I start clinicals on monday, my friend warned me about the instructor, advice please

[Matucm]

I start clinicals on monday, my friend warned me about the instructor I am going to have because she was with her last semester.

She is telling me about how bad she is, that she is very tough and I am gonna have a bad time and a bad experience.

She had very bad marks in clinicals, just 5 out of 10 and she is a very good student in general.

I am a little nervous cause is my first time in a hospital and this bad experience my friend had is putting me thinking too much about it.

Anyway I am a guy and I have very good marks in general if that changes anything.

Any advice is welcome, thank you very much and sorry for my english I am not from USA.

[SmilingBluEyes]

How about you just show up to clinical, prepared, in a clean uniform, early, and ready to learn and keep the rumors at the door? And the smarmy, transparent sucking up thing? That would be a major turn-off to me or anyone, especially someone as astute as a nursing instructor. Don't even try that. Just do your best to learn and be real.

My Favorite clinical instructor was the "toughest" one, the one I learned the most from. I remember her fondly. No sucking up needed.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

How about you just show up to clinical, prepared, in a clean uniform, early, and ready to learn and keep the rumors at the door? And the smarmy, transparent sucking up thing? That would be a major turn-off to me or anyone, especially someone as astute as a nursing instructor. Don't even try that. Just do your best to learn and be real.

My Favorite clinical instructor was the "toughest" one, the one I learned the most from. I remember her fondly. No sucking up needed.

OP, are you listening?

[Kmmcbride]

Hi Matucm!

I am in my last semester of nursing school and am our student nurses association president. One of the things I have changed as president is the constant fear culture for the new students coming in. I have had instructors of kind and gentle nature and others who have told me that Public humiliation is a great teaching tool and have been downright mean and nasty. The one thing I advise new students on is to approach each clinical session AND your instructors with the perspective that they have something of value to teach you and you will do fine. Even those mean and nasty instructors have given me good remarks, however grudgingly, because it is hard for them to be nasty when you come from am honest and genuine desire to learn and be a great nurse. My advice to you is to go in positive and if the instructor steps out of line, document and report them to the school of necessary, otherwise learn all you can and enjoy it!

[Davjoki]

I agree with some of these others.

I had several teachers who people warned me about who were the best I ever had. It's really up to the individual. Sometimes an instructor is hard and if someone doesn't want to do the work, they'll have a bad time.

Also people are human, some personalities just don't mesh.

Finally. You're a man. I faced a lot of this from a lot of different directions. I even had one girl tell me men shouldn't be nurses. I said to her: well I guess you think women shouldn't be doctors either. She didn't like me much, but who cares. Do your best and a lot of people come around. I've been a nurse for 20 years and I always found men to be the best, most compassionate nurses.

Oh and I don't know about kissing up to the instructor but keep your mouth shut unless it pertains to class at first. You're a smart guy. You have to feel them out. Some clinicals will be better than others, but you'll get through them all. Good luck.