Nasty clinical instructors

ERnurse07 · Jan 25, 2005

:angryfire Hey everyone,

I am a mature student RN/BScN - One of the young ladies in my clinical group from last semester had a horrible day in clinical today - she is a smart girl and nice too - today her clinical instructor chewed her out in front of a patient and another nursing student - even when people are making mistakes I have a HUGE problem with this type of thing. :angryfire The instructor in question is very high strung and rubbed me the wrong way the first time I met her.

I guess I just wanted to see who else has had this problem - the young lady was in tears to boot!!!! :angryfire :angryfire I am very protective of most of the girls I am training with because I have been there when I was very young too (I am an RPN).

Anyway, just wanted to vent cause I am mad and frustrated that there are still nursing teachers out there getting away with this kind of crap :angryfire

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jan 25, 2005

We had one like that. She got fired.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jan 25, 2005

We had one like that. She got fired.

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Jan 26, 2005

We had one like that, too. I saw her obituary in the newspaper about 2 years after i was out of nursing school. Somehow I felt weird still hating her!

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Jan 26, 2005

Had one like that - a guy recently divorced who hated all women aver the age of 23. Just had to survive it. Ruined the school experience though. Never went to graduation even though I graduated with honors because I was so angry that they allowed his actions even though everyone (students, instructors) knew what he was doing. I won in the end thought because I accomplished my goals despite the adversity. Still use his name as a swear word to this day.

Justmeandmycat · Jan 26, 2005

Had one like that - a guy recently divorced who hated all women aver the age of 23. Just had to survive it. Ruined the school experience though. Never went to graduation even though I graduated with honors because I was so angry that they allowed his actions even though everyone (students, instructors) knew what he was doing. I won in the end thought because I accomplished my goals despite the adversity. Still use his name as a swear word to this day.

Love it!:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: Just spit my coffee out.

One of my instructors was a big woman who had the nasty habit of sneaking up on students and lurking. I remember once working at the bedside with the curtain drawn and happened to look down. I saw that gun-boat size ten nursing shoe sticking out from under the curtain on the other side. To this day, big feet make me cringe. I can feel my shoulders go up into my ears thinking about her!

Dratz · Jan 26, 2005

Had one like that - a guy recently divorced who hated all women aver the age of 23. Just had to survive it. Ruined the school experience though. Never went to graduation even though I graduated with honors because I was so angry that they allowed his actions even though everyone (students, instructors) knew what he was doing. I won in the end thought because I accomplished my goals despite the adversity. Still use his name as a swear word to this day.

My very first dressing change...I very carefully and slowly opened up my sterile tray thinking ...please Lord get me through this....and the Instructor screamed at the top of her lungs..."You have just contaminated your sterile tray" (this screaming fit totally startled me and my patient)....she was so angry at me that she grabbed my tray and went flying down the hall to get a new one. Here I was standing there, tears rolling down my cheeks, totally demoralized, wondering what on earth I did wrong....and here is my patient patting my hand to comfort me...shaking his head at how nasty the instructor had been.

purplemania, BSN, RN · Jan 26, 2005

I have been a student, a staff nurse and a clinical instructor. I believe the attitude you described is counter-productive. I try to instill a bond a trust with my students because I know they are already nervous and it is hard to think straight when you are anxious. If they perceive me as "being on their side" then learning can take place. Heck, I have learned a lot from my mistakes, so I expect my students to make mistakes and learn from them too. BTW, I have had a few students with sorry attitudes. Still no excuse for it and no place for it in a clinical situation, IMHO.

Jennerizer, ASN, RN · Jan 27, 2005

I had an instructor like that - screamed at me for not giving a bed bath to a patient that had been shot between the eyes & did not even want to be touched, much less have a bed bath - not to mention he was being discharged early that day. She ranted & raved in front of everyone (nurses, fellow students & doctors) at the nurses station. When I didn't react to her obnoxious behavior & gave legitimate reasons as to why the bed bath was refused, she pulled me down the hall & went into a speech about how it's her job to weed out those that don't belong in nursing & that I better not let this happen again. Uhhh, ok, whatever. I diffused the situation by repeating a phrase I picked up on here a few days prior "I appreciate what you're saying." I just said it after her every sentence so that she would eventually shut up & it worked. I'm sure she was hoping I'd be defensive so that she could bully me some more, but it's kind of hard to bully someone that is being nice. :rolleyes:

I was upset, not because of what she had said to me - I didn't take it personally because I know she is a nutcase that couldn't last a week on the floor as a nurse, but I cried thinking this lunatic is going to fail me in clinicals - she has the power to take away my goal of becoming a nurse. Needless to say, I pretty much avoided her after that. Even when she tried to be friendly. Sorry, you disrespect me & I lose all respect for you. :angryfire

People like that should not be allowed to teach, but unfortunately there is such a need for instructors so they hire just about any warm body that will fill the spot. Now I work at the hospital where she instructs clinicals!!! So much for weeding me out, huh? If someone is mistreating you, prove them wrong. Don't allow their ridiculous opinions to change your own opinion of yourself. Don't let them have that power. We are students with plenty to learn & we do need guidance - not outrageous outbursts/tantrums.

Jen

not now, RN · Jan 27, 2005

My first semester clinical instructor was horrible. She rode everyone's butt hard. She had two "golden" students the rest of us didn't know anything in her opinion. She made me cry...twice. We argued constantly. I remember her kicking two people off the med cart and putting me on simply because I happend to be walking by.

Oddly enough by the end of my first semester she was already pushing me to bridge over to get my Rn.

When second semester rolled around and we had an instructor who was her polar opposite (in a good way) someone cracked the joke "Remember when we'd be in Subacute, standing in the hall and as soon as we heard her voice around the corner we'd scatter like roaches?" :rotfl: It was the truth! We were that intimidated by her.

actioncat · Jan 27, 2005

I think it is wonderful that you are concerned for your younger and less experienced classmates. I would just lend support because there is not much you can do to change an instructor like that. It sounds like you would make a great preceptor!