I've had clinical instructors before, but this one is so awful. She told us today (our first day) that she doesn't like people going to the bathroom. I thought .. okay, I can just go when she's working with another student, right? WRONG. When we shadowed our nurses, she has told our nurses before hand to count how many times we've been to the bathroom. Mind you, our day is 7am-7pm so throughout the day I need to go at least 3-4 times. Plus, I need to drink water to keep myself hydrated and energized.
In addition, we have NO lunch breaks -- not even a 5-10 minute one. I was planning on keeping some snacks at the break room, but she told us to not put anything there. In addition, she made us empty our pockets today so I can't even sneak some snacks in my pockets.
I am so confused on what I should do. I can't stand NOT going to the bathroom. I can probably go 12 hours without eating, but not drinking is just crazy.
By the way, everyone got a needs improvement grade because we all ended up using the bathroom and the nurses tallied up our times and showed them to her. We know this because she told us at the end of the day that she was "testing" us to see if we would listen to her. Pfft.
That's crazy. Has anyone asked the instructor where in the student handbook these rules are published? (I'm not suggesting that you do, I'm just pointing out how incredibly out there this is). I hope this post isn't for real....if it is please warn us where NOT to continue our education
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
If some nursing instructor told me that I had to report bathroom activity of their student, I don't know what I would say to her. But I would certainly not participate in that, that is the most ridiculous thing I've heard in a long time.
I'd be like "Explain your rationale?" and "Em nope. I get toilet breaks PRN and a lunch break, no student of mine will get less than that"
And then sit down and write an email outlining my concerns to the head of the students school and that perhaps serious questions about this instructors abilities to do the job.
No lunch break? That is insane, you have to eat at some point. When I was at clinicals we ate at 12 or 12:30 as a group. We would report off to our nurse and make sure our patients were ok before we left. I would be sick to my stomach if I could not eat. I hope you get this resolved!
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
I can't help but wonder if this absurd excuse for a CI goes to the bathroom at all. Maybe that's her problem, she's got 'it' backed up to her brain and that's why she is so 'full of it'.
Y'all ought to follow her to the bathroom when she goes, and be looking at your watches and making notations on a clipboard when she comes out; then when she goes to lunch, gather around her table and just pay close attention to her every bite, watch her eat without saying a word.
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
I can see her in the School Director's office being asked, "Now, WHY did you fail the entire class?"
Wear large pins that proclaim "VOIDING IS UNAVOIDABLE"
Pour some water on the floor and stand in the puddle until she notices you!
Attach a catheter leg-bag to your leg just below the knee. Have about 1/2 cup of some dark orangey-yellow fluid in it so it looks like really concentrated urine.
Wear a dull eye shadow all around your eyes to make them look sunken.
Wear the scrubs of someone larger than you so y'all look like you've lost weight.
In my state at least, what she is asking students to do is in violation of state labor laws. Here employees are entitled to a 10 minute rest break for every 4 hours worked, and a 30min (unpaid) meal break during any shift of more than 5 hours time, if working 11+ hours a second meal break is allowed.
This probably isn't the first complaint against the CI. You have to go to someone and let them know how you are being treated, so that this doesn't continue for yourself and the students to follow you. This is a good time to start practicing advocacy!
In California, what did Cesar Chavez and all the minority farm workers do to labor laws? They rallied and fight for our rights to be able to have FAIR labor privileges. This is a violation and you should report this to the nursing department head. Not having lunch break is even worst! Make sure you have documents and other nursing students to back you up.
Sooooooo what the heck are you supposed to do when you get your period???? wear a tampon for 12+ hours and get TSS.....bleed through a pad and sport a red spot on your bottom?!?!?! I'm afraid student or not I'd tell her I was going to the restroom with or without her permission and wish her luck telling my attorney she was throwing me out of school for using the toilet or taking care of my girl needs......
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
Was also thinking, while reading the other responses, that not only did the nurses actually DO this weird tally of potty breaks, but they seemed to have the TIME to do it.
Yeah, that. If more than one nurse actually agreed to such a bizarre request, the "sick building" squad needs to come in and sample heating and air conditioning ducts and analyze paint and fiber for toxic chemicals.
Am I the only one who thinks the instructor is FOS when she tells the students that the nurses actually kept track of their bathroom breaks and reported back?
I have diabetes insipidus and need unlimited access to the bathroom at all times. To deny me such and penalize me for using it would, I dare say, violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. Not that it doesn't violate all students' rights because it does.
If, as a staff nurse, I had an instructor tell me that I needed to keep track of her students' bathroom habits, I'd promptly walk away and tell my nurse manager that we have some sort of psychopath in our presence. I don't have time to keep track of what students do and I'm not getting paid to babysit them. The only time I'd ever say anything to an instructor would be if I was trying to get a student to engage with their assigned patient and they were sitting in the corner of the break room doing homework or messing around on facebook.
NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN
1,599 Posts
That's crazy. Has anyone asked the instructor where in the student handbook these rules are published? (I'm not suggesting that you do, I'm just pointing out how incredibly out there this is). I hope this post isn't for real....if it is please warn us where NOT to continue our education