I'm in my last semester (4th) and my clinical instructor has been bullying me and making fun of me (even cussed at me) in front of my clinical group during post conference.
I've had positive clinical evaluations from all my past clinical instructors. But now, I'm feeling discouraged...She favors some students even though they don't give good SBAR or can't answer critical thinking questions about their patients or even do assessment on time. I still get chewed out even when I answered questions about my patient or give my SBAR or during my med administration she will ask me total random question or something to throw me off. She makes me feel nervous. When I go to her and update her on my patient (like any new reports) she will angrily say You're bugging me or You're hovering over me. And then later she will yell at me and say why do i never communicate with her. I'm so confused. I'm lost and feeling depressed because no matter what i do, she is never satisfied. I have only 3 weeks left and almost ready for graduation and she told me there is no hope for me in passing her clinical.
I'm gonna have clinical this coming Tuesday and she said she will be with me and if she isn't satisfied, I will be dropped.
Instead of feeling depressed you need to find a solution and toughen up. You will have nurse managers and docs and fellow nurses who will at times be hard on you. You need to learn how to succeed when things are not going well. LISTEN to her. What does she want you to do..then DO IT.
If you truly believe you have quantifiable evidence of her treating you in a way not based on your performance, but because she doesn't like you..then you need to bring evidence to the head of your nursing program. You cannot go in and say "she is mean and doesn't like me". You need evidence. "on Feb 20 I was at a clinical X and I was assigned 3 patients when we were told we would be assigned 1" Leave out the drama and leave out the "I am sad" stuff. When you say "she favors some students" You dang well better have actual evidence. Just because you are doing poorly does not mean an instructor favors someone.
Sounds like a real jerk. Unfortunately, there will always be jerks. All my clinical instructors except one loved me...this particular one was similar to what you describe, though she never threatened to drop me. Every time she would rant at me about something, I would make a point of smiling politely and saying, "thanks for your feedback." At the end of the semester she obviously felt guilty for taking out her personal crap on me and offered to give me a reference. Ha! I win.
So, her cursing at you is really unprofessional. I agree with other posters that if she is threatening to drop you, you need to go to the dean. If you don't think she is serious about trying to drop you, just stick it out. It sucks, but there will always be jerks and the best way to get their goat is to rise above and let them figure out on their own that they're being a horse's ***.
If you do everything you are supposed to do, and you meet deadlines, and you haven't compromised patient safety, then I don't see how she can fail you at clinical. It sounds like she has a personal problem with you, and I would go straight to my program head tomorrow and let her know what's happening, and bring witnesses so that if she does make good on her threat at the end of the semester, it will be on record that there were obvious personal issues with this professor. Good luck, that sounds like a nightmare.
Unfortunately I have had more than one clinical instructor like this, but it seems like they pick one student from the group to "toughen up." I know for sure I would be the chosen one if I were 20 years younger and I would be crying every time as well. Based on my observations, I would try as hard as you can not to place emotional reaction to anything she says or does. If you do not react emotionally she will most likely leave you alone. For whatever reason she has targeted you, and the best is to lay low and not attract her attention. Follow her instructions and be ready with everything you need when she comes to you. I wouldn't make excuses for anything. I would not recommend sharing anything emotional with the group, just share the diagnosis and the care you provided, nothing subjective or how you felt. Please understand I am not saying anything you are doing is wrong, just trying to give you some help to make it through the rest of the semester with this instructor. As another poster said, there will be plenty of difficult people to work with in the future. Hang in there...don't let one instructor stop you from your goals!
Specializes in public health, women's health, reproductive health.
I'd love to hear the other side of this story. Not that I doubt the OPs interpretation of events. It's just that I sometimes read about people being bullied by clinical instructors and the description of the behavior is just out of this world unacceptable with seemingly little to no reason. I find it very odd and wonder what the instructor would have to say.
Having said that, I had two extremely tough clinical instructors who made clinical days very unpleasant. It's true I dreaded every single clinical day during those rotations, but I tried to makes sure no one knew that by my face or by my work. I kept my head down so to speak and got through. I gave deference to these instructors, even when I really wanted to do the opposite. When necessary, I went to a private place to compose myself, shed a tear or two and get back to work quickly. I never explained myself when I was told something was not right, even when I disagreed. I simply said, "Yes ma'am. I understand. I'll work on that." or "Yes, I see the way you are showing me is much better. I'll do it that way next time." ETC. Yes, it was brutal, but I got through clinical and went on to graduate.
Of course, if a clinical instructor is out to get you for some reason, I suppose there is nothing you can do about it. And that really is horrible. I never had an instructor curse at me and I don't know why this is not addressed by the school along with any other unprofessional and abusive behavior. All I can recommend is documentation and a strong determination not to let one clinical instructor ruin your prospects.
I just graduated from my program last December. I love nursing, and have NEVER had my integrity or ability questioned by any instructor, classmate, patient, or clinical nurse. I was always in the top 1% of my class. Yet, in my LAST rotation of my last semester, I began getting personally attacked during clinical by my instructor. This woman has a reputation at our school for finding a student each rotation and making their life a living hell. I was her "one."
Initially, I planned on suffering through it, and it wasn't until a previous instructor called me on the down low to tell me the dragon lady was going out of her way trying to get other instructors on board to exit me from the program. When she approached her she tried to get her to say I was incompetent and resistant to teaching...Thank God for this professor, she told the dragon lady "Absolutely not! I'm not going to lie to help you make a case because you don't like this student." Then she called me and told me what to do....
Document everything. In my case, this particular instructor had even taken me out onto the external stairs at clinical and knocked my Ackley book out of my hands...she didn't think about cameras being present in the stairwell and she was technically assaulting me.
Anyway, I kept a journal with dates and times about EVERYTHING. And then I went to my schools dean of nursing, who had also been my clinical instructor previously who knew exactly what kind of nurse I was. I went to her with my documentation, the paperwork that my dragon lady instructor would accept and later claim was incorrect. I brought previous letters of recommendation from other really difficult instructors I'd had that held me in high esteem. I told my dean I was ready to drop and come back the next semester because I wasnt going to risk letting this sociopath fail me.
Again, thanks be to God, I had all my ducks in a row and my Dean knew me personally. Her response was "Absolutely NOT! This ends today!" It seems the school had known of dragon ladys reputation for quite some time but no one came forward with proof as I had.
So...the dean told her that I was going to pass her rotation...NO MATTER WHAT. That she would not entertain any kind of disciplinary action towards me AT ALL. And she was to reassign me for my preceptorship to one of the other professors..
At that time I had two more clinicals with this woman, and let me tell you, it was night and day. I saw her one more time at clinical to pass me on my last skill. For preceptorship I was reassigned to another instructor who came JUST FOR ME because I stayed at the same hospital where the dragon ladys students were.
Super long story short...this is nursing...we advocate. And sometimes you have to advocate for yourself beginning in nursing school. I am not, nor will I ever be someone who takes injustice or unethical behavior lying down...but guess what? I'm a great advocate for my patients and my coworkers...and myself. The best nurses are the ones that fight for what they know is right...you are just starting a little early..
Theres a reason why nursing is the most trusted of all professions..we generally truly understand ethics. So document everything. Advocate for yourself. This is your chosen profession. You have fought hard to get to where you are. Don't let some "eat your young" professor bully you out of your chosen career..but be smart about it. Cover your ass, and find out who your friends are. Don't say anything negative publically about your dragon lady, it will only make you look bad and discredit your claims in the future. Above all, remember this is temporary. Do your job to the best of your ability, every single day. Stay strong.
Oh yeah, that ***** will NEVER forget my name... :)
If you can get the hospital's nursing staff who have witnessed this instructor's behavior to call your school and report her - that may be the most effective thing to do.
Wow, she sounds like a "C" . I would take this matter to Dept. Chair of your school. Or anyone above her head at the Nursing School Administration.
Now or after the clinical is over. No body has the right to treat students like that, not even a clinical instructor. They should set the Professional example being a mentor and all. AND isn't 'SHE a nurse? If she treats students that way, I wonder how she treats her peers, and the poor patients that have had to deal with her.
Good luck , hang in there. Don't let this person the "C" stop your path and reach your goal. Show her it doesn't bother you, and call her out on her BS .
for example.
"Professor "C" ,
I appreciate the feedback, but when you use foul language and have attitude when I ask a question, it really doesn't help. I would appreciate you speaking to me in a respectful manner because I have shown you the respect you deserve, and I would expect the same"
Thank you...
we are human, and her "Sh#t does stink even if she pretends it doesn't lol :) Good luck !!!
Quick and easy solution: Go get one of those little buttonhole cameras. They are like $30 now and they record hours and hours of video and audio. Now, don't record anywhere on the floor or anywhere you can break HIPAA, but get her on the record as being abusive. Then play it for the director of the program.
Two years ago I had a female coworker accuse me of sexually harassing her when I refused her repeated advances. Thank God I'd had the foresight to do just what I told you. I had multiple instances of her harassing me on tape to show our boss - and she kicked it up to HR. Plus my wife was only to happy to testify that I had told her about it and that she knew I was recording. The girl got fired and a few months later I left that job with a letter of recommendation and a clean record. I keep that camera handy in case anything like you describe ever happens again.
It's a sad, scary world. As the incidents last summer with the police shootings proved, when it comes down to your word against theirs, video is always better.
Same think happened to one of my classmates. She went to the Chairperson and academic adviser to get things straightened out. All of her classmates were on her side. The Associate Chairperson went to clinical the next week to see what was going on.
Also the clinical instructor told the student to get the patient out of bed. The student told the instructor that the patient is on bed rest and the nurse told her to keep patient in bed. The instructor told the student "who should you listen to, the nurse of your instructor"?
You need to let your adviser know what is happening.
windsurfer8, BSN, RN
1,389 Posts
Instead of feeling depressed you need to find a solution and toughen up. You will have nurse managers and docs and fellow nurses who will at times be hard on you. You need to learn how to succeed when things are not going well. LISTEN to her. What does she want you to do..then DO IT.
If you truly believe you have quantifiable evidence of her treating you in a way not based on your performance, but because she doesn't like you..then you need to bring evidence to the head of your nursing program. You cannot go in and say "she is mean and doesn't like me". You need evidence. "on Feb 20 I was at a clinical X and I was assigned 3 patients when we were told we would be assigned 1" Leave out the drama and leave out the "I am sad" stuff. When you say "she favors some students" You dang well better have actual evidence. Just because you are doing poorly does not mean an instructor favors someone.