What do you do if you see someone in your class that seems to be struggling? Do you offer to help? Or is that worse, because it makes you look patronizing and superior?
Yesterday, after I had finished observing in the OR, my instructor assigned me to help out another student that didn't yet have his assessment completed (4 hours after clinical had started and about an hour before post conference). He had told the instructor the patient didn't want to be bothered. I understand that, and it is the patient's right to refuse anything, and said as much to the other student before we went in. But I was able to get the assessment completed without any trouble or complaint from the patient. We finished, and I went back to the instructor to report completion. She asked me to spend the next clinical day with this student to help him out prioritizing and with time management. I felt really uncomfortable with that, and basically asked if I could do my ER rotation instead (not telling her I was uncomfortable, but just saying I didn't want to miss out on my ER opportunity). Later in post conference, this same student didn't know our case study was due this week, or what the case study consisted of. As if it had never been brought up or wasn't even on our schedule (it had and it is). I happened to be sitting next to him and showed him the case study grading sheet (which was in our class packet), and what I had completed on mine.
Part of me wants to help him, but I didn't want to do what the instructor SHOULD be doing. And I don't want to be the class know it all. At the same time, it seems this instructor and student just do not see eye to eye on things. I don't know if they started on the wrong foot, or it's a personality issue, and it doesn't matter. But I see threads on here about awful instructors, and I can see where someone like this student could feel he is being treated unfairly, when in all actuality it is just that this student just ISN'T GETTING IT. He's kind if mouthy too, sort of macho big talker, but without much to back it right now. The instructor mentioned that we should write on the back of our care plans any other skills we performed on patients not our own, or any help we gave to the nurses or to other students. He asked "Why?" She responded "So you get credit for it." He says " I don't need credit, it's enough that I know I helped out." She responded again "Well that's good, but so you get class credit, meaning graded for it, is what I mean."
Should I take the instructor up on her request? Should I stay the heck out of it? I do think I could help him, if he wants the help. I don't know if he does. I've just met him this rotation and so I've known him maybe 3 weeks.
