Should I rock the boat??

[anggelRN]

Hello everyone. I need some advice on how to handle a certain situation. I am currently doing my first clinical rotation. I had my orientataion last week but today we did patient care for the first time. I have a real problem with my clinical instructor's teaching methods. She has a tendency to yell at students while she is teaching . She pays no attention to who is around while she is yelling. You can yelled at in front of guests, other students, other nurses, the patient- it doesn't matter. Today, she was yelling at two students while they were doing vitals on a patient. You can only imagine how uncomfortable a patient would feel when someone taking care of them is being yelled at by their instructor. I got yelled at today for taking too long to put on gloves, and taking my time while giving my very first patient a bed bath. According to her, I have to do things that I have not practiced and am not good at quickly. I think she was upset because the pt had a bowel movement in the diaper and the smell was getting to her. She had a disgusted look on her face. ( I thought as a nurse she would know that poop smells). She also made rude comments whie in a pt's room like "why does the charge nurse always give us the "difficult" patients."I can literally go on and on about her faults but my question is- Should I report her to the main clinical instructor? I know many students have grievances against their clincial instructors but I have a real problem with her lack of respect for the patients and the students. I show her nothing but respect so I think I am deserving of the same. I even smile in her face when she insults me. I don't have a problem with being corrected. I want to be corrected so I eventually feel confident in what I am doing- but I do have a problem with people yelling at me to correct me. She is like this with everyone so I don't feel like I'm being singled out. Other people has also complained. Other than that, she's ok. She praises you when you're finished with the task and she is not generally a horribly nasty person. I don't want her to be upset at the whole clincal group because I complained. Should I just take the abuse for 6 more weeks? Is it worth it to rock the boat in this situtation. I need some input from experienced nurses.

[aeauooo]

I think a lot of it had to do with her own low self esteem and trying to make herself look better by putting me down.

I agree.

I have worked with many nurses who are abusive towards and belittle other nurses for what I believe is that very reason. There are other theories about horizontal hostility in nursing, the one I have seen most frequently in the literature (this is an area that has been well-studied) is "oppressed group behavior."

Surveys of nurses reveal that the most frequent sources of abuse are doctors, patients, and family members (not necessarily in that order), but the most distressing source of abuse is other nurses.

For about the first half of my nursing career I often questioned whether I wanted to continue to be a nurse because of horizontal hostility. It was distressing enough to me that a few years ago while working on my BSN I did some research and wrote a paper on the subject for one of my classes.

Now, no nurse knows everything, and every nurse makes mistakes - embarrassing mistakes. I have seen those very same nurses who are the most abusive, almost without fail, make very embarrassing mistakes or get called on the carpet for some reason or other.

Try not to gloat when this happens.

[gryffnsgram]

I remember a 1st year nsg instructor who looked and acted like "Hot Lips" on MASH. Very harsh and critical. My husband's g'mother died and I asked if I could leave clinicals early to go to her funeral. She told me that I needed to be in clinicals & she would advise me strongly to be there. I didn't go to the funeral. If I was the age I am now and knew what I know now, I would have told her to lump it! :zzzzz

[StrwbryblndRN]

To add to what everyone is saying about not "rocking the boat".

I had two very conscientious peers in school. They were straight A, older, and each with a previous degree. They were articulate and academically way ahead of the group. They were respectful and always courteous.

When they questioned a test that was obviously in error on the instructor's part they were lectured and pulled aside and given a very hard time. (There was some questioning previously but this broke the camel's back) Everyone knew the error but did not have enough knowledge to support themselves. Well their "attitudes" were passed on to the next semester and needless to say they got a bad rep. They ended up becoming passive since they did not want to destroy what they worked hard to accomplish.

(they knew their stuff backwards and forwards and I think the instructors were intimidated)

They are now RN's and are doing what they went to school for.

The program is still sketchy and mutiple instructor are questionable in their ethics.

I would say rock the boat, but there may be too much at stake. Be aware of the consequences and then decide what you are going to do and how.

[squeakykitty]

Can you talk to the instructor? It sounds like she could possibly be causing the nursing school future problems due to not being asked back to the hospital. Since you're documenting, that is a good thing in case you need it if you decide to talk to the main clinical instructor. Are there other students willing to document also?

Also, is she a fair, reasonable person? If not, that can cause students a lot of problems.

[nickola]

I am with the others, don't rock the boat, you have no power as a student, the reality is you need them right now and you may even later for references and heaven forbid that this teacher may even work part time in a hospital and end up being your co-worker or charge nurse. Just document any problems and negative interactions, ie: date, time, those who were within hearing distance etc. and keep this to yourself unless you need it. I would just be sure to stay on your toes and be polite and keep your cool no matter what. She could be testing you guys out for her own strange reasons. Nursing school is one of the hardest things, good luck.

Agree, we've all had instructors/professors whose teaching methods we didn't like. Rocking the boat this early in the game could come back to bite you in the you-know-what! Good luck!!

[nyapa, RN]

Hmmm...

I had a similar experience during my OB rotation, the difference is that I really liked and got along well with a clinical instructor that many people in my clinical group disliked and complained about.

I heard the rumor that I was sleeping with her.

Charming!!! I hope your whole group didn't feel like that!!!

[miko014]

I'm not sure I agree with the whole "confront your instructor" idea. If she is as bad as you say she is, and you confront her, things may only get worse for you. Also, at the end of the term when she gets bad reviews, she is going to blame you for it. The instructor I talked about earlier received her evaluations after my last day of clinical (Thursday), but there was still a Friday group. She was so angry about what she had read the night before that she ended up telling the group to "get out" at about 9am, and she went home. (Abandonment much??) So if something like that were to happen, and she would get the reviews before she is done with you, you wouldn't want to be the one taking the heat for what everyone says. Also, like other people have said, you don't want to get a bad reputation with other clinical instructors. If I were you, I would rock the boat, but anonymously. Either send a letter stating that you are very concerned about what is happening (with examples!!), and that you wish to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation or something like that. Or else talk to your whole clinical group and you can all confront her together, though she may feel she is being ganged up on. You could try to talk to her in a post conference or something, but be sure that everyone agrees and everyone will keep their temper in check. If she starts screaming or anything, hopefully someone will hear and then that would back you up even more. But that's just a big 'ol tar pit I would want to stay out of!!! Save it for the end of term evals or else do it anonymously! In the whole one student vs. instructor thing, the instructor will always win!!!

[aeauooo]

Charming!!! I hope your whole group didn't feel like that!!!

The majority, but I did have a freind or two in the group.