Two Semesters of *****!

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I am in the Associates degree program for my RN. I have one more year to go before I am done but I have a huge issue. I AM SICK OF HAVING THESE TERRIBLE CLINICAL INSTRUCTORS. I honestly don't understand how I keep getting these instructors... First, they are completely inconsistent on how they grade us. We will all turn in the same stuff and yet one person gets a 100%, another will get a 40%... They all have the same stuff with it. I just get so sick of feeling like I am paying for someone to make my life freaking miserable. It is days like today that I deeply consider throwing in the towel. If it wasn't for the fact that I have this deep obsession with nursing I would totally give up. I know the best thing for me to do is to just shut up and keep going but these instructors seriously need to realize that they cannot keep screwing with us! My future depends on the grades they give me and if they keep being inconsistent with it then I may not be able to go any further then my ADN. I wish they would open their eyes and see that we pay them to train us not to make us miserable every week.

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I heard my next CI for next sem is a ***** and she makes her students cry and she's a horrible person. And it don't get better as school progresses.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

So sorry you are in such a bad situation.

There is a critical shortage of qualified nursing faculty. It seems as though desperate schools are hiring anyone they can find. . . with inevitable results. At least with traditional MSN programs, the graduates have been exposed to a 'scholarly environment' in which they have been able to see how qualified, prepared faculty should behave and interact with students. This is definitely not the case in online (crank-em-out-ASAP) programs.

I have no solutions, just wanted you to know that you are heard.

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Do you have a rubric? If so, and she isn't following then go to the dean. If you don't have one, I would suggest you talk to her about discrepancies, like an adult not an angry student, and talk to the dean

Posting from my phone, ease forgive my fat thumbs! :)

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I heard my next CI for next sem is a ***** and she makes her students cry and she's a horrible person. And it don't get better as school progresses.

Funny thing is everyone told me to run when they heard who my CI was, but I absolutely love her. She is tough and expects a lot of her students, yet I am so thankful I had the chance to learn from her. I know I will be a better nurse because of her. Go into your clinical with open mind. You may be surprised :)

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You need to give them what they want. I'm not staying you are lying but often everyone wants to jump and say the CI is inconsistent. Often times... If you seriously just do what they say you'll get 100%.

Are you honestly comparing your assignments? How are they similar? Similarities doesn't mean anything... There's always variation.

Really try to understand.

I'm willing to bet you haven't had a one to one with your CI?

Don't confront her all at once.

Approach with respect and have your ready after evaluating yourself.

Do not

.. Do.NOT tell them.. "But Susan got....so and so" "and jimmy got this".

I know it can be tough.

Keep your chin up. Believe it or not these interpersonal skills will pay off ;)

You can do.it.

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What kinds of assignments do you have in clinical other than care plans? Everybody's care plan shouldnt be the same.

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We have crapton more than just care plans...the night before we pick a patient and do a pathophysiology write up including treatments, usual labs and meds, etc. We do a hand-written med card for every med they have and we have to have a minimum of ten or we are given additional ones to round it out. We do a care map "outline" which is basically a care plan...during clinical we have a lengthy assessment packet to fill out and an interview to do with a paper to write about it. For post clinical we do the actual care map which I hate because it's redundant from the care plan, plus a minimum 2 page reflection journal and answers to the 2 critical thinking questions we have to present the instructors with at the beginning of the day, and a skills check list. We all have the same stuff to do, but different students put more into it than others. My first instructor at the beginning of the year pushed us to do really thorough work and so I got into the habit of doing so while some students still persist in basically half-****** it.

Just don't be one of those. Ask your instructor lots of questions, even if you already know the answer. Ask her advice on how she would handle certain situations, even if you don't care. I'm not saying be disingenuous, nut if you give her the opportunity to feel as if she is teaching you something and you appreciate it, you will likely develop a good rapport with her.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
So sorry you are in such a bad situation.

There is a critical shortage of qualified nursing faculty. It seems as though desperate schools are hiring anyone they can find. . . with inevitable results. At least with traditional MSN programs, the graduates have been exposed to a 'scholarly environment' in which they have been able to see how qualified, prepared faculty should behave and interact with students. This is definitely not the case in online (crank-em-out-ASAP) programs.

I have no solutions, just wanted you to know that you are heard.

Yes but having a masters doesn't always equal ability to teach. They don't want old BSN bags like me without a masters....even if I have taught for the past #*$% years AND I have 34 years experience.

I am suddenly unqualified....nursing shoots itself in the foot.

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We do have "Focus Assignments" when we go to specialty areas. They are just fill in the blank type of questions and as long as you fill it out, you should get a 100% for it. I filled it out and turned in the same things but somehow got a terrible grade. After discussing the issue with the instructor, she realized she wasn't opening the computer document correctly. I had to show her how to open it.

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I wish I had that same experience. I want an instructor who is firm but fair.

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Yes but having a masters doesn't always equal ability to teach. They don't want old BSN bags like me without a masters....even if I have taught for the past #*$% years AND I have 34 years experience.

I am suddenly unqualified....nursing shoots itself in the foot.

Esme, you are so correct. I work with a woman who has been a nurse for 39 yrs. She isa diploma grad. She has a world of patience, is an excellent resource person,a great charge nurse and just a fantastic nurse. I love working with her.However, she is not welcome in the nursing academic world. Do you mean to tellme that after 39 years of clinical nursing experience, this woman has NOTHINGto offer students? It is completely ridiculous.

IMO, The Nursing Elite has tried so hard to force theposition that nursing is a profession that they have lost all sense of judgment.They are more interested in packing the field with degrees than they are inallowing experience to count. A person who was a bank teller and then got anABSN went straight through and got a master’s in nursing education is morewelcome than my coworker, even though that person would have nothing to “teach”but her own experience from her school clinicals. This is how idiotic nursinghas become.

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