Rant rave and a wave

[WildShot]

*rant* *rant* *rave* and A *wave*

Heya,

I'm sitting at my work study at the college bored out of my skull so it got me to thinking.

What is wrong with my school and how do I fix it? Case in point, I work at a school I started my nursing studies at, but after I was pushed out of it I went to another campus.

Yes, I said pushed out. My instructor didn't like me so she gave me a unsatisfactory for my clinical and I couldn't go on to my second semester. She did this to a number of students but for me it was personal. I got my first unsafe because I didn't hear her when she said that we were to bring some papers back the next clinical. So on the second week I was given the unsafe for "frequently" forgetting homework. The next unsafe I received was for a bloody 2x2 that was on the floor after my patient had blood work done in her room. My instructor put down that I was leaving my room cluttered and an unsafe area. The third I got because I became flustered when reading the mar wrong. Yes, these were all things that I did do and I can understand getting at least spoke to, but I don't think I deserved drummed out of the program and atleast one instructor agreed and made some calls to get me into another campus and restart 101.

There are good nursing instructors out there. I know because one helped me get into the other program and wow was it different. The first day there I was told " We know you don't know anything we are here to teach you" not "take a look around you. By the time mid term comes around half of you will be gone." And they were very helpful and considerate. This is what I believe a Nursing class should be. I work at the first college and I was in fixing a computer while there was a teacher orientation going on and HEARD the head instructor tell the new instructors "We have a reputation of being anal here and plan to keep it". I have spoken with some of the instructors that have moved on because they didn't like the way things were done. One instructor was told that "too many people were passing his tests "and "he didn't give out enough unsafes"

Now tell me please. What kind of a place is this? From what I have heard from different people from different schools my school (where they help students) is the exception NOT the rule. Is it true that once you become an instructor you no longer are a nurse? Do caring and empathy leave you when you enter the hallowed halls of academia? Why do these instructors tell you honesty is a valued skill and then go and lie to us?

I have one semester left to go and I graduate, the sad thing is that I look at the person that was so pleased when he got accepted to the person that just wants to get this over and done with. Oh, I still want to be a ER nurse and plan too, yet a lot of the excitement that I had has left me. I see more and more people graduating telling people that are interesting that " you really don't want to do this. Its not worth the hassle", these are the people that I would spend long hours with studying for classes and we would be so happy after wards that we had passed.

How is it that some of us are burned out of nursing and haven't even become nurses yet, I know these people are still going to be nurses and still want to be. Yet its like a part of them has died. A little bit of the fire of life is no longer there because of the hassle of nursing school.

I once had an instructor tell us that the reason they push us so hard is that it is better for someone to break under the pressure in class than out in the field. Why break them at all ? Why not teach stress management classes, isn't it better that someone works to improve themselves then to have another break them down. Don't misunderstand me, I went to boot camp and saw people break down yet I don't believe this is for nursing students. I think it is better that someone tries to help them understand themselves and get confidence then to push and find if they will break or not. I know that there is lives depending on their skills but I also know that practice someone can handle the jobs.

Like I said there are great instructors out there and I want to thank you all who have helped me and others like me. Who do want to be nurses and study hard and have to keep drilling ourselves. Thank you for the time you spend with a student after class in your office tutoring them or when you spend extra time in the lab going over things. These things mean a lot more to the student then we sometimes realize, but they do mean a lot to us.

I have taken crap from instructors because I am a man and listened to the whole nightingale nightmare. I really don't care who came into the field first who makes a better nurse.I have heard a lot of people argue about men and women in nursing and who is better. Basically I don't care who is better. What I care about is the person that is counting on me to help them. When I come onto a floor I don't look want to look at peoples faults or hear about how bad someone is or what they have said. I want to be able to work with someone to make another persons day better. I think that is what most of us actually want. I think that is what I have been forgetting. I am doing this for me, because I want to make a difference. I want to go to a hospital look at my fellow nurses (not co workers) and know that today no matter what happens. I did something for someone and made their day a little sweeter or a little better. Only one more semester and I graduate. Yeah, now I have a little smile on my face. I guess I'll get to see what kind of a nurse I will make in December. I don't really know yet, but I do know I gotta get back to those damn books cause one day soon, something that I read in one of those books just might save someone's life.

Thanks for letting me get that out

WildShot

:caduceus:

[Mommy TeleRN, RN]

Hey wildshot - just popped over here on the guy forum

I'm glad you got into a better school. For the most part I've been pretty happy with my school - they aren't into the whole "weeding out" and repeatedly tell us they want us ALL to graduate and be successful.

Of course we have our share of frustrations too. Like how we are told we need to be "professional" by being on time and having homework done...yet the teachers put up wrong lecture notes and nothing matches their lecture because they "forgot" to put up the right ones, or don't put up any at all. Or they are late to class. Or their cell phone inevitably is the one that goes off during lecture lol.

For the most part I've also been pretty happy with my intern position. The RN's are sooo willing to show me things and teach me and let me do things.

My teachers have complimented my willingness to help other students and share study aides I create - and I tell them "there is a nursing shortage - I want my classmates to graduate and HELP me..and I want them to be great, educated nurses so "I" don't have to cover THEIR butts.

I hear a lot of stories of nurses eating their young..which is sad - because we need help in the field - not for everyone to get burned out before they start.

But you know all we can do is better - we can be the nurse who takes the time to encourage a student and to teach them things - to welcome them into the flock. We can be the ones to not get caught up in gossip..and to always lend a helping hand to our coworkers. We can make it better at least on our floors hopefullly. There is enough stress in this job without being ugly to one another.

so all we can do for now is keep on keeping on! And like you say, learn all we can so that we are efficient and not a burden to our coworkers and we are blessings to our patients.

Mommy

[AznMurse]

The old eat their young? I have met a few of those both in my nursing program and out there where I do my summer externship. Sad sad. The next line I would say will be very controversial but I will say it anyway for the sake of stirring up a discussion. I observed that mostly women are guilty of doing this. I am not saying that men won't but you get my drift.