My clinical group is forming a lynch mob in an attempt to get rid of our clinical instructor. At least 7/10 of our clinical group has an appointment to meet with the school's vice principal. The legal and justice systems are both involved in actions against this instructor. (I'm being deliberately vague.)
I am two months from graduation, and I just want to get through it.
For the record, I actually LIKE this instructor, even though I agree she is unreasonably harsh with some of the students (she's been fine with me).
I am worried about taking anyone's side. I will have to work with some of these students in the near future, and don't want to be thought of unfavorably. I obviously also don't want to bring the instructor's wrath down on my head.
One of my instructors had no patience and in her irritation she would verbally put down students in front of the whole clinical group. At the end of each term it was the practice at our school for each student to meet privately with the instructor to receive a final student evaluation. At that time the students were asked to evaluate the instructor (by filling out a written form and leaving it in their in box, no need to identify who it was from) Although I was never a target for this instructor, I went out on a limb and gave her an honest evaluation of her performance face to face. I did not make any assumptions...just the facts. I presented her strengths, (she had many and had never put me down) and then the areas where I felt she could improve. She complimented me on the way I gave the feedback and said she would think about what I had said. I left feeling like I had just experienced how civilized people tell each other when they are being jerks. Fortunately, I didn't draw her again as my clinical instructor or I may have experienced how she could politely fail me if she were so inclined. :grad:
Well, I'm going to relate your issue with what you might see in your real job. We use a flow sheet with a "Day", "Evening" and "Night" section for writing an assessment. At night, I can see exactly what each of the other shift nurses wrote. I do my assessment. I carry on a conversation with the patient. I find the patient has severe neuropathy in the lower extremities and a very unsteady gait. I determine the patient is a fall risk. But, I see that the previous 2 nurses checked "Ambulates with steady gait" and didn't see the patient as a fall risk. Do I chart what I observed or go along with what the others charted? You know the answer. Apply it to your own situation.
She could still have a steady gait despite neuropathy. How did you determine that her gait was unsteady? Not saying you're wrong, just that the others could have seen her walking steadily.
Thank you all for your responses. I decided not to participate in their action.
I know one of my fellow students is quite disappointed because we are rather friendly, and I am sure none of these students will have my back now if the tables turn and the instructor comes down on me. I just hope I won't need them later.
Really, I don't think this is about friendship. I think it's about you have a different experience with this Instructor than they do. why? God alone knows.
Think of this - would a true friend ask you to put yourself in jeopardy if it weren't life and death? Your "friends" are not thinkinng of your well-being. You can make new friends. Also, it sounds like there were plenty of students for the lynch mob without you.
Yes, as it turns out, there were plenty of students. Initially, there were 6/10 going to speak to the vice principal, and so I didn't feel so conspicuous in not going. In the end, 8/10 actually ended up going.
Anyway, what happened was that they ended up sending another instructor to clinicals this week to monitor what was going on.
one can hope that this second set of eyes at least doesn't come in with the mindset of these students don't know anything. And s/he will be professional about her observation and evaluation. Be prepared to hear nothing from the instructors or administration, as it would not be professionally appropriate to report to "subordinates".
Actually, the second set of eyes is one of our previous lecture instructors. She's lovely, and although I actually wasn't in clinicals this week (holiday), I heard that things were better with the second instructor there.
I hope this drama isn't a clue as to what I'm in for once I pass my boards. :sstrs:
Abbies
54 Posts
One of my instructors had no patience and in her irritation she would verbally put down students in front of the whole clinical group. At the end of each term it was the practice at our school for each student to meet privately with the instructor to receive a final student evaluation. At that time the students were asked to evaluate the instructor (by filling out a written form and leaving it in their in box, no need to identify who it was from) Although I was never a target for this instructor, I went out on a limb and gave her an honest evaluation of her performance face to face. I did not make any assumptions...just the facts. I presented her strengths, (she had many and had never put me down) and then the areas where I felt she could improve. She complimented me on the way I gave the feedback and said she would think about what I had said. I left feeling like I had just experienced how civilized people tell each other when they are being jerks. Fortunately, I didn't draw her again as my clinical instructor or I may have experienced how she could politely fail me if she were so inclined. :grad: