Things you would LOVE to say to your nursing instructors...

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Specializes in L & D.

If you could have an open, honest conversation with your instructors - classroom or clinical - what would you tell them?

Here are some of my thoughts:

(1) Please make sure that everyone follows the rules & meets the requirements. Don't let some students make their own rules while others work hard to follow every rule! While there are always times exceptions must be made, the same students are often getting away with everything.

(2) When I'm in clinical, please just step back and allow me to do the task I have to do. Don't stand over me asking questions! Your running commentary makes me a nervous wreck. As long as I'm doing my task correctly, observe & keep quiet! If I do something wrong, please explain it to me and give my another opportunity to prove I can do it.

(3) Please ensure your expectations are clear and consistant. If you want our weekly patient write-ups a certain way, tell us. Don't change your expectations without letting us know!! The bottom line: most of us are working so hard to do our best! Tell us what you want from us and we'll always do what we can to get a good grade!

Staff note: Also, don't miss the Things you would love to say to your fellow nursing students! thread

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Specializes in General Surgery & Open Heart Teams; NICU.

How about:

Where the heck did that question come from???? :uhoh3:

Haven't we all had a test, they tell you to study chapters so and so. then all of a sudden a question on a test just blows your mind. You have no idea where in the world it came from because in the reading it did not cover that information at all!!!!!

Now I study not only our reading that is required but I use the Made easy series along with any other source I can find like NCLEX books.

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#1 ) Please make the curriculum the same across the board with clinical instructors. How is it fair that student A can do a crap paper but get full credit because she has one of the "easy" instructors and student B spent hours on hers and it was nitpicked apart because her instructor is a "stickler". We should all be graded on the same playing field.

#2 If you make a mistake- OWN UP TO IT. We have to. We aren't allowed to make excuses. You shouldn't either. Remember, we are learning from YOU

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How about:

Where the heck did that question come from???? :uhoh3:

ha ha ha....sooooo true.

I always like it when the instructor SWEARS she mentioned said info in her lecture and the whole class can vouch that uh...no you didnt

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Specializes in Telemetry/Med Surg.

Dear Mrs. J.

Thank you for being my guardian angel. without you I wouldn't have made it thru my senior year.

Actually, I told her this and gave her a Willow Tree Angel. She cried.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, Hemodialysis.

ok here goes...

1. i do not need a drill instructor, i had one of those in the army. i am an

adult and don't need to be scared into studying. i need a professor!

2. please, please, please...have a zero tolerance policy on cell phones!

i hate it when one rings in class. it is very rude and unprofessional.

if one rings tell the student to go outside and answer it and not

to come back for the day.

3. and finally i would say...."THANK YOU," i know that with my professors

help, i will make it out of nursing school.

that's about it!

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And more...

To my lecture professors:

THANK YOU for being such wonderful advocates of the profession! THANK YOU for being fair, honest, tough when need be, but there for us.

To my LTC clinical instructor:

THANK YOU for making my 1st clincal ever so WONDERFUL! I left you with a great sense of pride and confidence.

To my Acute Care clinical instructor:

THANK YOU for killing my confidence. THANK YOU for belittling us and being flat out rude. YOU have taught me how to wear a thicker skin and what kind of nurse I DONT want to be. I learned a lot under you - I do thank you for that but *whew* take a chill pill lol.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

:troll: Yes, you were tough on us (me) and you were a "no-nonsense" instructor....but you prepared me for what has been a wild and crazy ride...and I am loving it ! You are what helped to make me the nurse that I am today.

LPN 90

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1. If you "really can't explain it well", don't refer me to the book and then expect me to be able to test on it! I probably won't be able to explain it well either!

2. If you admit YOU have to carry a cheat sheet on "Topic A", even after all these years, why am I expected to know every minute detail about it? I'm already responsible to know topics B through Z in depth!

3. If you insist that you don't test on things you don't cover in class, please define what it means to "cover" something in class. It appears that mentioning one fact about a specific condition is considered "covering" it.

I have a few others, but these are the main ones!

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Do not tell the entire class that a certain topic will not be on the test, not cover it in class, reemphisis that it will not be on the test, and then make 80% of the test questions about the topic. You are the teacher and we should be able to trust what you say.

Also, if you are a clinical instructor, and you have no clue how to do procedures, please do not ask us questions about every step and piece of equipment used. It becomes obvious quickly that you are not prepared and are completly relying on the student (which is pretty scary).

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

What would I love to say to my nursing instructors?

Thank you for everything. Now I understands the "why" of the things you did and required us to do. You have a tough job, one I do not envy. Yes, some of you were a PIA, some of you were awful, some of you were incredible mentors...but you all taught me I will be working with all sorts of people just like that and must find a way to deal with it. :)

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-- I respect you because you are a nurse and my instructor, but I am not particularly impressed with your intelligence.

-- Despite what you may think, you are not better than more experienced ADN or diploma nurses who are in the trenches just because you have a couple of extra years of education.

-- Berating and humiliating students will not make them more assertive nurses.

-- I am shocked at how much you do not know about the latest trends, issues, and technology in nursing and medicine in general.

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