From Bad to Worse?

[Pianoforte]

Folks,

I posted a message a few days ago about how much I dislike critical care. Well, I am TRYING to remain positive and make it through the next six weeks and five exams. I wrapped up my second full day at a SICU and things went well and I learned a lot. I was having some trouble last night with my care plan and, therefore, I sent an e-mail to the course coordinator (one of three instructors for the course) asking for her help in trying to identify how I can utilize my time more wisely. WELL, she wrote me back and was very receptive to my request. She is VERY dynamic and a fountain of knowledge. One of the other two instructors sent an e-mail to the instructor I requested help from and the third instructor. She ACCIDENTALLY put me on copy and made some inappropriate comments insinuating that I am a pain in the *ss (including "I'm happy it's not me" in regards to me requesting assistance). Did I mention that there were four(!) recall e-mail messages in my inbox too (i.e. the one instructor tried to recall the message that she accidentally put me on copy for). So, not only in the workload unrealistic (we have one hour at the end of our second day to incorporate what we did that day into our care plans before we turn them in; our instructor told us that we need to use White Out because presentation counts and that we need to use APA format for citing the sources of our rationales), but I feel like the odds are stacked against me. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

[GeminiTwinRN, BSN]

how bizarre!

sorry you're having trouble.. have you looked at the sticky's up at the top of this forum for help with careplans?

[hawkeye02]

I had to read you post like three times before commenting. I am so sorry that you are going through this difficult time, but I am more than livid that an instrutctor or clinical coordinater who say that you are a pain in any part of the anatomy. How dare them, they are there to help you not pass nasty emails about you around to each other, and then try to have the nerve to recall them, shame, shame, shame. Please keep your head up and continue to work hard, it will pay in the end.

May the three wicked witches of the west burn in........................:angryfire

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

I am always willing to help a student with care plans. I can't say that I would be as quick about responding as your instructor as I often only go online very early or very late in the day.

As for getting an accidental copy of an e-mail she sent to another instructor where she mentions you (did I get that right?). . .you should make a copy of it and give it to the dean of your program and report her. THAT is a violation of confidentiality and she should have been a lot more careful. She owes you a big time apology for that faux paux.

[AuntieRN]

OMG I totally agree with Daytonite. I would definately send a copy to the dean. Sometimes I think instructors forget what it was like to be a student and forget they are there to help you out. I also would be more then happy to help you with your careplans. I am not the best at them yet though as I am a new grad who just started working on the floor on Tues. But I remember having to do them every semester and it was not until my last careplan of my student career that I actually got an S+. I was elated. But like I said I am more then willing to try to help you out.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

The workload is not unrealistic, although when we are going through it, it does feel that way.

There's a long thread in the OB forum about how we nurses talk about our patients, so it's reasonable that nursing instructors talk about their students. That's all it was, a stressed out instructor "ventilating her concerns", becuase if we don't vent, we explode.

If you're really feeling mistreated then confront the instructor who wrote the email and tell her how it made you feel and get her side of the story. I would do this before I make a copy to the Dean and scream breech of confidentiality. But I'm old, jaded and don't have a fragile ego, so take my advice with a grain of salt.