I think it's fine to ask the teacher the question, but it probably would have shown more respect to bring it to her privately. And I would've mentioned first, that you personally see the value in it (the baths that is). Heather
WOW! My teachers are great at my school. They constantly say that no question is a stupid one, and that we paid for our education therefore giving them a job and they are very respectful and kind toward all of us. Maybe it's because I go to a smaller school, (only 28 NS this year), but we learn alot more if we're encouraged to ask questions. They can't expect us to know everything, especially the first year/term. I do agree that bed baths are a great way to assess the client.
I'm on a small campus also and my teachers are so nice and respectful. In my Med Term class there are a few girls that ask questions undoubtedly all night long and our teacher takes the time to answer their questions w/o a snotty attitude attached.
I don't think I would of said anything to the instructor though. You can always just take it with a grain of salt and realize that you are gaining more experience and knowledge by doing tasks that others are not. I would take advantage of your situation.
Gosh, my nursing instructors were so nice; they never would have responded in that manner. My med-surg clinical instructor would have said, "GOOD question!!! Does anyone in the group have an idea why I like MY group to do it this way?" Ideas would have been tossed back and forth, rationales discussed, and, as someone else pointed out, she could have brought up to the group how giving a bedbath is the PERFECT opportunity to do your head to toe assessment--something you will need to do anyway to make nursing diagnoses and formulate a care plan. She could have also discussed new ideas about the value of therapeutic touch (especially in comatose patients--when else do they ever get touched, and how do we know what they respond to? It can't hurt) and welcomed your discussion about that topic. Also, gosh, I think every patient is entitled to a daily bath and to get their hair washed---nobody likes feeling dirty or grungy.
When I was a Navy corpsman, before nursing school, we always gave our patients a.m. care and got their hair brushed and combed and their teeth brushed BEFORE breakfast. I can't imagine eating breakfast before taking a shower or brushing my teeth--I can't imagine that a sick patient would, either. Sadly, I think a.m. care and p.m. care have sort of gone by the wayside; of course, lack of appropriate staffing is a major reason--but that's another topic.
I am sorry you had this experience with this teacher. I see no reason to "put students in their places" or get defensive, PERIOD. I did clinical IV teaching and diabetic teaching, and I would never disrespect ANYONE in that manner. We can ALL learn from any question that is asked. I learn new stuff everyday, and i have been an RN since 1981--and I learn it from students and new grads who have a different perspective.
I am in my peds rotation so am more than halfway done with school (hallelujah!!!!) We have two clinical groups, the morning group and the afternoon group. The morning group tends to have much more to do -- we have more meds, am care and have to do the same paperwork as the afternoon students do. In addition, we come in the night before to plan our care for the morning. The afternoon people come in the day of care and don't come in the night before -- they have fewer meds, fewer procedures and generally no am care to give. Is this fair? Well, no it isn't "fair" but think about this....
I came in one afternoon to prepare for the next morning and saw students sitting in the break room. I mentioned that it must be nice to be able to take a break, because the morning crew is so busy doing 20 meds along with am care and paperwork that we can barely find time to pee, much less sit down during our shift. I heard my instructor state from behind me "And you are learning more because of it aren't you?" I was a bit shocked she overheard this, but SHE WAS RIGHT.
It never fails to amaze me that in report the afternoon students seem overly concerned with whether or not we got the bath done. On some days a patient just doesn't get their bed bath in the morning because I have learned to PRIORITIZE care. In that case, I merely mention that it hasn't been done. On EVERY occasion my instructor has backed me and said it wasn't a priority for that patient, on that day. But if it hasn't been done, you won't see me sitting in the break room either.
You are in first semester. Bed baths ARE your priority. As you learn more, are responsible for more and do more, the priorities will change. But being able to perform a quick bath for patient comfort is a great skill to have for assessment skills too.
So don't worry about what other rotations are doing, just do YOUR personal best and I bet your instructor will back you on your priority setting just as mine does.
Your instructor was correct, whether you like it or not.
She needed to stop you in your tracks. A Nursing Class is not a democracy. In every stated situation someone tried to pull the rug out from the instructor, play one against the other, or tell the instructor her fly was open.
What you do not see is the student is opening their mouth to change feet in an attempt to undermind the instructor.
In all my years of doing Nursing Education, there is alway one student in each class I would nominate for Lethal Injection. Most do not completely think out their question before they fire it off.
Had they kept quiet and listened the question would be answered in the lecture content.
It is because of such nursing students who ase so all knowing I am happily taking this semester off, on sabbatical and am back at the bedside
Woa!
I'm sure your students are glad you are taking the semester off.. Do them a favor and take a very long sabbatical!
And read this while you're at it!
COMPASSION?????
By Diania Brittito, LPN
It troubles me to read on The 'Net about how nurses "eat their young" and how some nursing supervisors and instructors seem to have forgotten what nursing is really all about. Having been the target of one such instructor myself several years ago, I can readily empathize with the nurses and students who wrote those entries.
One expects these cutthroat tactics and the "us versus them" mentality in politics and big business, but it's demeaning and hypocritical for nurses to treat their own so callously. Where are the compassion, caring and ethics that the nursing profession is built on? How can we be expected to treat our patients with the respect and emotional support they deserve unless we receive them from those we entrust to guide us? No wonder so many patients complain these days about nurses with attitudes!
Everyone appreciates a kind word of encouragement, especially those of us who are new in nursing. It costs nothing and takes so little effort, but the rewards are enormous.
Nursing is indeed a tough profession, and it's certainly never going to get any easier. This is all the more reason for instructors and supervisors to treat those they teach and supervise with patience and understanding. Being tough doesn't mean you can't be fair and kind. You were once where we are now. When we make mistakes, correct us, but do so in a helpful and consrtuctive manner. Don't berate us, intimidate us, or tear us down. Would you treat your patients or kids like that? Would you want to be treated in that manner? It's beneath our dignity- and certainly yours as well.
To any instructors who may be reading this, take heed: Nursing students are like uncut diamonds. Treat them carefully and gently, and you'll be rewarded with precious, brilliant gems. treat them roughly, and you'll end up with nothing but dust.
No one expects nursing school to be Disney World, but it's not Marine Corps boot camp or one of the old Soviet gulags either. Perhaps if we all followed the Golden Rule, things might be a little more tolerable for all of us.
It is such a disappointment when, as a new nursing student, you are looking forward to guidance, wisdom, and instruction from an experienced nurse, someone you can see as a role model, a mentor, your nursing instructor...and you end up with is a hateful old witch.
Don't ever let an instructor or nurse make you think you are inadequate. We have ALL been there! Keep your head up and keep working hard.
Here is something that has worked for me: Instead of fuming (which I can tend to do), I try to frame everything differently.
For example:
When a nurse/instructor is being rude, I either think "That is what NOT to do as a nurse" or I try to be so awesome I blow them away with my skills and knowledge, so they have nothing to gritch about.
A lot of the time I take it as a life lesson--I will deal with a lot of nasty people in my nursing career, but I won't let their attitude bring me down, I just remember that dealing with difficult people is a part of life.
This sounds silly, but I have made it through almost two years of nursing school using this attitude to help me through some situations that could have caused me major stress. I don't want to be burned out early in my career because of pain in the neck folks who are looking to take everyone else down on their way to the bottom.
A sidenote--we do evaluations of instructors and courses at the end of the class. I (and my classmates) don't hesistate to give scalding reviews of instructors who were rude or ineffective. These are anonymous, of course. Do you have this kind of system?
Thank you all(well not *ALL* LOL) so much for the compassion. As a BRAND NEW nursing student we don't all know exactly how to do everything and that includes approaching the teacher on issues that concern us. I have never been in a class where questions of ANY KIND were not welcomed until now. I appreciate the input on when, where, and HOW to approach a teacher. Thanks a ton! ~twintoo
This is why I **LOVE** this board! Through your advice and sharing your experiences, I am learning things that will help me in school. I am learning to keep my eyes open, to keep my mouth shut, to do MY personal best and to vent privately when needed.
to the original poster, I'm sorry that she was rude to you. Hopefully you will just take this for what it has been, a learning experience, and move on.
Your instructor was correct, whether you like it or not.
She needed to stop you in your tracks. A Nursing Class is not a democracy. In every stated situation someone tried to pull the rug out from the instructor, play one against the other, or tell the instructor her fly was open.
What you do not see is the student is opening their mouth to change feet in an attempt to undermind the instructor.
In all my years of doing Nursing Education, there is alway one student in each class I would nominate for Lethal Injection. Most do not completely think out their question before they fire it off.
Had they kept quiet and listened the question would be answered in the lecture content.
It is because of such nursing students who ase so all knowing I am happily taking this semester off, on sabbatical and am back at the bedside
I understand your concern. It's hard having several instructors all with different ideas.
BUT, let me tell you this............... the instructor who pushes you, expects the very most of you, wants you to be the very best/maticulate nurse you can be................ is heaven-sent.
I know you want to blow them up sometimes, but think it through. You will have that much more experience and comfort in being able to do these procedures, because she make you do them repeatedly.
Let me say this,when I am an RN I wouldn't xpect any of my CNAs to do something I wasn't prepared to do, and that means bedbath, diaper changing, feeding, backrub.................. and on.
You're blessed. Cherish your instructor. If you have a question, I have a suggestion..................... Go to her privately and ask/discuss.................. don't do it front of your peers.
She'll respect you more................. and you might find out that she is human, after all!!:chuckle
"Gosh, my nursing instructors were so nice; they never would have responded in that manner. My med-surg clinical instructor would have said, "GOOD question!!! Does anyone in the group have an idea why I like MY group to do it this way?"
Thankfully, I think this is more along the lines of how my instructors would have approached the question as well - even if a student were being contentious (which I don't think was the case), it would only make things worse to have a bad attitude back. If you think that a student is wrong, what are you going to do as a professional? Get down on their level and be snippy and make everyone feel snippy, contentious, and disatisfied? Or as a leader and teacher are you going to use it as a learning opportunity to make everyone feel better about the situation and get something out of it? What could possibly be the point of saying "it's none of your business"? If the point is to get the student to shutup, it may work. But the student may never speak again, even when they need to. Even if a topic or approach were truly inappropriate for class an instructor could simply say "Please come to me after class". I do agree with chosing your battles but I also think students as paying customers have the right to have their questions answered in a *mutually* respective manner. I can just see a place with that kind of gulag attitude turning out a bunch of Nurse Ratchets. I feel that if a teacher is secure and knowledgeable in what they are doing they aren't going to have that kind of attitude (and yes, I have been a teacher myself).
Dublin37
567 Posts
I think it's fine to ask the teacher the question, but it probably would have shown more respect to bring it to her privately. And I would've mentioned first, that you personally see the value in it (the baths that is). Heather