So yesterday was my last day at our clinical site. We've been there for an entire semester. I usually feel pretty good about my work - not 100%, because I am not in the medical field currently. We only get a clinical once weekly, which in my eyes is just not enough.
I am doing pretty well in lecture (B+) and lab I feel fine as well. When I get to the clinical site, of course my nerves can get the best of me. I push through them though and do my best and keep my patient safe.
I've had several instances where I felt that I was under the teacher's gun and that she was assigning me patients that were very complicated...where as other students in my class were getting easy patients. Whenever I was assigned a complicated patient my teacher would basically spend the entire clinical period breathing down my neck essentially and harassing me.
I was always taught that as long as you got things done in time, and done correctly it didn't matter how you did them - as long as your patient's safety was not jeaporized in any way. Sometimes I prefer to do things a little differently, I just do them the way I feel comfortable. Well, yesterday was awful. I felt like she was continuously drilling me, and singling me out for no reason. Even my other classmates noticed it and were approaching me on it. She did not make it private, in fact she pulled me off to the side - basically in front of my entire class and went up one side of me and down the other for everyone to hear. She told me that she could tell I was not experienced in the medical field and I had better get myself a PCT job over the summer so I can re-learn all of the basic skills that I don't know how to do. I must know how to do them if I passed last semester, right???
She also told me that I will probably never make it as a nurse ... and a lot of other hurtful things. I tried so hard to not cry, but it was just inevitible. I'm under so much stress with school and trying to get good grades and putting in so much effort that for someone to tell me that I'm never going to make it and never be a good nurse has got me down in the dumps. This has been my life long dream... and now I'm questioning it.
I'm starting to think maybe she's right. Sometimes I get too flustered and it's a weakness that is going to essentially make me a bad nurse. All I can do is stew over this now, because really I had no chance to prove anything to her when she was saying this to me. It was my last clinical rotation with her, and now she has to evaluate me and I'm afraid she's not going to pass me because of this. If she doesn't pass me, I don't know what I'll do.
Can anyone relate to something similar to this??? What the heck do I do??? Everyone tells me to just let this all go and stop worrying because I'm obviously doing something right and that she just doesn't like me ... but I'm really doubting myself and my self esteem is just down in the dumps.
Oh my gosh!! No one has the right to speak to you that way, let alone in front of others, PERIOD!! That was SO unprofessional, cruel, and unproductive. Let it go, cause you're done with her now. However, if she doesn't pass you, bring it back up and go to the dean. You'll have to at that point. Don't EVER give up on your dreams because of something ONE person in this huge world has said to you. If you are in this field because you care about others, than you're right where you need to be. You're awesome!! Best of luck and keep us posted about whether she had the nerve to not pass you or not. I'm sure if other students overheard, they'd be more than willing to help you out with statements, if need be. Take care and again, best of luck!! =)
Oh my gosh!! No one has the right to speak to you that way, let alone in front of others, PERIOD!! That was SO unprofessional, cruel, and unproductive. Let it go, cause you're done with her now. However, if she doesn't pass you, bring it back up and go to the dean. You'll have to at that point. Don't EVER give up on your dreams because of something ONE person in this huge world has said to you. If you are in this field because you care about others, than you're right where you need to be. You're awesome!! Best of luck and keep us posted about whether she had the nerve to not pass you or not. I'm sure if other students overheard, they'd be more than willing to help you out with statements, if need be. Take care and again, best of luck!! =)
You do realize this thread is from 2012. The OP has been a nurse for nearly 5 years by now.
Oh my gosh!! No one has the right to speak to you that way, let alone in front of others, PERIOD!! That was SO unprofessional, cruel, and unproductive. Let it go, cause you're done with her now. However, if she doesn't pass you, bring it back up and go to the dean. You'll have to at that point. Don't EVER give up on your dreams because of something ONE person in this huge world has said to you. If you are in this field because you care about others, than you're right where you need to be. You're awesome!! Best of luck and keep us posted about whether she had the nerve to not pass you or not. I'm sure if other students overheard, they'd be more than willing to help you out with statements, if need be. Take care and again, best of luck!! =)
This post is from 2012. OP has long since passed her clinical.
I have been a nursing instructor for two decades. There is much that I could say about both your instructor's behavior and what you have written about your self perception of your behavior. Since you have completed your last day of this clinical, I will limit myself to what you should do next.
It is important to understand how clinical evaluation works. Whether or not your instructor likes you or not is immaterial. At every school that I have worked at, if an instructor intends to assign a non-passing grade to a student in clinical, the instructor must have evidence that the student is unsafe.
Before you meet with your clinical instructor for your evaluation, pour some energy into getting control of your emotional responses: Relaxation, visualization, hypnosis if necessary. You want to keep your emotions out of the way so that you can respond effectively to the instructor's evaluation. It is tough to be effective while crying. (Not that there is anything wrong with crying.... but in this situation it interferes with being effective.)
If the instructor assigns you a passing grade... accept it and move on. However, if the instructor assigns you a non-passing grade:
Pay close attention to what written evidence the instructor provides of your ability or inability to provide safe care.
Ask for a copy of the evaluation document.
If offered the opportunity to write your comments on the evaluation write "I disagree with this evaluation and will file a grievance." Write nothing more at this time.
Review your school's grievance procedure for contesting a grade. Follow that procedure in detail. These procedures often have deadlines... don't miss those!
A few issues to consider when crafting your grievance:
Were the performance expectations explicitly clear? If no, that weakens the instructor's evaluation.
Were you given timely feedback that you were not meeting expectations and given an opportunity improve? If not, that weakens the instructor's evaluation.
Why/how was your performance safe in each of the situations that the instructor cites as evidence that you were unsafe.
The "evidence" should be descriptions of your behavior... not simply vague labels like "unsafe" or "unprofessional".
[*]Was your unsafe performance an isolated event or part of a pattern?
In some cases, a single egregious failure is sufficient to be deemed unsafe.
[*]Get someone to look over your written grievance to help make sure that it is factual and persuasive.
Depending on your situation, hiring an attorney to help you with this process may be worthwhile. Sometimes the mere involvement of an attorney will cause the school to back down for fear of a costly lawsuit (especially if they know that their position is poorly supported by documented FACTS.)
[*]A few things to OMIT from your grievance:
"My instructor hates me."
Any reference to your performance in the classroom ... it is irrelevant.
Any reference to your performance in previous clinical experiences... it is irrelevant.
Complaints that your patients were too complicated.
Complaints that the instructor treated you differently than the other students, and/or complaints that the instructor was emotionally / verbally abusive.
This deserves a separate complaint to the school's administration... don't confuse your performance with her performance. Either you were safe or not... whining about a "mean" instructor will hurt your argument.
[*]Understand that the institution will almost always want to support the instructor rather than the student. Therefore, you need to supply FACTS to support your position.
[*]If your instructor is smart, she will have already built a trail of documentation to support her assigning you a unsatisfactory grade.
I am very careful to have all my evidence in order before assigning a non-passing grade... and as a result I have never been overturned during grievance proceedings. When I assign a non-passing grade it is NEVER a surprise to the student. Always the student will have met with me and received a written counseling which documents the unsafe behavior in detail, connects the behavior to the written expectations provided to students (syllabus, student handbook, etc), how to remedy the behavior (remedial instruction and practice), what the expected behavior is in the future, and the consequences of failure to meet that expectation.
Dalester2579
4 Posts
Oh my gosh!! No one has the right to speak to you that way, let alone in front of others, PERIOD!! That was SO unprofessional, cruel, and unproductive. Let it go, cause you're done with her now. However, if she doesn't pass you, bring it back up and go to the dean. You'll have to at that point. Don't EVER give up on your dreams because of something ONE person in this huge world has said to you. If you are in this field because you care about others, than you're right where you need to be. You're awesome!! Best of luck and keep us posted about whether she had the nerve to not pass you or not. I'm sure if other students overheard, they'd be more than willing to help you out with statements, if need be. Take care and again, best of luck!! =)