Other health professions

TU RN, DNP, CRNA · Feb 9, 2014

The analogy of drill sergeant isn't completely off considering nursing education, with obvious caveats. The drill sergeant/instructor's job is to basically make sure a beginner can know their stuff and operate in stressful situations (i.e. literally screaming in their faces while they work) that could mean life/death. Thus is the nursing educator's role in preparing a beginner nurse (without the screaming in most cases). My school enacted this mentality that everybody gets B's and C's at mid-semester progress report so that you have the motivation and will to excel in clinical, reach up, and grab the better grade. The instructors would ask us questions in the middle of clinical, while we were balancing the whole experience, and we were expected to know the answers. Looking back, all the questions I remember being asked were basics of information every working registered nurses should have on their medications/patients/conditions. It's approximately the same thing in military basic training (or so I hear, as I have never been through it); the first weeks are spent breaking down the recruits to their basic elements, hammering them with stress-under-fire, and building them back up.

When you're wrong in clinical it stings. In my experience, instructors like to see the nursing student apply themselves even if they don't know what they're talking about and try to apply knowledge and think their way through a question. It might seem like your nursing instructor is harsh, but the harshness/excessive scrutiny will only make you stronger in the long run. Take the criticism as a challenge and show your teacher that you can meet it. Nursing is a challenge - prove to the world that you're ready to take all comers.

I can't make a definitive statement on the education of any other profession because my only profession has been nursing, but I would never discount the rigor of another person's struggle. Everybody handles the stress of life's bumps differently. If I had to make a guess though, I'd say it depends. In PT, OT, SW, the various imaging positions, shoot even pharmacy, I don't picture the stress in clinical education measuring up to nursing. Not to suggest I'm an expert in their respective fields or could do their job adequately, but these specialties don't deal in life/death situations. Absolutely necessary pieces of the puzzle, but not so much in true crisis.

*A PT takes a patients blood pressure before starting their session and sees that it's 70/40 (MAP 50), they leave the room to tell the nurse.

*A CT technician calls the floor to find out if the patient has a working 20G IV for a study with contrasts, who do they ask for?

**The same CT technician calls the floor because the above IV blew while the contrast was going in, who do they call now? Who would go to replace the line?

As far as respiratory therapists go - I could definitely see these guys as being educated under the same mentality. The potential for urgency and life-saving interventions are high and they must have knowledge and readiness in their field.

Basically what it comes down to is who is there with the patient the most, who sees them and assesses their every body system the most, and who is the first line in picking up changes and initiating the appropriate interventions? Whose sense of urgency can mean life/death for a crashing patient? Sounds like a lot of responsibility to me and I feel the education should reflect that.

ICULINDA · Feb 9, 2014

It seems that most clinical instructors act like drill sergeants to their students. If a student shows a slight hint of uncertainty the instructor will think the student is not a good fit for the profession and try to fail him/her. Do you think other health related programs (Physical Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Dentistry, Mammography ect.) have the same mentality as nursing instructors?[/quote']
Seriously?!? Ever post you have made is in reference to ALL your instructors being mean and evil and not understanding you. Maybe health care is not your cup of tea.

deetrain · Feb 9, 2014

Iculinda....you provide an excellent example of horizontal violence. If the healthcare system is made up of mean people like you, I have no quarrels of leaving. FYI...alot of average/below average students have passed the RN program despite being eff ups in H.S and not knowing much about things in general. They know how to study and retain information well or they have a passion for nursing which I don't think I do. Healthcare is made up different specialities and I'm just trying to find which area I fit in the most. Thanks for your unproductive post :no:

ICULINDA · Feb 9, 2014

Iculinda....you provide an excellent example of horizontal violence. If the healthcare system is made up of mean people like you I have no quarrels of leaving. FYI...alot of average/below average students have passed the RN program despite being eff ups in H.S and not knowing much about things in general. They know how to study and retain information well or they have a passion for nursing which I don't think I do. Healthcare is made up different specialities and I'm just trying to find which area I fit in the most. Thanks for your unproductive post [/quote']
Ummm ok. Not sure how you assume I'm a example of horizontal violence you might want to research that. I'm sorry you feel that way. However after reading your previous posts you have done nothing but complain about all your professors and classes from nursing school and CNA school. The impression you portray is that everyone is against you. Numerous times you have claimed healthcare is not for you. No profession is going to be handed to you on a silver platter. You have to work for it. You have to learn to take critiscim with grace and turn it into a learning experience. Instead you claim that everyone is mean and your "leaving healthcare". Numerous people have ADD and still manage to get through school. Not sure why you went on a rant about high school kids passing nursing school. The way I see it is your looking for a career that will be easy and that professors will only agree with whatever you want and not disagree with you.

RunBabyRN · Feb 9, 2014

I would totally disagree that if an instructor picks up the scent of uncertainty, they'll work on getting rid of you. They may ride you hard (like my instructors do), but it's because they want you to be a good nurse. No one's going to be there to hold your hand when you have an RN license. You HAVE to learn to think on your feet, and you can't start doing that the first day of your first job. It has to start in school. I've heard students vent about our clinical instructor. Everyone was SO intimidated by her at first. She asks REALLY hard questions (she's a freaking encyclopedia), and at first, I know I had the blank stare of, "Uuuuuuhhhh, I have no idea." But I learned very quickly that she was asking because this stuff is IMPORTANT to think about, NOT because she was picking on me (or anyone else). Nursing (and other health care professions) is life and death. You give someone their BP med without checking their morning vitals, you could kill them. It's important to know what to look at, and instructors ride us hard to force us to think critically. They also want you to look beyond the surface. There's a lot more to nursing than wiping butts and passing meds, and you need a darn good brain in order to make it work. If all I had were instructors that "good jobbed" me with every little thing and didn't give me honest and sometimes hard to hear feedback, I'd be going out into the world a crappy nurse.

I have a lot of respect for my instructors that have been the hardest. It is partly because of them that I will be a very good nurse.

ICULINDA · Feb 9, 2014

I would totally disagree that if an instructor picks up the scent of uncertainty they'll work on getting rid of you. They may ride you hard (like my instructors do), but it's because they want you to be a good nurse. No one's going to be there to hold your hand when you have an RN license. You HAVE to learn to think on your feet, and you can't start doing that the first day of your first job. It has to start in school. I've heard students vent about our clinical instructor. Everyone was SO intimidated by her at first. She asks REALLY hard questions (she's a freaking encyclopedia), and at first, I know I had the blank stare of, "Uuuuuuhhhh, I have no idea." But I learned very quickly that she was asking because this stuff is IMPORTANT to think about, NOT because she was picking on me (or anyone else). Nursing (and other health care professions) is life and death. You give someone their BP med without checking their morning vitals, you could kill them. It's important to know what to look at, and instructors ride us hard to force us to think critically. They also want you to look beyond the surface. There's a lot more to nursing than wiping butts and passing meds, and you need a darn good brain in order to make it work. If all I had were instructors that "good jobbed" me with every little thing and didn't give me honest and sometimes hard to hear feedback, I'd be going out into the world a crappy nurse. I have a lot of respect for my instructors that have been the hardest. It is partly because of them that I will be a very good nurse.[/quote']
You will be a wonderful nurse! You have the right approach and attitude:) I still thank my instructors for pushing me to think under fire. To be a critical thinker. It has helped me in the ICU to be able to be quick on my feet and put nursing interventions into motion before it's too late. Nursing is tough. It's a profession that is not always for everyone. Complete strangers are putting their lives in our hands and trusting we know what to do and do it safely. So yeah I want a instructor that is going to be a hawk on every student and make sure the students are doing things right.

deetrain · Feb 10, 2014

Why would I be trolling this site, there are way more fun places to go to then here... :sarcastic:

allnurses Guide · Feb 10, 2014

It seems that most clinical instructors act like drill sergeants to their students. If a student shows a slight hint of uncertainty, the instructor will think the student is not a good fit for the profession and try to fail him/her. Do you think other health related programs (Physical Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Dentistry, Mammography ect.) have the same mentality as nursing instructors?

Yes, there is certainly a military analogy to be made in nursing which is a culture shock to many people (it was for me as my job prior to school was in the fashion world). You either adapt or you don't. Either way is fine.

However, most instructors are not out to get you and iculindas post doesn't even approach "horizontal violence". When we dilute the meaning of any egregious behavior by using the term haphazardly we take from the seriousness of the real behavior, which isn't fair to the real victims of that behavior.

deetrain · Feb 10, 2014

Iculinda's choice of words were poorly thought out and insensitive, her contribution to my post was off topic. I'm no longer feeding the trolls and the cyber bullies in this site.

allnurses Guide · Feb 10, 2014

Well, good luck to you I hope you find a course of study that is right for you. There are differences, and lots.of related options. Maybe there are forums similar to this one but focussed on those allied healthcare professions you mentioned.

deetrain · Feb 10, 2014

Thx nursel56