LPN Instructors Character

Nursing Students LPN/LVN Students

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I have been in LPN school now for 8 months, and have developed a question. Do all LPN instructors (who are RN's) have an incredibly horrible condescending attitude? It appears that most act like they know everything, and are incredibly attentive to detail on things like AM/PM care and borderline CNA work; however, when I ask a question about the science behind an underlying medical diagnosis they are at a loss. No problem with not having every answer, but they then treat me like a pariah for several days after I ask these questions. I feel they are then even more critical of my basic skills (linens, bathing, etc).

I hope to teach in the future, and plan to a have a much more human approach.

I am enjoying the school, the patients, my classmates and the learning opportunities....just hate the attitude.

Thanks for letting me vent!

Oger

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
Ah....the voice of reason! I am doing my best, but sometimes these people act like they have secret recipe ice water. They simply don't understand that respect is something that is earned....not assumed or demanded...especially if you can't answer a basic chemistry question.

This is making me a good philosopher if nothing else.

I know reading isn't always an accurate indicator of tone but yours seems to be coming through loud and clear. I disagree with your attitude and if the chem question was so basic why did you have to ask it? Respect for your instructors absolutely is assumed, imo. They are driving this bus so I'd let them pick the radio station.

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Ah....the voice of reason! I am doing my best, but sometimes these people act like they have secret recipe ice water. They simply don't understand that respect is something that is earned....not assumed or demanded...especially if you can't answer a basic chemistry question.

This is making me a good philosopher if nothing else.

Again, this nurse has not been exposed to chemistry on any level for some time. In fact, thus far, not one nurse I know that has taken chemistry as a requirement has had a use for it in their nursing career until now (not to say that some have not pulled on that knowledge on occasion). Basically, if you don't use it, you lose it.

I had my license since 2006, and since then, I only had 6 weeks of med-surg experience which was mandatory for a new grad, new hired nurse. Since then, I had not touched IV piggybacks. Recently, I decided to go back to the floor on a per diem basis only to keep up the skills. I remembered more than I thought, but I was slower and had to do a bit of thinking about how to manover certain things. And, was able to put in a catheter (something I only did once), because a wonderful CNA took the time to show me.

For now, play the game, do not insult this woman, in spite of the fact that she just may not know what you need at the moment. You need her to graduate for one, and secondly, to be honest, most learning will be done on the job itself. There were so many things that I had no clue about (but thought I did because I read it somewhere). But, I had to walk through the fire to be able to stand where I am, now. Best of luck to you! :yeah::up:

I have been in LPN school now for 8 months, and have developed a question. Do all LPN instructors (who are RN's) have an incredibly horrible condescending attitude? It appears that most act like they know everything, and are incredibly attentive to detail on things like AM/PM care and borderline CNA work; however, when I ask a question about the science behind an underlying medical diagnosis they are at a loss. No problem with not having every answer, but they then treat me like a pariah for several days after I ask these questions. I feel they are then even more critical of my basic skills (linens, bathing, etc).

I hope to teach in the future, and plan to a have a much more human approach.

I am enjoying the school, the patients, my classmates and the learning opportunities....just hate the attitude.

I agree with you and I don't think anything you wrote sounds offensive.

I had similar experiences wiht many instructors in the RN program. never encountered this kind of attitude in any of my undergraduate classes.

-Too often I would ask questions about underlying pysiological explanations and get no where. they were often annoyed with me for asking, didn't apologize for not knowing or offer to let me know later.

-also had a clinical instructor who was overcritical.

I think respect needs to be earned too. A student should go into the class and behave respectfully to the instuctor but if over time you're not respected in return you have every right to loose respect for the instructor, not behave disrespectfully in turn but you have the right to feel what you feel.

I'd like to say that you could express your concerns respectfully to them but be careful don't know if its actully safe.unfortunately it seems that you have to focus on waht is positive, the things you listed and suffer through any injustice.

An anonymous note to the instructor and or dept head might be an idea. i hate the idea of students being treated badly and totally getting away with it. I'm all for justice and speaking up for yourself respectfully.

Specializes in Dialysis.

my instructors stink. sorry, but they do. one man actually cared about the material he taught, and was an actual teacher. he taught us A and P. he's a doctor.

all the others, pshhh. It's like others have said. Just because you're a nurse, doesn't mean you need to be teaching! They don't know the material, they have no fun teaching it, there is no connection going on for any parties involved.

it's pretty sad actually. Not an experience I will look back on positively.

I love my clinical instructors though! They are a different breed from our classroom instructors.

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