Clinical Instructor Dilemma

[Katbird2014_RN]

Hello, I'm a nursing student in my last quarter of nursing school and I'm really excited to graduate since I've already passed my exit hesi. My problem lies in my clinical instructor and I don't know what do to. She has been extremely mean and intimidating to her students. How you may ask? She has been picking on me and the other students for no reason for the past few weeks and it's getting to the point where I can't stand it anymore. Let me give you an example. She pulls us off to the side at clinicals to drill us on different medications and what they do to the body. Well, I can handle that. Then when she asks, no one answers her because they're scared of her so I decided to try and answer every time she asked a question and no one else wanted to answer it. She turns to me and tells me verbatim "Shut your mouth, I don't want to hear from you anymore" and physically puts her hand over my mouth. My blood boiled because I know I can't say anything. Then later on the same day I was with my nurse following him around constantly and I was at bedside providing care so much that I couldn't do my paperwork for our care plans due every week. So I decided to sit down at the computer to get into the chart to look up patient history for exactly 10 minutes at the end of a 12 hour day. My instructor came over and told me to get off the computer because I had plenty of time that day and she "saw" me at the computer ALL DAY. Well, I asked my nurse how long I was on the computer that day and he said "maybe 15 minutes tops because we've been providing care all day" (He is in ICU so we had critical drips going). Then after I go to post conference, the instructor says that she'll send home the next person that she catches on the computer next clinical and give us a bad evaluation so we can't graduate. I know I can't say anything but she has been verbally abusive to me and my peers since day one. I have 4 more clinicals with her and I'm done but i dread it more than anything. I've had tough instructors but there's a line where you need to stop. I just need advice please, I feel so alone...

[Veronica.c]

Thank you guys for answering me because it means a lot. I've always been a respectful student and I always try to answer questions even if I'm not exactly right. I think that the best thing for me to do at this point is just write down factual information of our interactions and keep track of the nurses I work with. I've also thought about getting a written statement from the nurse I was working with if need be to prove that I was doing as I was told. I just think it's ridiculous that she wants us to get on the computer to get our information yet she shames us when we do. I'm also the youngest of the group and I feel like she's treating me like a child. I will keep my mouth shut and only speak when called upon, even though I'm very outgoing at heart. I just don't understand what her deal is because I feel like she's not providing a safe environment to learn. Every time I ask her an honest question wanting to know more about something she says "I'm not going to tell you, look it up". I can understand why she does this but sometimes there are alternative uses for different medicines or procedures and it isn't always "by the book" when you research it. Just 4 more clinicals I say!!!! Only 4!!! I will say something after evaluations are completed so that she can't fail me. Don't worry I'll take pictures of it as well just in case she "loses" my evaluation. I know something needs to be said but I can only do so when I'm in the clear.[/quote']

OMG YOUR INSTRUCTOR SOUNDS JUST.LIKE.MINE!!! I'm wondering if we possibly DO have the same one. The whole "look it up" is what she would tell us Everytime we asked a question. Sounds just like her. I think the truth was, she didn't KNOW herself.

As far as figurin her out...trust me, I was a model student. Hard working, kept my mouth shut, did my assignments top notch, made awesome grades....but she still didn't like me. And I still don't know why. I tried to talk to her a few times. To ease the tension. To let her know I wanted us to get along and if I had done something, I was sorry bc I hate drama. It only made things worse.

While I tried to smooth things over, there was one thing my pride wouldnt let me do and that's brown nose. Ultimately, that's the very thing that won her favor in the end. Not the students who outshines others in professionalism and intellect but the ones who sat behind chit chatting with her about her hairdo, her family, her clothes that she liked the most. This BLEW my mind. And they were the ones who made the worst grades and I promise you, she tampered with their scores to pass them.

I know I already gave you advice earlier but I feel for you and wish someone had told me this. Mostly: it's not you. It's her. You're probably doing just fine if not better than half the class.

Is it wrong that she does this? Yep! Can you do anything about it? Nope. ((At least the people in my class couldn't)) accept that she is the devil in scrubs and try to get along with her when u see an open opportunity. If that opportunity isn't there, just keep your mouth shut. Trust me on that one.

I see other people say that she was very out of line and should be reported etc. Yes you could do that, and I can't speak for every school but as I pointed out, it only made it worse on our class. The dean turned them around on the spot and guess what? She took it out on us.

Just keep your nose down and your mouth shut. Good luck

[unicoRNurse]

Holy. ****. I would document, document, document. She is not allowed to put her hands on you. I would put my head down, stay under the radar, do what it takes to get the heck out of her class, then skewer her on the instructor evaluation. And there is strength in numbers -- if she has treated others this way, they too should include that information in the instructor evaluation, making it less likely that a single negative evaluation would be dismissed as sour grapes. If the administration doesn't know about these problems, nothing will change. And as previously pointed out, nursing schools are very, very careful about maintaining their clinical placements (no clinical = no nursing school).

[JBudd, MSN]

If the rest of your group feels the same way, you can go as a group to the next level up; we have dismissed instructors mid semester before.

[jallen326]

I had a clinical instructor like that and she said it was her job to weed out the weak ones and keep the strong ones. I can't recall what happened at the end because I took a semester off and came back and was told that she no longer worked at the school.

[AOx1]

I would ask your assigned nurse to provide some type of written corroboration that you were providing care and not playing on the computer. I would also report the inappropriate touching. The only way I would ever touch my student's mouth is if I am performing CPR on them and need to bag them. Otherwise totally inappropriate. Keep a detailed log (date, assigned nurse, care completed, and any inappropriate behavior on the part of the instructor. If this gets worse, speak with the lead instructor, or if you feel you can't, see if your campus has a Dean of Students or ombudsman. You may be allowed to report yet maintain confidentiality? You can on my campus.

Quizzing about meds is fine. Telling someone to be quiet and touching their body is not. Document, document, document. If anyone else witnesses these events, have them sign a statement to that effect. Put all information on your instructor evals at the very least. If I could verify that an instructor in my program had done this (with facility staff and other students' statements) I would fire them so fast their head would spin. I disagree with staying quiet in the face of abuse. You are training to be a patient advocate. Start by advocating for yourself. A great outcome is never guaranteed. That doesn't mean we shouldn't stand up for what's right and protect ourselves. Most deans do care and want high-quality faculty. This entire incident disgusts me. I put everything I have into mentoring and teaching the next generation, and this type of "educator" is not worthy of the title.

[NuGuyNurse2b]

Can't one of your fellow students whip out the camera phone when one of these attacks happen? I mean, you can't fight evidence like that. Your clinical instructor would totally have no alibi.

[AOx1]

Can't one of your fellow students whip out the camera phone when one of these attacks happen? I mean, you can't fight evidence like that. Your clinical instructor would totally have no alibi.

I don't advocate this. Many states have laws about recording without the consent of all parties.

[beckyboo1, BSN, RN]

Can't one of your fellow students whip out the camera phone when one of these attacks happen? I mean, you can't fight evidence like that. Your clinical instructor would totally have no alibi.

Most programs don't allow cell phones at clinicals.

[lub dub]

Tell the dean.

Advice: You're in your last quarter... keep your head down and your mouth closed. Answer only those questions which are asked directly of you. Since the instructor doesn't want to see students "on the computer" then stay off of it. Figure out a way to gather the information you need in another fashion... perhaps by discussing it directly with the "your" nurse.

Your instructor sounds like a head-case but there's nothing that you're going to be able to accomplish by confronting her. As others have said, give her what she wants and let her win.

The stakes are much too high for you to do anything else.

Be very cautious of the "tell the dean" advice... anecdotes abound of students and student groups seeking redress through program and college administration only to be rebuffed and then targeted.

The "tell the dean" approach should be the very last resort, IMO.

[neverbethesame]

You've gotten excellent advice. I would take it all and handle it when you graduate. It's sad that in 2014 nursing is still one of the few if not the only field where this goes on and the only recourse is to keep quiet and plow through.

Nursing school is the anti "If you see something, say something." We can only do that to prevent violent terrorist who want to kill people but not the terrorists who want to kill confidence and self-worth-especially if the instructor fails students and ruins their lives. This can lead to depression/anxiety/shame- the perfect ingredients for a suicide attempt.