Fending for yourself in clinical normal?

caliotter3 · Mar 14, 2009

I had a clinical instructor who left on a vacation after introducing herself at the clinical sites and giving instructions to the preceptors on who was to pass and who was to fail. When she returned again at the end of her vacation and the end of the clinical, she met with the students to provide them with the end results of what she had designated to the preceptors. The rudeness and ranting were thrown in for free.

Ang_RN · Mar 14, 2009

Wow. I am in second semester and so far I have had wonderful clinical experiences. My teachers have been helpful and patient. I think they are wonderful.

caliotter3 · Mar 14, 2009

Wow. I am in second semester and so far I have had wonderful clinical experiences. My teachers have been helpful and patient. I think they are wonderful.

You are lucky. Not all schools employ instructors who show signs of mental illness on the job.

Ang_RN · Mar 14, 2009

Alot of people at my school would complain. But I am a firm believer that I get treated right because I work my butt off and I have a good attitude.

Multicollinearity, BSN, RN · Mar 14, 2009

Clinical tends to be what you make of it. I suggest tagging along with friendly nurses and volunteering to do everything you are permitted to do. I have a great clinical instructor right now, but she can't be everywhere, you know?

Every opportunity we have to try something, I pipe up and volunteer to do it while my classmates are still standing there thinking about whether or not they want to say something, LOL!

amjowens · Mar 14, 2009

Welcome to nursing!!! You've got to really appreciate the good instructors/preceptors and get all you can

out of the positive experiences. Keep these people close to your heart and mind so you can take all the ones

that make you wonder...also, seek out experiences...you are on the clinical floor-full of patients, full of access to charts, etc. GO FOR IT-take advantage of all you CAN do.

allnurses Guide · Mar 15, 2009

This too will pass. Hopefully your next rotation will be better :icon_hug: And no, you should be getting feedback on your paperwork weekly, how else can you improve?

From the CI end of it: I had 6-8 students to keep up with. 6 hours on the floor (not counting report and post-clinical time). Half hour out for lunch. Leaves each student almost an hour right? Only with med passes for two (takes at least 40 minutes with newer students each), and observing two doing a complete physical assessment; trying to get to everyone throughout the day was tough. Not to mention trying to keep up with all 8's charting through the day. "Oh, would your student like to do this?", stops me and I try to get in something good for at least one. If your dressing change was done while I was with someone else, I'm sorry, but did you offer to help or least ask the nurse if you could watch? I never felt like I was able to give enough time to each student during the day. I tried to keep track of who got the least time on any given day, so I could concentrate on them the next week.

NightOwl0624 · Mar 15, 2009

I had a CI like that in my last rotation. She really didn't want much to do with us - passed us all off on the nurses, mostly against their will. I don't blame them for being crabby!

I just try to tell myself that I learned a few survival skills, I didn't hurt anyone, and I learned a lot about the way nurses work (and who was friendly/helpful), and what kind of nurse I want to be when school is over. Not the things I wanted to learn, but I do feel a certain sense of pride that I made it through an unpleasant situation.

Now, I'm so grateful to have a CI that wants to teach us!

And JBudd, you sound like a wonderful clinical instructor!!!

amarilla, RN · Mar 15, 2009

Tell me about it! I'm in second semester, and we (again) have an overloaded group of ten with a frazzled clinical instructor. There are no demonstrations of new skills or time for questions, let alone help when you need it.

Our CI is nice enough, but spends the great majority of her time with the same few students, week after week. Most of us see her only after we check off for a new skill in lab, which brings about a brief whirlwind of activity to get everyone checked off the next available clinical night, (whether you're ready or not.) She explains that most of us 'don't need her' like the three students she spends her time with, but it really makes me wonder what I'm paying tuition for if I'm observing the floor nurses and basically working as a tech under them without instructor help or supervision. :rolleyes:

My best advice is to be as helpful as you can to the floor nurses. Be interested to observe or help with anything, and be nearby to volunteer and be aware of what's happening on the unit. Partner up with another student (if you can) to help one another and share observing/helping opportunities.

Best,

Southern

NoviceRN10 · Mar 15, 2009

If your clinical instructor isn't on the floor, how do you pass meds? Our instructors have to look at everything we give the patients before we administer the meds. Our CIs are always on the floor when we are.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 15, 2009

As I've progressed through NS, I've seen less and less of my CIs while I've been on the floor...but that makes sense because I'm learning to function more independently as a nurse-to-be. I can still conjure one up when I need one (maybe not at the exact moment I need one *sigh*), they show us skills and answer questions, and they give us info and feedback in pre & post conference. But I don't have them hovering over me as they did in the first couple of nursing classes.

What you describe, however, does not sound right. She should not be abandoning you on the floor, she shouldn't be belittling you, nor should she expect the nurses working there to be the ones teaching you.