Cannot stand director

Nursing Students General Students

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Hi all !

Im a new nursing student and a month in I'm finally getting the hang of things and beginning to feel a little more comfortable. There is an issue however.. I loathe the director of my nursing program. She's also a classroom instructor and I believe an occasional clinical instructor. Every conversation I've had with her resulted in her looking me up and down and giving me a dirty look. She makes me feel so incompetent. I've worked in healthcare for 10 years so I know all too well how nurses can be and just love to eat their young.. But this woman is different she is just nasty! Something as simple as asking where a bathroom is constitutes a roll of the eyes from her. Im quiet, poised, and a good student eager to learn. I've kept my mouth shut so far but I'm scared I won't won't be able to for the next few semesters. Did you guys have this experience? If so how did you handle it? Any advice? Another thing I've been dying to complain about is her over use of the word behoove. "It may behoove you to yada yada" sorry just ranting... :)

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Wow this sounds exactly like my LPN program director but she retired years ago. :) The clinical rotation I had with her was the most stressful, most uncomfortable of my entire nursing clinical career and yet the one I learned the most from. It was the rotation that made me feel like I was actually going to be a nurse and possibly a competent one at that. She ended up being one of my favorite nursing instructors. I also learned she spoke very highly of me as a student to people we had in common on a professional level later in my career.

My advice would be keep your heat tucked and back to the wind. Avoid her when you can and make sure your i's are dotted and your t's are crossed whenever you must interact with her. At the very least you won't set yourself up to be a target and at the very best you might actually learn some wonderful nursing and life skills from her. Good luck.

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You're right.. I'll just say dream tell her off í ½í¸‚

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Specializes in Ped ED, PICU, PEDS, M/S. SD.

My OB professor was like that. A horrible witch or other name you would like to call her. She definitely participated in the " Nurses eat their young mentality". We actually had over 80% of my class had to repeat the OB class because of her horrible teaching. I just sucked it up. My little ASN made more money and did more nursing then this professor ever could of done. She taught in a small university and worked in po dunk town. I went on to work in a major trauma/Ed in Chicago. Who knows maybe the crap she gave prepared me to work in Chicago.

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

You just have to suck it up in nursing school and get out of there without putting a target on your back. That is the bitter truth.

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I agree that the toughest and most unpleasant instructors I had in school were the ones from whom I learned the most.

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I keep telling myself.. If they were competent nurses they wouldn't be "teaching." They're just miserable old hags. UHG

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
I keep telling myself.. If they were competent nurses they wouldn't be "teaching." They're just miserable old hags. UHG

While I understand the angst this won't be helpful over the long term and you are liable to miss some valuable guidance.

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I keep telling myself.. If they were competent nurses they wouldn't be "teaching." They're just miserable old hags. UHG

I beg your pardon ... Plenty of us who have taught are "competent nurses." (But, then again, maybe I'm a miserable old hag and just don't realize it ...)

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Specializes in Oncology, Rehab, Public Health, Med Surg.
I keep telling myself.. If they were competent nurses they wouldn't be "teaching." They're just miserable old hags. UHG

What a terrible --and completely untrue--thing to say!!!

It does make one wonder if you might not be transmitting this sentiment somehow to her....

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Specializes in Public Health, TB.

I am now more than a COB, I'm a MOH! Gosh, I can't wait for the quarter to begin ( eye roll ).

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I love our director, such a nice and well spoken man :) and explains stuff wonderfully! He is really there to help and encourage the students within the program. I think I might be in one of the few programs that all the graduates and current students love and also recommend to nursing students!

I am sure what you have to say about your director has some merit to it but I think your going to shoot yourself in the foot from what I gather about your attitude. It would be wise to try to see the world from their point of view and see what faults you may have of your own. I'm pretty sure they are aware of your attitude as much as they are aware of theirs.

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