lnd4me

OP, I want you to know that you are not alone, and that many of us have been in your shoes and had clinical instructors that have had unreasonable expectations. However, many conflicts can be resolved by trying to understand the other person's point of view. I had a preceptor who would ask questions on material that we hadn't yet covered and I would feel stupid for not knowing the answer. However, I just made sure that I took notes and had the answer on the next clinical day so that hopefully she would see that I was making the effort to learn. Later, she mentions that what she looks for are students who don't just say "I don't know" but rather, "I do not have the answer right now, but I will look it up." Once I understood her perspective, things became a lot easier. There may be a method to her madness. You have not yet provided enough details for me to advise you on your current situation. If your instructor is screaming at you, calling you names, physically smacking or pushing you, or throwing things in anger, yes, I would advise going up the chain of command. If, however, she is simply strictly enforcing the rules or there is the possibility of a personality conflict, or you just don't know how to do what she wants, I would suggest talking with your instructor. The way in which you address it is extremely important. Instead of attacking your instructor, getting defensive, or saying anything at all about favoritism, I have found that acknowledging that you are struggling and asking for help, advice, or clarification as well as clearly stating your desire to learn and willingness to put in the effort to do so is usually very effective. Rather than saying "you were mean for yelling at me for having my hair down last Thursday" instead say "I really feel like I am struggling in this clinical, and I really want to learn and be the best nurse I can be. Can you explain why there is a rule that my hair must be up at all times? I would like to understand why this is so important." This will give the opportunity for open conversation, and instead of your instructor feeling criticized and becoming defensive (remember, this is her livelihood and she also wants positive reviews and to feel like she is doing a good job), she will have the opportunity to teach you and share her experience (like how she has seen long hair dragging across a MRSA-infected wound during a dressing change or gotten all sterile to put in a foley only to have her hair fall down in her face). She may be strict because she wants to help produce successful nurses, and may welcome the opportunity to help you learn and appreciate your maturity in asking for help.

There is some truth to this. I have a friend who is a police officer, and he has said that he might let a nurse off with a warning if it was a minor violation because he wouldn't want that nurse to go in for the shift worried about a ticket and distracted from patient care because it could cause harm. However, it is up to the individual officer, it is not some sort of secret policy, and if what you are doing is something that is reckless and could hurt someone else, they will not give a free pass just because you are a nurse. I'm also married to a police officer, and he doesn't like to issue traffic citations for minor infractions in general unless what the person is doing could hurt themselves or others...he generally feels he has bigger fish to fry, and would rather get the drunk driver off the streets than the person going a little over the speed limit because he/she is running late for work. In general, it's a judgment call, and I wouldn't count on getting out of a ticket just for being a nurse.