Why do clinical instructors do the things they do??

jude11142 · Nov 12, 2002

Originally posted by [email protected]
You are paying that instructor to perform a service for you- and that is to teach you enough to pass the boards and be an excellent nurse. It is within your rights to make a complaint about her unprofessional behavior- you're not paying her to verbally abuse you. Otherwise, you would have joined the military. And I agree with Mattsmom about jumping your butt in front of the patients- it makes your instructor, your school, and the facility look bad. As patient advocates, I would think that the staff there would not want their sick patients to have to witness this behavior.

I have to agree with you............instructors are paid to teach!!!! Not to humiliate their students. I'm saddened to say that of the 4 instructors, only one was half-way decent. So many dropped out of nursing school, not because of academics but because of the way they were treated. Having seen most of it first-hand, I have to admit that they were treated as if they were stupid(I believe several were even called that), were brought to tears daily etc.........I admit that maybe some weren't cut out to be nurses or were too sensitive but still what gives these instructors the right to treat others like that. I was alright until the last rotation and I know that is because I became friends with another student(who had many disputes with all the instructors, because she would go and report them, talk back to them etc..and they couldn't get her out)and lo and behold, I was now on their sh**list..........This is true too because I had other students say to me, "what's going on"? "You never had problems with the instructors"etc.............Here I was 6 weeks from graduating and they were making it hell!!! Nothing crucial either, like I was 5 minutes late one time.........We were to be on the floor by 6am but they said it was better if we got there by 5:45am, anyways, I walked onto the floor at 5:50 and was called aside and told that I would get a "warning".......2 other students came in at 5:55 and guess what? Nothing said!!! I went to first the Dept Head who went on to tell me to worry about myself and not others.............duh........I am not one to say "you didn't say anything to so and so".........yet at the age of 40 , here I was feeling like a 7 yr old thinking and saying, "so and so doesn't like me" etc...........give me a break...........other issues came up after this regarding trying to "Break me".......but I was determined to follow my dream and become a nurse.......for over 15 yrs I worked as a CNA, then a scrub tech and I always wanted to go back to school, so I put everything into this and no way was I gonna let them push me out.............

The kicker is now, 8 months after graduating, the school sent me a letter(all grads)asking us to fill in survey about our school experiences..........It won't be a positive one that's for sure...........I still can't believe that these instructors are in this field let alone nurses..........My daughter is in her senior yr of high school and there is no way that I would recommend the school where I went..........pretty sad..........

JUDE

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2002

Howdy Yall

From deep in the heart of Texas

In dealing with nursing instructors, it always helps to keep in the back of your mind. That old saying.

Those that can

Do!!!!!

Those that can't

Teach!!!!!!

I know several nursing instructors who are excellent nurses. But I know of several others who are teachers, who cant make through a day without taking handfulls of medicines to cope with depression, anxiety, stress. pain. How would you liked to be taught by a nurse who is taking 8mg of Xanax a day, along with elavil, wellbutrin, paxil, and yes oxycontin. Sorry to me that is an impaired nurse for whatever reason she has in her background, and she should not be teaching, She should not even be allowed behind the wheel of a car. She not even be allowed anything remotely connected with patient care.

doo wah ditty

semstr · Nov 13, 2002

Well thank you very much mr. Teeituptom, as long as fairytales like this keep going, how do you suppose instructors and teachers feel?

There is no excuse to haress (sp) students during their clinicals, as in my opinion the above story is about, I am on the ward every week with the max. of 4 students, of course our system is different, because I teach them in school, in theory too. So I know them and they know me, quite well. The things I teach them in school, I'll try to teach them on the ward, with real patients too, when possible of course.

Truth is, when you as an instructor are unsure about a certain procedure, your students will notice. I simply tell them, look guys, I haven't done this or that for a long time, or, I never did this before, so have patience with me too.

No jewel lost from my crown, when I am honest, I think they (students) respect me more being honest, as doing a show.

Just my opinion, after 11 years of teaching, Renee

Trauma Columnist · Nov 13, 2002

Hi Renee - you sound like a kind, caring nurse and educator.

I was fortunate to have some excellent instructors (a long time ago). However, I would never tolerate being belittled and yelled at in public. I give respect and expect it back in return. Now that I'm an old lady - not many people yell at me and those that do - I deal with privately.

As an experienced ER nurse - I have earned the respect of my co-workers, MDs, etc.. I don't demand it nor do I belittle those that I supervise. I too know there is a lot I don't know - and by admitting it - am doing everyone a service.

legsmalone, RN · Nov 13, 2002

My experience with nursing instuctors has been quite a dicotomy, the ones I had for med-surg, ICU, etc were very keen on making you sweat. We had a pass/fail final for our clinical courses on skills, like properly placing a foley or suctioning a trach. 2 chances and if you fail both times, out of the nursing program. We had to be able to flawlessly perform these skills without guidence from whoever was testing us, but the second we step into the hospital, they were right there to guide us and help us along. :confused: It didn't make sense to me to force us to be independent testing wise, then take it away in the hospital, you should have seen how many of us cried after walking out from those tests, having failed, including myself.

Then however we moved on to the speciality areas like pysch, peds, L and D and our instructors for these courses are the exact opposite, no skills testing, no desire to make you cry, they all seem to realize we are human, new to nursing, and want to learn this stuff and be good nurses. So while I do feel like surviving the hell of med surg made me stronger, I still feel it was unnecessary, we had a fair number of students give up and withdraw themselves form the program rather then deal with taking these tests and possibley failing out from the program.