From what I hear, nursing programs are like branches of the service and instructors are officers. We're just grunts. Say yes maa'm, no maa'm and don't forget to salute.
As I prepare for flaming Lets not forget that the more appropriate manner to question the instructor would have been in a one on one situation, not in front of an entire class. You-- as a student-- would prefer not to be "called on the carpet" in front of a patient or fellow student, why should you treat an instructor any differently than you would want to be treated?
I read your post and it really blows my mind where they get these instructor's from-I recently graduated from a private university where we were treated as a whole extremely poor. These people who instruct us forget that we are the people who provide their paycheck- I was very vocal and know first hand that if you challenge these power junkies they can become quite hostile-They don't appreciate a person who really seeks to understand concepts -Most instructor's lack any training as teacher's-God knows I can read and don't need to pay an instructor to read a nursing text to me-But I like everyone who survives nursing school knows we pay for this abuse like it or not.
Keep good notes on the abuse of power and watch your throat if you continue to speak up- if you use scantrons be sure to note on the actual test if you erase something and if it is a tricky question write out your rational beside the question- Trust me we saw first hand how these people work!
feel free to flame away, but why would you as a nursing student feel it isnt fair to be giving bed baths each day ? I pray that you dont become the kind of RN that only performs "Nursing" tasks.
As a Nurse, you must be able to perform ALL aspects of patient care. I agree with previous post. there is no better way to assess your patients skin, and you can give comfort at the same time.
Our instructors are very cool about answering student's questions but they will not put up with any B.S. from students. Especially during test reviews when students in my class get VERY snippy. We have two very sweet instructors and one that is a retired Navy nurse. All three are excellent at what they do and what they teach, but the retired Navy nurse will not put up with whining and confrontation. I have to agree with her method. (While the students do pay the instructors' salaries, its the instructor's job to educate us to be competent nurses, not always to be our buddies.) That being said, on our last exam there was a bunch of squabbling about a handwashing question. It basically asked what's the first thing you do in providing direct pt care (can't remember exactly right now). The correct answer was "Remove jewelry before washing hands" and most of the students picked "handwashing". The reason they said they didn't pick the correct one was because the handwashing procedure in the book said "Remove rings before washing hands". They argued with our instructors for 10 mins and still didn't win. Today, a student noticed that one of the questions on the same exam was from material that was supposed to be on an upcoming exam and politely, went to see the instructor (retired navy nurse), and she threw out the question. So now we all get extra points. :) I think a lot of it has to do with picking your battles wisely and politely.
What a perfectly chosen name. I was so blessed not to have you as a student of mine. You pay my salary......hardly.
Where did My University ever get such a Nursing Instructor as me? They were Lucky as hell!!
I can't wait for the time you are stuck in the middle of two patients coding at once(yes it actually happens) someone pulls out their IV and blood is all over the floor, a confused old man with metz to the brain climbs out of bed over the bedrails with just an inch left from his central line which is slowly ripping from his chest and the rail helped his foley come out.........You will be screaming your head off, and every single one of my Nursing Students would have been prepared to handle it, solve every problem on it's priority.
But I forgot, you know so much more than your instructors.
I'm with you Krojas21. I met a great BSN when I did a clinical rotation at a big city hospital. She said she felt she had a duty to teach to the best of her ability. It didn't matter if it was a family member, a patient, or a low on the totem pole student like me.
She was the most caring and repectful person I have ever met.
She never made me feel stupid and she would never say anything unkind. And she wasn't an instructor of mine.She just happened to work on the same floor I did. Let me tell you every hour I spent with her was a lesson in the sheer joy of learning. I keep her in my prayers to this day. God bless good nurses.
I would like to apologize for insulting you in the blanket statement I made. I would have considered our class fortunate to have a few more instructor's that were competent-That simply was not the case. This entire program is being reviewed for the fact that the board scores revealed what some of us felt the entire time-unless we personally found nurses on the floor to teach skills-good luck on ever being taught. Have you ever known a nursing program to pass students without having ever checked them off for basic skills?
My reason for feeling that often times instructor's are power hungry-would be what I witnessed for the entire time I attended the university. Certain people would enter exams late and not one time did an instructor follow the rules(send them home and have them reschedule at the instructor's convience). The same was true in the clinical setting. I personally met to review every test that I took and yes when I could not understand the rational I expected to have it explained. Does that mean that I think I know it all? The majority of our instructor's were very hostile if they were expected to explain and were known to insult students to other students.
Nurses as a general rule or most I have witnessed since I have been working are more than happy to explain or demonstrate if you simply ask. I feel blessed to have people I work with who are eager to help a new nurse.
First off, I LOVE giving bed baths. :) My point in the question was I had almost every person in my group come to me and say "Did you know the other group..." We were in a small group standing up all around the teacher who was sitting on a table. It was very informal and open. Everyone was asking all kinds of stuff. I was voted as the "Student Representative" and I am the one assigned to speak on everyone elses behalf to the teachers (when they do not feel comfortable with doing it themselves). However, I won't be doing it any longer. I will sit around and let someone else ask the questions(as someone *ususally* asks the question you have) and let them get beat down.
Don't let yourself be stepped on because of this one incident. You just have to learn when to stand up for yourself and when to be quiet. Calling out your instructor in front of the group is generally not a good idea. I know to you it didn't seem like you were disrespecting her or drawing a line in the dirt or anythihg, but nsg. school is kind of a different environment. If you really have a concern, talking in her office is a better bet.
I know it is hard to believe but at one point during my medsurg clinical I was giving meds to 3 patients and patient #1 ALONE had 12 pills and 2 IVP due at 0900 (all crushed and in applesauce) and I really would have rather given a bedbath. Bedbeths are a good chance to get to know your patient and find that lump in your 80 y/o woman's breast, or feel that abd mass that no one has noticed, or to prevent a reddened area from progressing into decubitus.
Sorry your instructors are not more supportive. Is there not a somewhat reasonable, understanding instructor you can talk with?
Perhaps a better way to approach this to your instructor then would have definitely been to do it in private and also approach her as a student representative. Saying something to the effect of "some of the other students have come to me and expressed this concern....., I'd like to know how you can help me best to address this." I do tend to agree with everyone else that you're wording was not the best choice, but we ALL make mistakes so I will not come on hear and blast you. You're human and this is a learning process. Take this as constructive feedback and try not to internalize it to much. (((Hugs)))
the "Student Representative" and I am the one assigned to speak on everyone elses behalf to the teachers (when they do not feel comfortable with doing it themselves). However, I won't be doing it any longer. I will sit around and let someone else ask the questions(as someone *ususally* asks the question you have) and let them get beat down.
EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am lucky in that the members of my small clinical group are all very serious students, open to learning and respectful of our instructor and each other.
However, it amazes me how many students out there just don't have any couth (sp?). It's best to let the complainers get themselves into their own hot water.
I actually had a classmate this past summer in Drug Calc. class ask the teacher in front of the entire class "why does the college wait until half way through the semester to give the math exam when they know that if the student doesn't pass, will be kicked out of the program and won't be able to get any tuition reimbursement because it is so late in the semester?"
There was a collective sinking into seats by the rest of the class when that student asked that one.
Also, consider this good practice in learning tact and how to interact with Dr's. A student in my Drug Calc. class asked our instructor "how would you approach a Dr. about an order in which the dosage he prescribed was not within the accepted range?"
She said, you wouldn't just go up to them and tell them that their dosage was incorrect and did they know it, but you might say to them nicely "I see you presribed Mr. X 1 1/2 times the normal dosage of drug Y. Would you educate me on why that would be done in this case."
Your clinical instructor is probably giving you a better education than the other groups. If you can learn to do bed baths, all your vitals, and everything else on your shift, you will learn to become an efficient nurse.
NEVER tattle on minor issues! If there is a problem with a teacher, think REAL hard if it is really a teacher problem or your problem. If it is truly a teacher problem, think REAL hard on how to approach the issue. Find a mentor and ask how it should be handled.
Pick your battles. This is probably not a battle to fight.
Sorry that I can't agree with you. Nursing school definitely has its share of eccentrics, (teachers and students). You should try to worry about your own education, and not worry about everybody else's.
wv_nurse 2003
153 Posts
As I prepare for flaming
Lets not forget that the more appropriate manner to question the instructor would have been in a one on one situation, not in front of an entire class. You-- as a student-- would prefer not to be "called on the carpet" in front of a patient or fellow student, why should you treat an instructor any differently than you would want to be treated?
Respect goes both ways....