. Secret supporters are no supporters. I am sorry to say they are leaches. In truth you can do nothing for them and often hurt your own position when they will not back you up.

The reason is management (ie those in power) generally Know that others feel the same way. But if they do not complain the pose no problem to management.

So you are made to look and feel like a fool as "no one else is complaining about that."

I have read this explaination over and over in management literature. You get to ignore the complaints of an individual who has taken on the role as advocate as usually no one will actually back them up, even when you know they are right and you know everyone feels a certain way.

It is considered an effective way of silencing the complaint. Even (especially) when the complaint is valid.

The reason is these people are capable of speaking for themselves and thier unwillingness to speak up says they are willing to accept things as they are. There fore when you say they want it, their silence says they do not want it enough.

lilbiskit78 · Mar 29, 2004

Thanks everyone for your support! I am cool with everything, just one of those things you had to get off your chest, ya know. I mean, I have handled 2 tests at one time in many classes, even 3 finals on the same day in prereqs, but we are talking about 40 chapters worth of material between the two classes that they can pick any fact out of and put on the test!! YIKES! Just feels overwhelming...and makes me worry about my classmates who struggle with one test at a time. All will work out the way it should in the end I suppose. Got my last Hep B vaccination a little while ago, felt like the nurse stabbed me in the arm with a machette (is that the right spelling??). Hope I am more gentle than that HAHA!

Tweety, BSN, RN · Mar 29, 2004

Sounds like you were trying to deal with a very stressful situation, two tests at once.

Glad you had a better day. :)

sharann, BSN, RN · Mar 29, 2004

YOu sound like you are doing fine and have a head on your shoulders(and use it!)

Nursing School IS Nursing Academy, and some(not all) instructors are miserable bats and enjoy the power-play thing. Your co-students may one day be your co-workers, so at least you have advanced warning as to their ability to speak up for themselves and you when cornered. Guess you know who not to bring serious issues to.

Hang in there!