Instructor Issue

Shanimal · Dec 13, 2017

I'm fairly certain anyone who's ever finished nursing school has had a bad experience with an instructor at one point or another. My instructor actually hit me on my very first day of clinical. Welcome to nursing, right?

Over the course of your career you'll unfortunately have bad experiences with coworkers, physicians, patients, and families. Hopefully not often. Best to try not taking it personally-often it's not intended that way, but pressure and stress can do funny things to people.

emmjayy, BSN, RN · Dec 14, 2017

Okay, so I don't think this one incident means she is a rude instructor. Does she have a pattern of being short/rude in many situations? Or was this just a one-off? I feel like a lot of people in here complaining about their instructors don't realize the level of stress/responsibility instructors have. Until you have to run around keeping track of upwards of ten nervous little nursing students (or worse... nursing students who think they know it all/don't need guidance), I don't think you should be getting upset by an instructor cutting you off every now and then. It's possible you knocked on the door at a bad time - perhaps she had just had to discipline another student or discovered a serious error in patient care.

I think the fact that this bothers you after five whole days means that there's an opportunity for you to learn. Learn to compartmentalize, don't take things like this home, and don't take them personally. I highly, highly doubt that the instructor meant for you to take this personally and even if she did... so what? It's over - you certainly don't need to waste time worrying over it and thinking about it. In the future, I'd suggest letting things like this bounce right off of you. Cultivate and maintain a calm, cheerful, and respectful attitude - because this type of thing is the least of what you'll eventually be dealing with from patients, peers, supervisors, etc. as you advance in your schooling/career.

HyzenthlayLPN · Dec 14, 2017

I had a clinical instructor yell at me for reciting the 5 Rights of Medication in the "wrong" order (I had memorized it using a mnemonic that started with D for Drug and she yelled "Patient! Always start with the right patient!"). It was the first time she had been with my class (and I think she may have been new to being an instructor).

It was a one-off. She wasn't the best clinical instructor but she was knowledgeable and quite nice outside the school setting.

Thankfully, most of my instructors were awesome all the time :)

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Dec 16, 2017

Don't let a snapped "I'm busy" have this much effect on you. You will hear maaaaaaaaaaaany sharp responses over the course of your career. Frustrated or jerk pts and families, fellow nurses, other members of the care team...

I once even had a CNA yell at me in the resident dining room -- she was mad that I hadn't gotten this lady dressed after I had helped her on the toilet. Now I'm not above ADLs, again I had just toileted her. But I needed to get on with med pass, and ADLs were of course her primary job. But she thought since I was in there anyway, I should have done all a.m. cares myself, and she decided to start yelling at me in front of 20 people.

It did hurt my heart a bit; I didn't like her perception of my work ethic. It was embarrassing besides, and PLUS I really didn't have time for conflict. Rather than let it bother me, I immediately put a stop to the behavior. I did go to the BR for a 5 minute breather, and then let it go.

If your morale was good before this incident, I'm guessing she was ok previously? Honestly I would show her some grace, especially if this was an isolated incident. Maybe she only slept 2 hrs during the night, maybe she doesn't feel well, maybe she's divorcing, maybe a loved one was dx'ed with dementia... any number of things that can affect one's mood.

gM_2010, MSN, PhD, RN, NP · Dec 16, 2017

Students don't get the whole picture of EVERYTHING in an instructor's airspace in the clinical setting. My priorities were timely delivery of meds and sick patients. I would have students march into any patient room that I was in without regard to whatever I was doing with another patient and/or student. I ask the other student "is your patient in trouble" and other student always answers "NO". My response to other student-"Get out". Trust your instructor and don't take in personally.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Dec 17, 2017

My morale totally plummeted and after 5 days it still bothers me. Any advice?

Yes, I do have some advice: develop a thicker skin. ASAP.

chare · Dec 17, 2017

[...]
...When I was ready, I knocked on the door where she was and I had barely gotten the words out "whenever you're ready" when she glared at me and said very rudely, "I'm busy!". My morale totally plummeted and after 5 days it still bothers me. Any advice?

Actually, I find this behavior to be "unusually rude." You had no idea what she was doing in the room, and yet you knock and announce "whenever you're ready" without waiting for her to reply? This was rude not only to your instructor, but your fellow student and the patient they were with as well.

Apple-Core, ASN, BSN, RN · Dec 17, 2017

Yes, I do have some advice: develop a thicker skin. ASAP.

THIS ^

Honestly - this terse response is such a minor blip in the ocean of **** you will be on the receiving end of as a nurse, you need to toughen up, and fast, or you'll be a wreck once you graduate.

I'm sympathetic to your plight, it doesn't feel nice to be on the receiving end of a sharp tone, and personally I never really understand how people can be so snippy sometimes, but it's a harsh reality of nursing, unfortunately.

KrCmommy522, BSN, RN · Dec 18, 2017

Actually, I find this behavior to be "unusually rude." You had no idea what she was doing in the room, and yet you knock and announce "whenever you're ready" without waiting for her to reply? This was rude not only to your instructor, but your fellow student and the patient they were with as well.

I completely agree with Chare. When you knocked...did you wait for someone to say, "Come in." Or, did you just knock and open the door. There's really not much point in knocking if you're just going to walk in anyways. As other posters have said, you have no idea what the instructor was in there doing. So, to have someone just come walking right in, it might have seemed as it she was being short. However, it wasn't your patient's room, maybe the patient wasn't really comfortable with all different kinds of people coming into his/her room. You just never know.

It seems as if this was just a one time thing for the instructor, and the situation kind of explains itself. When I was in school and I was ready to pass meds and my instructor was in another patients room, I just waited outside the room until he/she came out and then told them I was ready. So, next time you're ready to give meds and you know what room your instructor is in, maybe just wait outside until she comes and then tell her your're ready when she is.