This is my first post although I come to these forums often when I feel like I need some enlightening myself on other matters and have received a lot of constructive, intelligent, and helpful input from these forums.
I am seeking genuine advise and input for something I truly don't know how to correct or understand.
I am an undergrad BSN student Second Degree in an accelerated program. I am doing well academically. I just had my evaluation today for my first clinical experience in med surge.
My instructor gave me the highest ratings for every category. I was very excited and feeling confident and happy. Then she dropped the bomb...
...She said that I was in LaLa land or seemed to be in LaLa land half the time and that I come across as an air head. She even called me air head in front of my fellow classmates. She said that when she got the report from the RNs on the floor, they all said that I was an air head and seemed like I was not focused. When I asked her to give me some specific examples so that I could correct the matter, she said she didn't know of any examples and that none were given. I asked again if she could recall something I did that would give that impression. She said nothing that she can remember, it just seems that I'm in LaLa land. She said that all the nurses she got the report from told her that I am not focused. Yet, my evaluation was excellent.
The truth is, I am extremely focused and good at multitasking. I never lagged behind and always got my charting done on time. I've seen some of the nurses make some pretty big mistakes like allowing a colonoscopy bag to break open on the patient b/c it got too full and one nurse even wanted to start up the NG tube again right after giving meds. I never said anything to them or my instructor about it.
One of the doctors came in the room just before I had a chance to enter my patient's room and asked me why the client was on contact precaution. I couldn't tell him b/c I hadn't even looked at her chart yet. He yelled at me and said, "You're the student, YOU should know that!!" Then he proceeded to walk into the client's room without gowning or gloving down himself! He went and told my teacher that I didn't know why my patient was on contact precaution. Another incident was when I was getting the report from the RN before going in to see my patient. I was asking her standard questions regarding the patient. The nurse next to her rolled her eyes at me and said, "Sweet heart, you need to do your assessments." I told her that we are instructed to get the report before we do our assessments. She acted like I didn't know what I was doing.
I am sitting here with my head tilted like a confused puppy trying to figure out how I got a near perfect evaluation and yet I'm an "air-head."
Is it possible that I just simply have a dumb look on my face and don't know it? Or is it possible I come off like an air head and if so, how the heck to I fix that? Should I tape my eyebrows to my skull and purse my lips so that I look more brilliant? Should I wear a pocket organizer maybe? lol! ok, that's really not funny, but seriously, there is nothing worse than not instilling confidence in others especially when you chose the most trusted profession as a career.
Any advise or input or words of wisdom would be appreciated.
