Hit Right smack in the face with the "Nursing is a CALLING not a job" crap today

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Fella's

I'm now vice president of the local chapter honor society ( I know, whatever) I'm retired military and 42 yo. I'm less than 2 months from graduating and I get smacked in the face with the "nursing is a calling" BS by my instructor, because I made the mistake of sharing my recent work experience of talking to a lady who was having neck pain while laying in bed and then coding a few minutes later. What my instructor was mad about was that I a) did not instantly recognize a MI, run over and check her vitals as she was having a MI and b) that it was while I was doing my CNA job (trash, etc) right at shift change.

I'm really down in the dumps today, she spent 10 minutes berating me in front of the class for missing this sign, even though the class we were having that day was recognizing s/s of MI as a LPN student, but when I "missed" the MI happening was while I was I was working as a CNA taking the trash out just before shift change. The woman was lucid, her ONLY complaint was a stiff neck, then the code. I totally did not connect a neck pain with MI, even if I was a "nursing student" at the time, I still would not have noticed it, as we are just now doing CV in class. And at the most I would have called for the nurse if I had noticed it, the monitor tech saw it on telemetry and called the code.

What I'm worried about, besides missing the MI, is being flunked out of school, for something that happened at work as a CNA. The instructor said in front of the class, "I don't want you as my nurse" and you will never make it as a nurse. I'm kinda bummed out, I totally wish I had kept my head out of my orifice and went into another field besides this woman dominated one that I'm currently in.

Bummed in TN

p.s. I HATE that saying, "Nursing is a calling, not a job". NO, the Clergy is a calling, Nursing is a job, just like janitor, electrician, cop, military, etc. It really, really helps any job if you enjoy it, but to say it's a calling for everyone that's in it is a bit of a stretch.

This calling phenomena is also a part of the wage issue with women, a calling doesn't have to pay as much as a job, does it??

Specializes in Hospice.

First, I agree that your instructor was over the top.

What she should have done was use the anecdote as an opportunity to discuss how so many MIs in women are missed ... more often than not, they do not exhibit the classic crushing chest pain, nausea and diaphoresis that we associate with a heart attack.

My late partner's best friend laid down on the couch after dinner one day because her back was bothering her and died of an MI.

It happens. That instructor has some serious issues, not the least of which is the awareness that the retrospectroscope is the only infallible instrument in medicine.

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You were doing what you were being paid for, taking out the trash. This points out one of the reasons why people are cautioned against working as a CNA when they hold a license. Had that been the case, then you could have been held to the higher standards. But even an experienced nurse might have missed that one. Be glad that your time with this instructor is limited and you will be able to move on.

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Specializes in ICU.
the retrospectroscope is the only infallible instrument in medicine.

Sounds great! Where can I get one of those, or are they only issued to "special" nursing instructors?

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Specializes in Rehabilitation; LTC; Med-Surg.
Fella's

I'm now vice president of the local chapter honor society ( I know, whatever) I'm retired military and 42 yo. I'm less than 2 months from graduating and I get smacked in the face with the "nursing is a calling" BS by my instructor, because I made the mistake of sharing my recent work experience of talking to a lady who was having neck pain while laying in bed and then coding a few minutes later. What my instructor was mad about was that I a) did not instantly recognize a MI, run over and check her vitals as she was having a MI and b) that it was while I was doing my CNA job (trash, etc) right at shift change.

I'm really down in the dumps today, she spent 10 minutes berating me in front of the class for missing this sign, even though the class we were having that day was recognizing s/s of MI as a LPN student, but when I "missed" the MI happening was while I was I was working as a CNA taking the trash out just before shift change. The woman was lucid, her ONLY complaint was a stiff neck, then the code. I totally did not connect a neck pain with MI, even if I was a "nursing student" at the time, I still would not have noticed it, as we are just now doing CV in class. And at the most I would have called for the nurse if I had noticed it, the monitor tech saw it on telemetry and called the code.

What I'm worried about, besides missing the MI, is being flunked out of school, for something that happened at work as a CNA. The instructor said in front of the class, "I don't want you as my nurse" and you will never make it as a nurse. I'm kinda bummed out, I totally wish I had kept my head out of my orifice and went into another field besides this woman dominated one that I'm currently in.

Bummed in TN

p.s. I HATE that saying, "Nursing is a calling, not a job". NO, the Clergy is a calling, Nursing is a job, just like janitor, electrician, cop, military, etc. It really, really helps any job if you enjoy it, but to say it's a calling for everyone that's in it is a bit of a stretch.

This calling phenomena is also a part of the wage issue with women, a calling doesn't have to pay as much as a job, does it??

Your instructor should be ashamed of him/herself. I would report this incident after graduation to the dean of the program - forget the department chair at that point.

While working as a CNA you are not responsible for "recognizing" signs of an MI - that is not within your scope of practice. What you are responsible for, though, is reporting the pain voiced from the client to the nurse - yes, you should have mentioned that to the nurse in charge.

As for recognizing the neck pain as a sign of MI, who would have known to think MI? I sure wouldn't have. I would have checked the vitals though to further investigate the pain. Probably would have given you a "clue."

So, your instructor said he/she would not want you as his/her nurse? Great, because I wouldn't want someone like that as my nurse, either. Anyone who can beat a person verbally in front of so many other people obviously lacks the kind of compassion needed to be a caring nurse. Maybe that's why he/she is an instructor now?

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Originally Posted by heron viewpost.gif

"the retrospectroscope is the only infallible instrument in medicine."

Sounds great! Where can I get one of those, or are they only issued to "special" nursing instructors?

Oh no, managers seem to have them too.

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Specializes in ICU.
Oh no, managers seem to have them too.

Maybe just nurse managers. In my past (?care free?) life as an engineering manager, I never received my retrospectoscope. No fair! It would have made life oh so much simpler!

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Specializes in Orientation hahahaha.

Shake it off brother. If she got under you the physicians will too. All I would have done is reported the pain to the license. Not knowing what you do now, in real life, the PT would have coded anyway. There is just a 50/50 chance the nurse would have said "go take her vitals anyway." There license, your instructor is lacking.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.

Write this on your hand so you never forget. NEVER TELL PERSONAL EXPERIENCE STORIES IN NURSING SCHOOL! (if you are a man) Nursing instructors hate that. Don't worry one little bit about not recognizing the MI. I work in intensive care and we ICU nurses serve on the rapid responce team and regularly respond to calls for help from floor nurses whose patients are having an MI and the RNs have no idea until we get there and tell them so.

Nursing school is nothing at all like being a nurse. Take my advice, get your RN ASAP and go to work in a large hospital ICU where you can practice with autonomy.

While your instructor was very unprofessional, it's rather typical in my experience. As a nursing student one of my instrutors told me to "get a job in the man's world".

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Specializes in PACU.

Frankly, the last thing I would expect given just a c/o neck pain is an MI. That's such a vague complaint that is MUCH, MUCH more likely to be indicative of something else--even just strain from being in a strange bed, with a strange pillow. [The following questions are mostly rhetorical and intended to display what my thought process might be in a similar situation acting in the capacity of a nurse] Did she have/mention any other s/s of MI, or any other major disorder? How were her VS previously during the shift? Did she have a Hx of cardiac problems? I imagine so given that she was on tele, but perhaps not depending on age and her other Dx/Tx.

I have a feeling that barring any other significant manifestations that the vast majority of nurses (including pretty much all of my coworkers) would at the most do a brief assessment and then administer PRN Tylenol and offer to help her adjust her position. I bet you Ms. Super Nurse Instructor wouldn't have caught it either, but she's such an insecure ***** that she had to belittle you in front of the class to make herself feel good. There are others like her out there, but don't let them spoil all of nursing for you.

I've posted before about how my mother had an atypical presentation (mostly GI symptoms, generalized weakness, feeling "horrible") and saw her MD a couple of hours before she he had her MI and was Dx with gastric reflux (she recovered fully--CPR for the win). Granted, this was when the different manifestations of MIs in women were just hitting the literature, but it still illustrates my point: no matter how much you know you will sometimes miss things that are subtle.

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hi i'm a female nursing student and honestly dont see how you could have picked up on something you weren't trained to do or most likely have never seen before.I never would have linked neck pain to an MI myself well until now.Just wanted to say thanks for sharing your story.It taught me a new sign to watch out for and i'm sure your classmates learnt something too which i'm sure was your intention.I have only geriatric experience and there are other nursing assistants in my class who have worked in all kinds of specialties and i look forward to hearing their stories sometimes i even beg them to tell me some especially when we get a chance to breathe.Your instructor was just being an a****** you fill in the blanks.

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Specializes in LTC.
Sounds like your instructor is both an idiot and a lousy instructor.

As usual, Angie hits the nail right on the head! :yeah:

Mike

Carolina Nights

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Specializes in Rheumatology/Emergency Medicine.

Hello all,

I had the same patient on friday (neck pain pt) I go in to check her vitals, she complains of a back ache, I check her vitals, yep she has BP of 145/112 and HR of 148. I call the nurse, nurse calls Doctor, puts her on cardizem drip, all is good in the world for now.

I took my cardiac test on tues, I made a 93, so that's done.

Thanks for all of the input and support with the neck pain and pain in the neck instructor. I'm sure instructor means well and I need to do better, BTW, I mentioned the butt chewing from my instructor to my charge nurse (20 yr RN) she said that she would not have automatically put a neck pain with MI and that if I should not come running to her saying MI everytime a pt had an ache or pain).

I'm on a 10 holiday school break, go back on July 13 and graduate Aug 13, man oh man, there is no way I'm going to be ready to be a "nurse" by then!!

Take care all

Tony

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