Overprotective clinical instructor & too many students??

[kittyw]

I just finished my last clinical for my first year. We had 6 students in an ICU with high acquity and my instructor seemed overwhelmed at times. She made us (all of us) get her to double check everything before we did it from sq lovenox to charting to hanging antibiotics, which left us waiting for her and made us look late on things. It was so frustrating esp since we've been in clinicals all year and have done all of this over and over and over. I could understand watching us once to check us off --- but she can read our previous evaluations from other clinical instructors & see our compentancy level and this continued the entire time we were there. Plus we know when to seek out help and when we're comfortable with something.

I don't know if it was having so many students that made her overprotective or what.

Anyways, I'm frustrated ... bad clinical experience. But hey, I'm out of school on Friday and off to the beach!!

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

I'd be overprotective too if 12 students were under my license.

[LeesieBug]

Our critical care rotation will have six students. Usually we have 9-10 per clinical.

I am sorry if you felt frustrated....as a student sometimes you just have that urge to break free and go at it. However, it IS important for instructors to verify meds. You are still learning, and trust me, mistakes happen even to the most experienced nurses, let alone a person with only two semesters of practice. I did my senior practicum with a nurse preceptor this year....and she was required to check my meds.

I am amazed just at the fact that you were working with critically ill patients in semester two! The don't let us near them until our third year! Maybe we are more scary!

Try to be patient, knowing that you will soon be released onto the world, full-force, with no one to hover over you. Take the opportunity to learn...I always use meds as a way to get ahold of my instructor for forced one-on- one learning time.

Congrats on finishing year one

As far as worrying about late meds, how late are we talkin'? If they were VERY late, I would say ,yes, the instructor needs to get more organized. We have never had a problem, since most places have a 30 minute before after window. I have learned to be ready to give my meds the INSTANT it is within that window, so I can snag the instructor first. That helps.

[Kelly_the_Great]

We've got a pretty unique way of doing clinicals at my school. Your assigned to a preceptor, just like you would be as a new nurse, starting out.

The instructor explains your learning objectives to the precepotr and your limitations as a student and what they will need to directly supervise.

As a student, I've really enjoyed this approach b/c it offers continuity in your instruction, working with only one nurse (of course I work w/ the others as time permits if & when I can to increase my exposure & just generally help out). That being said though, I've been fortunate enough to have some really great preceptors . I've had friends that weren't so lucky and wound up stuck with some pretty crappy ones...

Hope my luck continues! Another down side is the nurses rotation my change and it can be pretty hard to balance your schedule out, also she/he may call in sick or even quit and there you are trying to find a replacement that your instructor will also approve of.

Our instructors come around and ask us about our patients, etc. and ask the preceptors how we're doin', etc. Otherwise, it's a pretty independent experience between you & the preceptor.