My clinical instructor is aweesome!

[guavaturtle]

Never having any experience in the medical field and getting into nursing school freaked me out big time. Hearing all these stories of mean and unfair CIs didn't help either. So this is our second week, and all of us are freaking out about our clinical competencies, where the clinical instructor watches you perform procedures and you get a pass or fail. Albeit the competencies are pretty straightforward, we still freak out...it's normal when people are staring at you and judging.

At the end of the clinical day, our teacher says this " I know you are all worried about your competencies, and it is affecting the way you plan your day and take care of your patients. From now on I will not check any of you off, because I see what it's doing to you. You are here to learn, and I don't feel like you can do so if all you worry about is getting that check mark from me. I have been in management so many years, and when you worry the way you do now about just passing, you become those nurses that are dangerous and frankly I would never hire. "Come to clinical, work your butt off, think of the "why" you do something instead of just "how"...you do that everyday,you will all pass. I'm here to TEACH you, not to JUDGE you"

I am in love with him, he's so awesome and sweet. It's true, our heads were all clouded with the thought of "competencies" that we were shutting off any chances to learn, and not putting patients as our first priority. He is so motivating and patient...so lucky to have him. I'm scared to death every clinical, because it's like starting a new job everyday...going in, not knowing anyone, and being bottom of the totem pole. But at least I know he's got my back, and he knows what's going on.

On another funny note though, my friend was in a competency and was pulling an alcohol wipe out of the wrapper. She opens it, sticks her finger in, and it's powdery. She's thinking "HUUUH?" She looks down, and realizes she opened a pack of "beef broth." She stuffed a bunch of those packets in the morning to flavor her soup for lunch, and opened one of those instead of the alcohol wipe. SO MUCH WIN!

[guavaturtle]

so how is everyone's experience with their CIs so far? =)

[my3suns]

So far I love my CI too. She graduated from nursing school a few yrs ago and she can relate to what we are going through. She is really down to earth and that helps a lot.