Maybe Clinicals instructor doesn't like men

[Hardhands]

I post this in the male students section and i am trying to get some more reactions....

So here is it the problem .....

up until now all my clinicals has gone great, instructors like me ,I learned a lot, it was fine .

recently I started clinicals in Pediatrics and the instructors seems to just not like men. she won't let me or the other guy in the group answer questions and she keeps telling me to stop running my mouth when i try to present the info i have collected on my patient. I have recently realized that she won't let me go near any of the children ,always saying there's not enough time.... when I prepare an IV drug she gave it instead of me.

she asked me to send her an email of all the things I did wrong today and i was the only one she asked....

I don't know who to turn to I don't think that anyone in my school will believe me and I'm afraid to make it even worse.

To be clear I have not done anything to make her doubt my abilities....i answer the small amount of questions that she asks me correctly and have not made any mistakes in skills or safety.

I want to add at this point that I don't easily go down the whole gender bias road but I can't find any other exclamation.

I can probably get thru this rotation but i am starting worry that she is going to fail me and feel the need to record our interactions to prove what she is doing.

Apart from the fact that she makes me feel like *** i am afraid of retaliation if i actually get her saying somthing on tape

Help!!!

[Tacocat, ADN, RN]

Don't record her. If you're recording her on the unit that could be a HIPAA violation if you're discussing patients, and frankly unless you know the recording laws in your state it's likely illegal to record someone without their consent -- either one of those is enough to be dismissed from your program.

[drewseph92]

That really sucks man, I'm sorry you have to deal with that because it's pretty unprofessional on her end and I'm sure it feels like your excluded from a lot of opportunities to learn in the clinical setting. Have you tried talking to your pediatric course coordinator or one of your program directors? But I agree with SamC1988, definitely don't record anything in the clinical setting. It's a trap, lol

[maggie0, BSN, RN]

Absolutely don't record her! That could get you kicked out of the program.

You may want to have a talk with your advisor about your difficulty with this clinical instructor, but don't frame it as "she's picking on me because I'm a guy" (even though that may well be true). Just ask for advice on working with this person.

Honestly, this instructor may think it's a bad idea for a man to work with pediatric patients. Maybe she had a bad experience with one. Of course, it's not fair for her to take it out on you.

But my advice is to basically suck it up. Your goal is to get through nursing school; complaining about her won't suddenly make her like you. Just be as nice as possible, smile a lot, learn as much as you can, and move on.

[Leader25, ASN, BSN, RN]

Sorry for your situation,I have witnessed some male students getting a reaming but they were not good students,it might be that you just remind her of someone,as abuse is nursing little dirty secret.

Get your self the best tutor money can buy,be diligent in,be studious,be quiet unless you are asked.I think teach might be afraid of you making a mistake and it is her license.

Good luck.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Your post makes me want to ask some clarifying questions.

Do you run over other students in your attempt to share what you know?

Are you cocky?

Do you brag about things?

Do you present yourself as a learner or as something who is looking to show your knowledge?

All of these may be impacting how this instructor is treating you. That being said, even if it is true, that doesn't make it right. But I have known a great many people, both men and women, for whom this kind of demeanor gets them labeled by an educator as someone who needs a healthy dose of humility.

Since you cannot change this instructor and only yourself, the best approach would be to see them during office hours and have a face to face earnest discussion with how you can improve. Its 15 weeks of your life and you can do anything for 15 weeks. Find out what she wants and then give it to her.