Nursing Instructors who are hard, pick on you, or are impossible to deal with

shock-me-sane · Apr 1, 2006

the difference is the clinical instructors have control over our grade. rather subjective control at that. in the "real world" we have room to stand up for ourselves.

and thanks for the uplifting outlook on the rest of our careers.

RNin2007 · Apr 1, 2006

Well...i'm starting my third clinical term, and have YET to work with a nurse who wasn't pleasant. I also have adored my clinical instructors, and as for the rest of my classmates, they've had great rapport with their instructors as well. I think everyone needs to create their own opinion w/their own experiences because a lot of my greatest fears (many things which I have read from this board) have not yet manifested. I don't know if it has to do with the hospitals that our clinicals are in with a combination of my school/instructors...but I truly have nothing but good things to say about my experience so far.

I am sorry to hear that yours has not been as well.

~J

DaFreak71 · Apr 1, 2006

the difference is the clinical instructors have control over our grade. rather subjective control at that. in the "real world" we have room to stand up for ourselves.
and thanks for the uplifting outlook on the rest of our careers.

:yeahthat:

firstyearstudent · Apr 1, 2006

the difference is the clinical instructors have control over our grade. rather subjective control at that. in the "real world" we have room to stand up for ourselves.
and thanks for the uplifting outlook on the rest of our careers.

My thoughts exactly.

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Apr 1, 2006

the difference is the clinical instructors have control over our grade. rather subjective control at that. in the "real world" we have room to stand up for ourselves.
and thanks for the uplifting outlook on the rest of our careers.

True, but unless you know how to deal with people yelling at you, you will not be able to 'stand up' for yourselves as well as thoses who have had the terrible CI's. I aggree with Town and Country. I loved all my teachers in NS, and thought they were great-until this last semester. My last CI was downright mean. I mean, she would yell at me like I was an idiot. I'm thinking, doesn't she know how good I am, or what my grades are??? She didn't care. But now that my clinicals are over-I really appreciate all that she did for us. I am a stronger nurse because of her.

BTW, if a doctor is asking you a question and you don't know the answer(immediately), you won't be able to stand up for yourself when they start to yell at you. The point is, instead of freaking out when they start demanding answers, you will be able to handle it-because you survived some of the nastiest CI's around.

DaFreak71 · Apr 1, 2006

True, but unless you know how to deal with people yelling at you, you will not be able to 'stand up' for yourselves as well as thoses who have had the terrible CI's. I aggree with Town and Country. I loved all my teachers in NS, and thought they were great-until this last semester. My last CI was downright mean. I mean, she would yell at me like I was an idiot. I'm thinking, doesn't she know how good I am, or what my grades are??? She didn't care. But now that my clinicals are over-I really appreciate all that she did for us. I am a stronger nurse because of her.
BTW, if a doctor is asking you a question and you don't know the answer(immediately), you won't be able to stand up for yourself when they start to yell at you. The point is, instead of freaking out when they start demanding answers, you will be able to handle it-because you survived some of the nastiest CI's around.

I definitely get what you're saying, and I agree with the underlying wisdom in it. I just don't plan on getting use to abusive behavior. I put up with more than I prefer to in school because my choices are limited. I'd also have to restart the program if I went elsewhere. I'll put up with it at school to a larger degree than I would put up with it at work. If co-workers and/or doctors yell at me, I'll yell back. Doctor calls me stupid, I call them stupid. If it becomes a pattern and the powers that be won't respond to it, I've chosen the wrong employer and will make arrangements to find work elsewhere. Sounds idealistic doesn't it? Maybe I'm being unrealistic, but if I truly believed that the job will be like nursing school, I'd quit in a heartbeat.

firstyearstudent · Apr 1, 2006

"My last CI was downright mean. I mean, she would yell at me like I was an idiot."

Hmmm... According to that philosophy I should beat and humiliate my kids to toughen them up.

Personally, I don't subscribe to it. The best thing a CI can do is to model professionalism.

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Apr 2, 2006

"My last CI was downright mean. I mean, she would yell at me like I was an idiot."
Hmmm... According to that philosophy I should beat and humiliate my kids to toughen them up.
Personally, I don't subscribe to it. The best thing a CI can do is to model professionalism.

Amen to that

JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP · Apr 2, 2006

So, what are the options? What is the best way to handle it if an instructor/co-worker/nurse/doctor starts verbally abusing you? Act submissive and take it? Burst into tears? Apologize? Yell back? Defend yourself/make excuses? Report them?

NephroBSN, BSN, RN · Apr 2, 2006

So, what are the options? What is the best way to handle it if an instructor/co-worker/nurse/doctor starts verbally abusing you? Act submissive and take it? Burst into tears? Apologize? Yell back? Defend yourself/make excuses? Report them?

I know one nurse who told a doctor who was having a temper tantrum "If you don't behave I'm gonna call your MOM"

I've told doctor's right out of the gate. Don't yell at me, tell me in real terms what you want, i.e. not a doo hickey, and we'll get along just fine.

After you've worked with surgeon's you can work with most every body.

BTW yelling back at someone just makes you all the more an id**t. Don't play that game. That's their game not your's.

Opps not addressed to you per se but to the poster before you.

Don't ever stoop to their level.. As the commercial states. "Don't ever let them see you sweat"

I've taken doctors into the kitchen and "chatted" with them..Works pretty well.

As for co-workers sometimes reverse psychology works.. Ya know killing them with kindness. Ususally bringing them back a gooey brownie ( especially if I know they are on a diet heheheh) from the cafe works...Devious I know....................... :lol2:

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Apr 2, 2006

"My last CI was downright mean. I mean, she would yell at me like I was an idiot."
Hmmm... According to that philosophy I should beat and humiliate my kids to toughen them up.
Personally, I don't subscribe to it. The best thing a CI can do is to model professionalism.

Hey, I didn't say I liked being yelled at, nor did I say it was appropriate how to treat your children. And just because the best thing a CI can do is model professionalism doesn't mean that's what they will do. I just agreed with Town and Country (the OP), learn how to deal with it and move on. I certainly don't take anything the CI's say to heart (unless it was something nice)