How to survive clinical instructor from hell?

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There was talk of this difficult clinical instructor from months ago - she (allegedly) was verbally abusive with her students. She failed one student because her english wasn't "Americanized English". One teacher found out and demanded to bring the student back and she was in trouble for failing the student because of that reason. You try not to feed into the hype but you're very cautious. Student who have had her have advised us to be SUBMISSIVE as possible yet confident. I grew up with a family of nurses and believe me, when I say I'm very "humbled". I am very aware that I really don't know as much as nurses and I have great respect for the nurses that come before me, especially the older nurses. My own mother is a nurse and has even instilled in me to really value and respect older nurses.

When I met my instructor she seems to have "calm down" but I did sense she is someone who gets an ego trip by tearing others down. I've had to change my approach and can't really be myself just to adjust to surviving with her. My previous clinical instructor (during evaluation) encouraged me to be more "myself" and said from her point of view, she could tell i was a confident person but was purposely shy. She was a great/real teacher and I simply told her it was just to "protect" myself, especially toward those "ego tripping teachers" (like the one I have now). Anyhoo, I'm very open to any kind of criticism. As I got to know her, I liked how this instructor didn't sugarcoat things and kept it "real world". However, my current cohort is in between some nasty political wars with schools. We were originally students of "nursing school a" that worked together with "nursing school b". Nursing school B cut ties off with nursing school A and now we're current students of 'school b". We feel like second class citizens and like we're all in high school again. During lab, we went through case studies. My goal was to be as calm as possible, get the work done as right as I can. Once she came in, her comments became more dry, sarcastic, and just crude. I love criticism but I don't like catty criticism. Her face was right in my face and I noticed how she STUDIED it as she was trying to tear me down but I didn't let my guard down. We were working in teams and that's how I approached my case study. I didn't "boss" my other nurses - we worked together and when I wasn't sure with something, I clarified with them. In the end, I was very disappointed in myself and how I didn't do well. I didn't take what she said personally and kept going on throughout the day fine. But when I got home, I started to feel so RESENTFUL and angry. In my gut, I felt that she did more than "criticize" me. I hate that she even tried to attempt at knocking my confidence and tear me down. When she made comments about what I did "wrong", I felt she exaggerated on certain parts and looking back, I calmly and sweetly explained to her my reasonings behind it. (For example: pt had pain on leg. I was feeling her leg lightly for an assessment and she claimed I was rubbing her leg). She also called me out on how I over-depended on my secondary nurses because I didn't know what I was doing. My classmates were supportive and got my back and she made it seem like I let them do my work. At the end of it, she called me out on my pants (they didn't hit the floor but they were wide). I simply said that they were "petite" and she spent 10 minutes on the "science " of what "petite" is. (Unfortunately, it was one of those pants that you had to tie around the waist and you need a big belly to even keep it up).

I WANT TO QUIT NURSING BECAUSE OF THIS CRAZY INSTRUCTOR. I HAVE ANOTHER MONTH OF HER BS - HOW DO I SURVIVE?

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This individual, from your description, sounds like a CI that I had, displaying signs of mental illness. I think the best approach is to try to avoid her as much as possible. When she is around you, concentrate on the task at hand and make no effort to engage her unless you are responding directly to something she says to you. You can't help that she has problems, but you can moderate your own behavior to keep out of her line of sight.

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I can so relate. I only have 4 weeks left too and am ready for a nervous breakdown. I have always done really well in clinical and never once have I been written up. My last instructor made me the team leader first because she felt so confident in my skills. Well I just had my second week with the new instructor and I am falling apart. She makes me a wreck and I have lost all my confidence. Not sleeping at night and feel sick to my stomach. Anxiety attacks are hitting hard. She asks me a question and I just go blank. She is so HARD on us but I have had some of the toughest patients both weeks. I am pretty sure I am going to be written up for the first time. I am really afraid of failing clinical now. She has failed quite a few students. I just want to say I know what you are feeling.

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I did some research and hope you find this helpful :)

Thanks for you understanding and I hope you get through it! YOU CAN DO IT :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EKs_6V18AE

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Thanks! I know you can do it too......:)

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I had a horrible experience with a clinical instructor as well. But I am now out of school and working. Keep your eye on the prize. Suck it up, don't let him/her get to you and take it in stride. don't let one person get in the way of your dreams. just another hurdle to get over. just get through these last few weeks!! hang in there and good luck.

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Specializes in ER, endoscopy.

i can relate as well! trouble is that keeping your eye on the prize is hard when a mentally ill person is holding it. it's frustrating when you know you are a good student and that you understand what you are doing. i think of it like following the directions to make a batch of cookies you've made a million times, then opening the oven to see a pot roast :confused: some instructors let personal problems get in the way of teaching, and sadly, some people are just mean. i am going to hang in there and i hope you do too! this is a learning experience we don't deserve, but ultimately we can add it to our bag of tricks that make us better nurses. since you wrote this, you should be rounding the bend. please let us know how you are. you can do this!!! :redpinkhe

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I'm so sorry your clinical experience is so rotten! :hug: Just keep in mind it's only 4 weeks to get through for a career you will enjoy for a lifetime. Plaster a pleasant expression on and do the best job you know how to do and tune out what ever this miserable person says to you! Good Luck!!!

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Thank you so much! It's interesting... I never noticed it (maybe bc I'm so jaded) but my classmates (in other groups and in a pervious clinical rotation w. her), notice how she treats me differently and not in a good way. She's given me extra homework over random "on the spot" questions. Before med administration, she wouldn't just ask what it was for but how it would relate to something completely random. When I would try to explain it to her, she said to just "write a paper". No one in my group has written "special assignments" for her in my group or in the previous group. She would also announce it front of my clinical group that I had to write a paper for her. I don't understand it. I've been too tired and jaded to analyze but my classmates are now worried and wondering why she's like this with me. I'm not one to be argumentative or challenge a teacher at all but I'm not a quiet, submissive person either. I wonder why she does this with ONLY me but either way, I don't feel good about it... what do you think?

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Specializes in ER, endoscopy.

I feel your pain and if it was okay with you, I'd give you a big hug. Honestly, what I think is that it's almost over and you should just HANG IN THERE! I only have 2 more weeks now, but it's gotten to the point where I am sick to my stomach 24 hours before clinical. My classmates have been telling me to document everything, which I keep trying to find the time to do (you know how busy we are). I'm no spring chicken and mine has mentioned on several occasions my age, so if it comes down to it, which I hope it won't, I might pull the agism card. I think part of the problem could be that we are not submissive. If we were submissive, perhaps it would roll off our backs easier. So, my nursing plan is to find the time to document and have a few things to pull out of my back pocket if I get an unexpected result. ;)

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I had a clinical instructor that I did not like, I learned to say yes to everything she asked me to do even when I had no time. I went along, never argued even when I knew she was wrong in so many levels. She wanted students to breakdown, but she was not successful with me. She would ask me questions that I couldn't answer and I would say I am sorry but I don't know the answer. She would say take a min and think about it, and I said, yes I thought about it before I said I don't know the answer ,followed by a smile, smiles are the best defense ever! I suffered 7 weeks straight but I was the happiest when I finished clinicals.

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WOW! Sounds like we had the same instructor! I know it's all "acting" and just gotta do what they say but I'm starting to worry about my well being. I'm normally someone who's easygoing, confident, in touch with my intuition and good judgment but being around this instructor has made me loopy and "bipolar". People notice how different my energy is when I know I'll see or talk to her vs. afterwards. I hope I can still be able to reclaim myself after this!

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