How do you recover from a bad first impression with your clinical instructor

[Isabellah]

I seem to have made a bad first impression with my clinical instructor. She rides me constantly and feels that I am not smart enough or capable of being a nurse. I make A's on all my exams. I have not been able to please her with anything that I do. Since she met me, she has gone out of her way to let me know that I do not belong. My fellow students that I have clinical rotation with was discussing things going on in our lives. She told me that I did not need to discuss things in my life or I might go and mention those things to the patient. I keep my personal life to myself when I walk in the patient's rooms. When I am with my patients they come first. I just need some advice to improve the way that the clinical instructor sees me. I have not been able to eat since clinical rotation. If I do try to eat I end up throwing up so much that blood comes up. I do not want to give up because I really want to be a nurse. I come home and cry myself to sleep. My boyfriend and my mother tell me to suck it up, nurses are not supposed to have soft feelings. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[pd1of4]

Nurses learn to accept critique without becoming emotionally overinvolved but I don't think that equals "soft feelings"! I would recommend you ask the instructor how you could improve your performance during clinicals. If she has no constructive reply or dismisses your question you might need to talk to the school faculty. If the clinical instructor is a member of the faculty there is always a higher-up. In the meantime focus on the positive experiences you have during the clinicals. That may give you more confidence and allow you to stop dreading those days. Finally please don't make yourself sick over this! Try to find an ally in a fellow classmate who is going through the same program. They can be a good source for venting and will most likely be more understanding of your feelings. I wish you the best of luck :). Take care of yourself.

[caliotter3]

Make up your mind that you are going to do what you have to do to the best of your ability and do not be intimidated by this instructor. Keep a notebook if there are overt instances of mistreatment. Otherwise, do not waste time or energy trying to get on her good side. Instead concentrate on doing your tasks well so that she has no reason to criticize you or to fail you.

[Isabellah]

Thank you two for your wonderful advice. I appreciate it greatly.

[all4ofus, ASN, RN]

It doesn't sound like there is anything you can necessarily do to change your instructor's mind; she sounds a little nutty and like the type of person to push it to the next level if you get defensive. I agree that you need to be able to accept constructive criticism or critique, but if she is really telling you that you are "not smart enough or capable of being a nurse," then she is just being incredibly unprofessional in criticizing you without offering encouragement, support, or suggestions for improvement, and I also agree that you DO need to document these incidents. I am also a worrier and have also been accused of being a "softie" and never understand why some people think you need to be hardened and superficially overly confident to be a nurse. If your clinical is anything like ours, the grading criteria is pretty arbitrary too. That being said, though, you need to get your anxiety surrounding this under control. Your boyfriend and mother don't seem to be offering much support. Maybe you can talk with a professional who may have some suggestions as to how you can train yourself to successfully "suck it up." Is there another faculty member that you connect better with who can offer encouragement and support to counterbalance this? Our school has a program in place where they connect students to volunteer nurse mentors in the field; maybe your school has something similar? I think the more confident and supported you feel, the less you will care how this particular instructor treats you.

I hope this helps! Hang in there!!!