med-surg nightmare

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I am just beginning my Med Surg clinical. And I'm not going to lie, my CI is pretty nasty.

I had a rough day last week, fell a bit behind and was feeling the crunch. Now I am all for challenges, and usually rise to the task. We are expected to have our meds passed, washes done, vitals and assessments finished and charted for two patients by first coffee.

Two weeks in, two unstable pts, meds held, doctors called... on and on. This happens on surgery of course. The nurses on shift were great, helped me out, thank god!

Then, the CI. I didn't see her face all morning up until 5 min before coffee as I am trying to madly finish my charting. She leans against the med cart, crosses her arms and barks "where are you at"

"charting"

"done?"

"not yet. I will finish before coffee"

"why arent you done?"

So I went into explaining what happened, patient A freaking out for 45 min, patient B needing meds held her BP was so low, calling doctors for this and that, on and on...

and instead of a "okay, that totally makes sense" or something, she tore me a new one over holding a BP med, although it was decided between the two RN's on duty to do so. Nice.

Then I couldn't hold it together any more. Hello little tear. I couldn't hold it in! She sent me away. And then I got a lecture about the tear. Just a little one it was. Oh boy.

Basically, she has managed to convince me that I am not suitable to be a nurse, its not okay to have a bad day, no, not everyone has them, only weak students, and on and on....

I am terrified to go back to clinical tomorrow, as we are getting our midterm evaluations. And I have this sneaky feeling that it's not going to based on my previous performance, but one slow morning and a little tear.

Everybody's human, right??:banghead:

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Do not feel bad at all. She's the one with no heart. I remember the 2nd semester of my 1st year after a really hard day and a CI telling me I was not going to be a good nurse ( All because I liked to double check my medications) I ran out to my car and just cried and cried. I mean the hard, ugly cry. Guess what I graduated and have learned that people like that were the ones that didn't make the good nurse. You are right every body does have bad days no matter what. You are going to make a GREAT nurse and don't ever let anyone tell you different.

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Specializes in L&D/Maternity nursing.

Personally, I'd go to the program director and let them know about this. IMO, if what you are telling us is true, she had no right to scream and yell and belittle you like that.

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Specializes in LTC.

Welcome to Clinicals ! I've had instructors that made me cry but what I did was really step my game up so I wouldn't give her a reason to bark at me. I review and studied my clinical objectives the night before, made sure I priotized during clinicals, I started to get to know my meds like the back of my hand, I documented early.... my point is I remained two steps a head of her. So when she did try to bark I could stand there and say " I've already did x,y, and z so now what ?

At the end of the day she gave me kudos and told me I was a ray of sunshine and I really did good today.

Some times instructors make us cry but we need to also grow thick skin and stay ahead of them.

No they have no right to treat us like this, however people are only going to do what you allow them to do.

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Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.
Personally, I'd go to the program director and let them know about this. IMO, if what you are telling us is true, she had no right to scream and yell and belittle you like that.

Did we read the same post? I don't recall screaming, yelling, or belittling. Yes, the CI was harsh, but I certainly wouldn't report the incidence...not unless I wanted a huge red target on my back.

OP, you know you were right to hold the BP med..I wouldn't give it another thought. A single tear does not a bad nurse make!! But it would be the LAST time she saw me cry! Let us know how your evaluation went, k?

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Specializes in L&D/Maternity nursing.

barking insinuates the raising of one's voice.

::shrug::

and the fact that she was lectured for no apparent reason. She did not make a medication error and she was finishing up her charting during the properly designated time frame. I just dont see anything that would warrant the CI treating her the way they did.

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I had a patient in clinicals that fired me - yes fired me. And then told everyone in hearing range what a terrible person I was (he had some other issues). I had a CI who while really tough, was incredibly patient in teaching clinical skills. I may have left and cried like a baby, but she never saw it :cry:

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I have not gotten to the med surge portion yet, so I cannot pretend to know what you have and are experiencing. What I can say, is that nurses, like your CI are exactly what has me driven to become a nurse. It is my belief that MANY of the nurses currently in the field need to be replaced because of those types of attitudes.

I literally, after giving birth to my first son, had to throw a nurse out of my room and call to have a new nurse take over.

Use your experience from yesterday, to go back there tomorrow and prove her wrong... Afterall, you know in your heart that she is...

Good Luck.

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Specializes in ICU, Telemetry.

I have a bad habit. If I'm really, REALLY angry, I tear up. I had a CI that used to make me crazy, and I'd take half a benedryl before clinicals (benedryl doesn't make me sleepy or stoned, it just really dries me out -- I couldn't cry if the cat died after a benedryl). I've heard of other people who "cry angry" with bad CIs putting a scopalamine patch on under their uniforms. Of course, this is completely, absolutely only if you have no affects on alertness, and is no way intended to tell you take any med not prescribed by your doc...

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Specializes in SNU/SNF/MedSurg, SPCU Ortho/Neuro/Spine.

I am on medsuge now...

so my technique for a bad clinical instructor is, dont talk to much, and i try to get all my plan of care, after geting my report, every one runs to do their stuff, and i got to the CI, and say, hi, here is the deal...

my patient has such and such, so i will be doing such and such, the meds are such and such, and then after assessment and all of that, i keep them informed of my plan and ask them for input, tell them what i am doing then ask them what they think about it!

and i try to get it all done.

Thank God, i have had Great CI, at my school, and if they act up on us, ohhhh believe you me that the DON will hear it!!!

we are there to learn, and to get help so we can become some what good novice RN's not to be kicked around...!!!

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