Clinical Instructor

[Guest1204365]

I just need some advice regarding my daughter, who is currently in nursing school.  She was at her clinical rotation when she received a finger stick injury.  Her nurse had her wash her hands and then it was reported to the charge on the floor.  My daughter then messaged her instructor to let her know about the incident.  When the instructor got to the floor she became extremely upset and started slamming things down yelling at my daughter stating she should've contacted her immediately.  She was extremely rude, so much so, the charge and her nurse stated she was behaving very unprofessionally.  My daughter was so upset she went to the bathroom and just cried as she was utterly humiliated in front of so many individuals.

At post conference, all the students were talking about their day, when her instructor suddenly turned to my daughter and told all her fellow students that she had received a finger stick injury.  The instructor then got up and said conference was over and excused the class.  Once again, she felt utterly humiliated.  I am so angry I don't know what to do.  My daughter said she would email her instructor tomorrow to talk to her about what happened.

What I would like to know is if this instructor violated HIPAA by telling the class what happened and the various labs she had drawn.  I also think the dean should be made aware of the instructors unprofessional behavior as this makes her teaching institution look really bad.  I am trying to stay out of this and allow my daughter to handle it, I'm just looking for a little guidance.

P.S. The nurse who was working with my daughter gave her her phone number just in case she needed someone to collaborate her story.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

 

Wuzzie said:

OK, talk to my corporate friends then. It's everywhere.

The phrase "it's a dog eat dog world" is an expression I've most often heard in the corporate world, meaning you have to step over the competition for your success.  

But the "nurses eat their young" I feel is a myth exaggerated but does not describe our profession as a whole.  Yes it happens.  I remember in clinical there was a nurse I was warned to stay away from as she didn't like students.  But I wouldn't go running "OMG! Nurses eat the young!" if she did something to me.  

This unfortunately is being perpetuated all these years later by influencers like former RN now comedian and influencer "Nurse Blake" with his "nurses eat their young, how about nurses support their young" campaign.  

We all have a story of a nurse that wasn't good to us and doesn't exemplify the best idea of good behavior.  I won't deny that.  Heck, some days even I have my moments where I crack.  But 99% of us are good people in a stressful situation, not a pack of wolves with our fangs out ready to devour young nurses,  and unfortunately for new grads when orientation is over, it's over.  I'm deep in my own crap too.

But it's my issues that I've talked about here ad nauseam so I'll let it go.

[londonflo]

Tweety said:

being perpetuated all these years later by influencers like former RN now comedian and influencer "Nurse Blake" with his "nurses eat their young

And Dr Z.  But the audience recruited for cruises 'eats this up'. I guess it makes them feel good or resonates with the stories they have heard and develops into their own belief system. 

[Wuzzie]

Tweety said:

But the "nurses eat their young" I feel is a myth exaggerated but does not describe our profession as a whole.  Yes it happens.  I remember in clinical there was a nurse I was warned to stay away from as she didn't like students.  But I wouldn't go running "OMG! Nurses eat the young!" if she did something to me.  

Completely agree with you. What I meant was there are mean people everywhere. Singling out nursing just perpetuates the NETY myth. 

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

Tweety said:

We all have a story of a nurse that wasn't good to us and doesn't exemplify the best idea of good behavior

Truthfully, "that nurse" probably isn't good to other people in other areas of their life, it's a personality situation, not necessarily an at work bullying situation. All of this NETY business has got to stop

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

Wuzzie said:

Completely agree with you. What I meant was there are mean people everywhere. Singling out nursing just perpetuates the NETY myth. 

OMG, yes, 100%

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

Hoosier_RN said:

OMG, yes, 100%

So true besides as people who value science we know that anecdotal evidence is tainted and unreliable. Since I have never encountered a single NETY situation in 20 years and have asked many nurses young and old about their own experiences I think it's actually quite rare.

As Wuzzie's statement emplies unpleasant people as well as people who are highly sensitive to any kind on constructive criticism are found in all professions and all walks the of life IMHO both types have character defects that are personal problems. My son was bullied in school and I took him to martial arts training and "bully proofed" him. That was in 5th grade and he has been fighting in several different disciplines since then. 

I guarantee you no one ever bullied him or any of his friends again!

Hppy

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

feelix said:

Bullies outside of healthcare are quickly taken to task and shown the door.

Could you please cite some companies where this is known to be true. I'm not talking about companies with "No bullying" policies even hospitals have those but I talking about actual evidence non anecdotal!