What would you look for in a nursing instructor?

orrnlori, RN · Mar 1, 2004

I made a statement in another post that I had never experienced such poor peer to peer relationships until I came to nursing and someone said that it is in all professions. I still disagree, I never never experienced it in my 20 years as a banker before coming to nursing and I worked in many companies and banks both large and small. I have yet to figure out why this is.

Everytime I get a student nurse for a day, I have to shield her from several nurses that I know will start the "run for your life" needling and condescending comments. Are we truly that unhappy and maladusted as a profession, as people? Then there are those who are perfect and have distain for all others, another anomoly as I've yet to met the perfect human being.

I remember starting as a nurse and getting report from the ICU nurses, whose conversations dripped with contempt because I was just a little trauma step down nurse. Did they not understand that they were about to hand off to me the very patient that they were so sanctimonious about?

Then upon coming to the OR, I found that some NICU nurses and PICU nurses would absolutely refuse to hand off their patient to the OR until the very last minute because we weren't NICU and PICU nurses. Does nursing somehow attract a group of people that can't play well with others? I think I will try to find some research on this phenomenon as I see it repeated far too often for it to be an urban legend.

Obviously it sounds like it sometimes starts with the instructors. What a shame.

Trauma Columnist · Mar 1, 2004

Well - I have to say its so awesome for you to ask these questions! What a great attitude - I'm sure you'll be a great educator! I'm finishing my BSN in May 04 and then am going into an MSN program also. I was an LPN for a couple of years and have been an RN for 12 years. About my only comment is that I don't remember any instructor either negatively or positively.

Agnus · Mar 1, 2004

So I'll be starting my master's this fall, Nursing Educator. This is strange because I really hated nursing school, although I didn't really hate the instructors, just the way the whole thing was done. The stress was very deliberate, nursing care plans are ridiculous compared to real practice, and some nursing diagnosis are very convoluted.
Who were your best instructors and why? What was different about the best over the worst? Who inspired you and how?

Don't read to me. You insult my intelligence and waste my time. Don't simply thow a ton of facts at me. Don't lecture.

I had, for advanced med surg, one instructor who was a good teacher. He talked to us he did not simply give us a litany of facts. He explained in an easy non stressed manor. We learned we did not feel overwhelmed and yet somehow he managed to cover everything we needed.

We did much better than previous classes who had an instructor who overwhelemed you with print outs of power point slides. (Her whole lecture)

I hate power point because most people have no clue how to use it effectively. What is more most slides are poorly done and do not enhance the lecture.

Better yet join Toastmasters and learn some presentation skills. Most instructors are not skilled in teaching. Thier students learn inspite of them.

Most of my instructors always seemed stressed. After getting to know a few I learned they were terrified infront of the class., even though they had been doing this for decades. They passed their stress on to us.

I am throwing out the Toastmaster's suggestion. I don't have any illusions that anyone here will take it. Just keep in mind it is those who need it the most that refuese to consider it. Find a club at http://www.toastmasters.org