Nursing students and abuse

z's playa · Jun 2, 2005

I've experienced none whatsover. Knock on wood.

Z

Altra, BSN, RN · Jun 2, 2005

I'm 10 days away from graduation, and I have experienced none of what you're describing, nor have I witnessed this happening to anyone else.

In the ER where I have worked as a tech, there is one MD who pitches a fit about once a month. But this person is generally ignored - other staff simply walk away.

wonderbee, BSN, RN · Jun 3, 2005

No abuse in the way you describe. Most of my experiences have been positive and career-affirming.

Almost there Michelle!

kirbi · Jun 3, 2005

I have never witnessed any abuse. My clinical instructor last semester was awesome, very supportive yet did not hover. I was so happy because I hate to be scrutinized, it turns me into a ball of mush. There was another clinical instructor though who made two of her ten students cry in front of patients and staff, although I don't know the details because no one would talk about it except to warn the rest of us to avoid that clinical instructor at all costs.

I have worked in hospitals for 17 years, so I know abuse happens - from "certain" docs, other nurses, patients and their families. We were just talking about it the other day and there was a big problem here a couple of years ago with one of the docs who just happened to be the head honcho here at the time. My supervisor said she personally wrote that doc up 5 times for screaming and threatening nursing staff. One time, he even followed a nurse outside to her car after her shift and proceeded to scream at her. He is a big guy and she felt physically threatened by his actions when he cornered her in the parking lot. The incident became a very big deal and in the end, he lost a great deal of his power here. He still rants and raves occasionally, but a lot less often. Mostly, he is just plain rude to everyone, patients, staff, the stray cats on campus. Fortunately, I don't have to deal with him much.

Hope this helps!

kirbi

MIA-RN1, RN · Jun 3, 2005

I am doing a paper on "workplace violence." I am tailoring it to go more toward the horizontal abuse that nurses experience. I have come across a couple of articles about nursing students experiences.
My question to you as students is this....
Have you experienced abuse (verbal, physical, mental) from any of your instructors, clinical preceptors, fellow nursing students, etc?
I dont want to flame anyone, nor am I trying to start anything here. This is a VERY touchy subject. I just want to know how most of you are faring through school, and find some general thoughts on the subject.
Thanks in advance
~ear

I had a clinical instructor very recently who on about the 2nd or 3rd clinical day told us to stop asking questions. She said we were just to do whatever procedure we were trying to do and trust her to stop us before we hurt the patient. It made me at least very very scared and made me second guess myself even more because I didn't think it was very fair. I can't learn by doing things *wrong*.Maybe this wasn't abuse but it wasn't very nice, that's for sure. Plus there is always the possibility of failing d/t jepordizing patient safety. That felt like too fine a line and I was worried about everything all semester.

Same instructor had big-time problem with another student. Not my story to tell...the other student might be on this board and might decide to tell. Suffice it to say that it was personal and seemed like bullying from the student's perspective. All I heard directly was when the instrucotr came out of the pts room w/ the student saying "If I was a patient I wouldn't want you for my nurse".

My other clinical instructor and all other instructors in the program have been gems and I expect the ones I am going to have next year will be great too. but this one left a bad taste in my mouth.