Most unforgettable nursing instructor

Nurses General Nursing

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This is my first posting of a new thread. There have been some very interesting threads regarding ghost stories, best trauma, etc. I'm a Diploma grad from the 60's and MSN grad from 2004. I'd like to hear from you all about your most memorable nursing instructor/s from nursing school. I guess my most interesting instructor was Miss Arthur. She had been in the military in her younger days, also did Public Health before becoming an instructor. Back in the day, it was most unusual for instructors in hospital based programs to have advanced degrees, but she did. Anyway, she had sustained a terrible injury to her arm, that resulted in an amputation, This lady was the most phenomenal instructor. Her neuro exams were BRUTAL:crying2: !!! But I learned more from her than any of my other instructors. I'll never forget the day she came thru my OR suite for a mastectomy, and I held her hand as she went to sleep "I know you'll take good care of me."

Let's here from some of you.

Specializes in ICU/CCU/CVICU/ED/HS.

I had two VERY memorable nursing instructors...The first was...How shall I say...Strong-willed? Our personalities CLASHED!!!!!!!!! I was the only student to get 2 clinical "U's" in one day. She was a wealth of information, and a very good instructor, but we could NOT get along. The other was also an excellent instructor, Kathy F. (she is a member of this board) She was the BEST!!!!!!...Very pleasant, knowlegable(sp?) and was always pushing us to learn more and more and more. And she did it so slick that we never realized how much we were learning at the time. She would ASK us to learn something instead of TELLING us we would learn it. As far as instructors go...Kathy...You are the BEST!!! }}}}}}}}}KATHY{{{{{{{{{

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND EFFORT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Specializes in brain injury,.

I went to school at st joes in nashua nh

I had lots of memorable teachers. It was the hardest thing Ive ever done but so worth it.

Mrs Moran was so incredible when lecturing she was so full of energy and incredible she would yell out BINGO when someone got something right.

Mrs Curtis scared the heck out of people because she was tough but boy did I learn from her. She is missed she passed from breast cancer.

Mrs Flynn god I still love her. she was such an inspiration and made me feel like I could do it all.

Mrs Knight was the kindest and one of the best nurses I have ever met. I really learned from her.

Mrs Smith was so tough but god so good.

I miss them all.

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My favorite instructor was Dr. RZA ( use initals for privacy) She had admitted to us in lecture that she had a learning disability in grammar school. That she had a teacher that changed her way of learning. Which she credited to her success.

Dr. RZA, was the A and P lecturer and she would ask, "is everyone understanding? " If not everyone said yes or she could see a look of confusion on someones face, she would tell us, I am not trying to insult anyone here. But, I have got to break this down to third grade level. I have to make sure you all understand this.

One example of how she taught us. We all remember Actin and Myosin fillaments in A and P. Kind of hard to grasp at first. She called people up to the front of the class. Barrowed classmates umbrellas ( rainy season) and she had students pretend that they were actin and mysin. A ohhhhh, I get it moment for the entire class. I will never for get it.

She always said the learning of A interupts the learning of B. What she meant by that is, do the questions in the back of the book. It forces you to read the text in a totally different context. You learn more and retain it if you have a purpose of reading it to begin with. She was so right. I do that very thing now and I do grasp concepts easier verses reading text and trying to remember what you are reading.

I have the up most respect for her and I owe her for my success. Thank you Dr. RZA

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

Memorable instructors:

Charlie W., my psych/communication skills instructor. Just a wonderful, funny human being. Truly inspired me to someday give psych nursing a shot.

Dr. Wallin, my anatomy/physiology instructor. Really knew her stuff and taught her subject with such a passion and.. with EMOTION. One day she found out, through another student, that there was a group of students who cheated on her exam. She came to class CRYING, and just blasted the class for doing this to her. It was a bit shocking at first, but I just so admired her passion for teaching and for us learning and doing it RIGHT.

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Just started Nursing school (RN) about 4 weeks ago and our instructors, Mrs. C and Mrs P are our heros. Many of us are already having anxiety attacks with the thoughts they won't be with us during our second year....our second year is in Aug. 2007!!! LOL

Dawn

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Mine is Mrs S. She was all of 4 ft 11, but we were all terrified of her. My most memorable moment with her was when she pulled one of the guys in my class, 6 ft 300 lbs, down the hall by his collar to his pt's room because he did not know what IV fluid was hanging. I bet he allways knows what fluid is hanging now! She pushed us the hardest, expected the best from all of us and we leared how to be "real" nurses from her!

What year was this? Anyone who tried that today would be sued for battery~

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Specializes in OB, ortho/neuro, home care, office.

Mine was J. Lanoue. Simply the most inspiring instructor I had in nursing school. My first year I was ready to quit. Family problems at home, which normally was NEVER of any instructors concern and instead of letting me know this, she called me into her office to talk. Obviously I never quit because I now proudly display the RN behind my name for everyone to see. She was diagnosed during my senior year with a very dibilitating illness that will eventually take her life. I read all I could on the disease and gave her suggestions on what to do. Every one of my classmates feared her, I never have understood why, but on graduation day, 4 members of our graduating class had her pin them. I will never forget the little gifts she gave us upon finishing school with her - she gave each of us in her clinical group a willow girl (I started collecting them after this).

I had another favorite, however I doubt she knows this. It was K. Murtaugh (yes I realize this is not keeping confidentiality - but the fact is these two instructors have made such an impact on my life that I can't help but share). In either case, she was a battleaxe, plain and simple. She reminded me of a drill sargeant. I honestly 'almost' feared her, mostly for grades sake. During my sophmore year I had her for clinicals. She told me that I was over confident. Then the very next year I had her for another clinical and I had anxiety problems so bad I got put on clinical probation. She pushed and pushed. She was very animated and had a southern twang to her voice so that when she pronounced 'pulmonary toilet' it came out pulmonary toil layt. Anyway - once she put me on clinical probation I became determined to show my increased confidence to simply get off clinical probation! Now it's a part of life.

Thanks Judy & Kathleen! You two were incredible!

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