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.
I agree. There is no way anyone would fail someone for using the restroom. It is so beyond the pale that it is verging on ridiculus. If it actually DID happen then report it up the chain of command. Simple. I go back to years of psych nursing and the fact that when people are not meeting requirements they often create an "enemy" so they have a reason for quitting. Easier on the ego to quit because of someone elses fault than our own. However...if it really happened then follow your chain of command and solve the problem. Good luck.
Report her as a group (that way there is no odd man out for her to take things out on). This is wrong on so many levels. What if someone is diabetic and they are starting to get hypoglycemic? Does she expect them to just crump on the floor? I get it, sometimes some nurses are so busy that they rarely go to the bathroom or take a break to eat, but I also see those same nurses munching away as they write up their notes. Denying students of food and water as well as trying to control their bathroom use for 12 hours is just cruel and abusive. There is no way your school actually allows this. She must be on some sort of power trip!
I can't believe the craziness some of these clinical instructors get up to! Sounds to me like this loon instituted a non-negotiable denial of basic human rights... and the floor nurses went along with it (to some degree).
Are you kidding? I would NEVER work anywhere in which I got penalized for using the bathroom, much less pay for school that did such. You need to report her to whoever is the next in command at your school. This is unhealthy, unsafe, and you should not be subject to schooling in such conditions.
So many nursing educators are not in touch with reality anymore. Many have been in education so long they forgot what being a nurse really is. Looking back at all the days we learned how to draw up insulin and administer it seems comical and ridiculous now.
OP has brought us three issues so far during her tenure at AN. She has never updated any of them. They're not nutty issues but she appears to act as a "drive-by" poster. JESSICAAA159, please interact further than just dropping these posts and running. You don't sound unreasonable but we'd like some feedback given how we share ours.
OP has brought us three issues so far during her tenure at AN. She has never updated any of them. They're not nutty issues but she appears to act as a "drive-by" poster. JESSICAAA159, please interact further than just dropping these posts and running. You don't sound unreasonable but we'd like some feedback given how we share ours.
I had a clinical instructor like that too she didn't let us take breaks or go to the bathroom. It made me want to quit for good cause I thought we became slaves. We werent even allowed to sit down for a min despite having a slower pace on occasional days because she wanted to look good infront of the nurses that we were being proactive. There are many crazy people in this world.
APRN., DNP, RN, APRN, NP
995 Posts
I would ask for this restriction in writing, otherwise it is all just plausible deniability.
Have her sign it. If she declines, then tell her that you are unwilling to follow a directive that she is unable to make a paper trail for.