my clinical instructor is disappointing me.

[ashleyisawesome, BSN, RN]

this a half rant/half advice seeking post..

So I'm in the middle of my second semester of NS. This is my second and last semester of med-surg clinical. After this its all specialties and we are expected to know how to do all skills taught to us in the first two semesters. I feel like I am not going to be prepared. My clinical instructor is nice, and very educated and knowledgeable but I think its time for her to retire. I will give some examples of things that have happened so far in clinical:

1. She will tell all of the students in my group to let their primary RN know that we will be giving all morning meds to our patients. There are at least 4-6 students under her supervision each day, each with at least 2 patients, often with 10+ meds each. She will spend 45 mins + with each student for ONE med pass. And its not because shes asking questions about the meds. She fumbles around with the computer (that we all know how to work better than her), takes her time getting to the room, will leave mid med pass to go to the bathroom, etc. Many times patients will not get their 9:00 meds until 11:00 or later.

2. She is the only instructor without access to the Accudose. So any narcs that need to be given need to be taken out by the primary RN and given to us. This annoys the RNs, who are already busy. Mine nurse told me today she would rather just give the meds herself if she needs to be running back and forth like that.

3. She left the students on the floor, unsupervised, for 2 hours or more to go to a Dr's appt., and told us to continue giving care, and if our RN would allow us to give meds with them, to do that, until she got back.

4. I watched as she told another student whose pt got crushed meds to soak a potassium supplement ( it was a do not crush), in warm water until it "dissolved". It didnt dissolve, it just dissolved the protective coating off, which is the whole reason it is a do not crush. so she had her take it out of the cup and proceed to stab it with a blunt needle (essentially crushing it, just in a more dangerous manner. I then suggested, since were pretty much crushing it, why not use the pill crusher?? She said "this is just the way things are done" and shrugged her shoulders. Then 5 minutes later, had her crush the soggy pill with the pill crusher.

5. She fell asleep in the middle of post conference.. more than once.

6. She will skip more complicated meds (ie hanging Ivs, PB IVs, IV pushes), in lieu of getting all 4-6 students to give all their PO meds. I would much rather have practice with the things I dont get to do every day. Ive pretty much got popping pills into a cup down.

7. I had a paper due to her on a Friday. I emailed it Friday morning. Now almost 2 weeks later she asks me when I'll be handing in that paper. I told her I had sent it already, and I received a confirmation email saying it was received. I just sent it to her again.

8. We've been in clinical 5 weeks now (2 days a week). I've received one care plan back, as has the rest of the group...

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I mean, I feel confident I will pass this semester, because I feel like she doesnt even pay attention. But I never get to practice skills I need practice on, like inserting/dc foleys, hanging IVs, suctioning, etc... because even if one of those skills came up, shed be busy giving meds for 5 hours.

What can I do, I guess just stick it out, and try my hardest to find skills and maybe have the RNs do them with me?

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Ditch her if you can. Find your RN and bum a ride with them. Students do this to me all the time and I like it better than when they have to have the instructor around all the time. Sure it can take more time and we are always busy, but you learn more and are around us more meaning more opportunities for you to do the "cool" stuff arise. At least that is how our program works. It is either the instructor or the primary RN that can supervise the student.

[ashleyisawesome, BSN, RN]

I try to stick around my RNs as much as possible, and at least watch them do things when I can... but my instructor will only let us give meds/do procedures with her present.. except that one time when she disappeared for half the day.

[redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN]

Who has discussed this with the director of the school of nursing, or an equivalent supervisor? And if not, why not?

[anonymousstudent]

Um, yeah, get away from her. Talk to whom ever is in charge and get the heck away from her.

[caliotter3]

Sad. I agree with your conclusions. I would wait until you are safely out of school, then write up what you wrote here and send it to the director of the nursing program. I would say not to do it now, you don't want to get pushed out of the boat by rocking it. Your goal is to get through school. Criticizing anything there, however justified, will usually backfire and may even make you a target for failure. You don't need or want that consequence for speaking up at the wrong time.

[shadowness]

I have a different view compared to the past posters. In all honesty, This is how most clinical instructors are. It doesn't matter what school you go to or how much money it costs. There are great professors and there are crummy ones. I had a similar situation last semester for Med Surg. What I did was make a list of all the skills I needed to learn and brought it with me each week making my RN a copy so that we could check off what I've learned through the semester. I think you need to take a little bit more initiative with your learning. You cant just sit back and expect your professor to hand you everything! good luck

[redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN]

Most instructors leave their students on the floor for two hours by themselves and fall asleep in post conference? :eek:

[erniefu, BSN, RN]

You definitely have to report these behaviors to the school. It is one thing for that teacher to fumble with the machinery but to leave students unsupervised to attend a Dr. appointment shows a lack of responsibility on her part. What would happen if you had to do start an IV medication and the RN was busy with a code blue? Delaying meds counts as a medication error. You are only protecting yourself as well as your patients from this irresponsible clinical teacher. But I would get the support from your group before going to the school, as this matter is very serious.

[Blindsided]

Why does she not have access to accudose? Falling asleep, disappearing? Strange!

[caliotter3]

I took a clinical course during the summer. Our clinical instructor spent the entire term out of the area, on vacation, not to be disturbed. She gave us no contact info, saying any problems could be dealt with through our precepting nurse.