So I guess it is true...

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

Nurses really do eat their young.

Long story short. My last quarter's clinical instructor told me in feedback via paper, that I was good. Good in clinical. My last clinical, I made a mistake in accuchecks and made too many attempts to get an accucheck. I own up to my mistake and have not had any more problems in accucheck.

So this scholarship opportunities arises. I need a letter of recommendation. So, I e-mail her asking if she would be willing to give me a reference. No response. Tried again about a week later...still no response. So I email her a third time (the deadline is REALLY approaching) and she finally answers. Her answer? She is "uncomfortable" with my clinical skills and feels she won't be able to give me a good reference. And she waits FOUR days before the deadline even though I've emailed her twice before in 2.5 weeks.

This whole time she made me believe that I was doing a good job. Told me verbally and even in our comments papers. Not once did she tell me, outside of the accucheck incident, that I was doing anything wrong (told me I was doing very good).

So I e-mailed her back requesting a meeting for specific feedback, and I even typed out the misleading comments she gave me that made me believe I was doing good. I also told her that it is unacceptable to not give a student feedback and to check her off when he/she is doing something wrong.

I feel like if I don't get a meeting or if she isn't specific that I should file a complaint against her.

Luckily, my present clinical instructor says she will give me a recommendation. She says that my clinical skills are average but feels that if I work hard enough, I will be able to improve my skills.

Am I going about this the right way?

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So why did she pass you if she felt "uncomfortable" with your clinical skills? What would you base your complaint on? If your current instructor is okay with your current skills, then maybe it's best to just meet with your prior instructor for personal feedback.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
So why did she pass you if she felt "uncomfortable" with your clinical skills? What would you base your complaint on? If your current instructor is okay with your current skills, then maybe it's best to just meet with your prior instructor for personal feedback.
I don't know why she passed me. What upsets me is the lack of feedback and her two faced personality. She lied, telling me I was good and then says this! I am going to try to meet with her and if she won't I will file a complaint regarding her lack of instruction and feedback...
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I don't see why this person has to write you a letter of recommendation. Maybe you are passing but she doesn't want her name on the line for something you do later on. I have no idea what you are like in clinical, so don't think I am judging you, but she has every right to not want her name attached to a document involving someone else.

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I will file a complaint regarding her lack of instruction and feedback...

I didn't realize you could file a complaint for those reasons. I was under the impression that clinical was the place to apply theory knowledge and the clinical instructors were there to reinforce hospital protocol and to be there should you have questions.

If you filed a complaint against this instructor, I think I would worry that the Dean may withhold my degree; especially since, your prior instructor has changed her tune about your skills and also since, your new instructor is saying you are average, but with hard work you can improve.

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Specializes in Pedi.

A passing grade does not equal "I will give you a glowing recommendation." No one is required to write you a recommendation and I would not assume that she was being malicious by "waiting until the last minute" to decline to write said recommendation for you. Perhaps she was out of town or away from email for some reason. I, personally, do not check my work email from home (any more) and I haven't worked in a week. I'm sure I have well over 100 emails waiting for me.

Also, in NO way do I think this is indicative of "nurses eating their young." This is a student-instructor relationship.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

No. I'm not mad that she wouldn't write a recommendation. I'm mad that she led me to believe that I was doing a good job in clinicals and did not give me appropriate feedback regarding my performance, so I was blind sided when she told me that she felt "uncomfortable" regarding my clinical skills. How am I suppose to learn if no one is going to correct me? Regardless, I'm disappointed that she waited until the eleventh hour to reject my plea for a recommendation. I think she went about this the completely wrong way. If she felt I was doing something wrong, she should have corrected me, and now I am worried about my clinical skills.

I would have been perfectly fine if she had been upfront with me regarding my clinical work. Instead, she smiled in my face while thinking poorly of my clinical performance behind my back. And that is disappointing and not what a good clinical instructor does.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
I didn't realize you could file a complaint for those reasons. I was under the impression that clinical was the place to apply theory knowledge and the clinical instructors were there to reinforce hospital protocol and to be there should you have questions.

If you filed a complaint against this instructor, I think I would worry that the Dean may withhold my degree; especially since, your prior instructor has changed her tune about your skills and also since, your new instructor is saying you are average, but with hard work you can improve.

The complaint would be that this teacher is passing students when she doesn't feel comfortable with their clinical work. And she told all of us in a large group that she would give us recommendations.

It is unsafe for a teacher to allow students who aren't fully capable to continue out on the unit. I feel like I've been cheated out of good learning experiences. My current clinical instructor lets me know when I am doing something wrong, and she doesn't put me down for having average clinical skills. I'm happy for that, but at the same time, I'm worried that other students who are even worse than myself are being passed through the system/ not being corrected.

Is it so wrong that I'm upset about my former clinical instructor being dishonest with me?

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
A passing grade does not equal "I will give you a glowing recommendation." No one is required to write you a recommendation and I would not assume that she was being malicious by "waiting until the last minute" to decline to write said recommendation for you. Perhaps she was out of town or away from email for some reason. I, personally, do not check my work email from home (any more) and I haven't worked in a week. I'm sure I have well over 100 emails waiting for me.

Also, in NO way do I think this is indicative of "nurses eating their young." This is a student-instructor relationship.

It sure feels as though I was chewed up and spit out/on like that. I see and hear of new grads everyday not being taught to the level of competency and then get fired/put on the spot because their clinical skills leaves room for improvement.

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You are overreacting. She doesn't want to write you a recommendation so now you're going to "report her" ?? That sounds incredibly childish. You should drop this because you are only going to draw attention to yourself and possibly come out looking like a fool. She passed you, be happy about that. Now you have the opportunity to improve your clinical skills with your new instructor. If your school has an open lab you can even attend those to practice. Freaking out about something like this does not a good RN make.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
You are overreacting. She doesn't want to write you a recommendation so now you're going to "report her" ?? That sounds incredibly childish. You should drop this because you are only going to draw attention to yourself and possibly come out looking like a fool. She passed you, be happy about that. Now you have the opportunity to improve your clinical skills with your new instructor. If your school has an open lab you can even attend those to practice. Freaking out about something like this does not a good RN make.
Clearly you didn't read my post. She is checking off students and not teaching the skills necessary to succeed as a nurse. Do you even care about patient safety? I want to be a good, competent nurse and I want to be told when I am doing something wrong and not lied to like that. So excuse me for wanting to be a good, safe nurse...not one bordering mediocrity.
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Clearly you didn't read my post. She is checking off students and not teaching the skills necessary to succeed as a nurse. Do you even care about patient safety? I want to be a good, competent nurse and I want to be told when I am doing something wrong and not lied to like that. So excuse me for wanting to be a good, safe nurse...not one bordering mediocrity.

I think you are taking her words the wrong way. Just because she doesn't want to write a letter for you doesn't mean she should have failed you.

You are taking it WAY too personally. She didn't want to write you the letter, end of story. Same as if you got a "B" in Anatomy and the professor didn't want to write a letter. It doesn't mean you are a failure, just not a person they want to write a letter for.

And there is nothing ​wrong with getting a B!

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