Yeah, you're probably reading the title and are thinking: *eye roll* "Another Nursing student who thinks they deserve a better grade than they earned." I promise you, it's not that.
I am at a clinical site for clinicals, and the evaluations I am getting are absolutely nit-picky and I am wondering if this potentially could constitute as harassment. Why? Because it is negatively affecting my grades. I have gotten written up for the following:
-"Student takes too many notes."
-"Student carries around notebook everywhere. This shows the student is 'carrying around notebook excessively to avoid patient-care encounters'". WTH???
-"Student asked about the IV procedures regarding another clinical site." (They didn't like that I asked that).
-"Student doesn't show initiative." Even though I do! I ask to do things. I insert IVs in patients, I do vitals, I perform tests, I put ECG 12 leads on, assessments, etc. My previous clinical site gave me great evaluations, and this site it's ridiculous.
-"Student made nurses appear stupid to patient by asking to retrieve a warm compress on a patient with difficult veins (Yes, you read that correctly). Additionally, student suggested looking on different areas of an arm before proceeding with contacting an I.V. team, making the nurse appear as though she did not know what she was doing." I was trying to be helpful, and as you can see, taking initiative at this point gets me in trouble (again!)
I've had it with my clinical site, and my director is not helping me whatsoever and I'm tired of it all. I've had so much anxiety around these people it's not even funny. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. I can't take it anymore! Please, anyone have any advice? I ask my director, she says, "Learn to be adaptable." I AM. Some Nurses let me do things, some don't, and the ones that don't write me up for not doing anything. And the worst part is: it's going to drop my average :(.
The energy I get from you with each of your replies is definitely what the staff sees. I never spoken to anyone who got written up at clinicals yet more than once.
On 9/7/2019 at 5:22 PM, Nurse.Kelsey said:
If this is how you are in clinicals this is why you are getting written up
On 9/7/2019 at 5:47 PM, JKL33 said:
You did not need any clarification.
This is how it goes:
Student: "I will call transport."
RN: "No, wait for her to use the bathroom and then call transport."
Student: "Ok." [Mental note: wait to call until patients are immediately ready for transport].
The end.
I don't know what you believe you are doing (i.e. your personal motivation), I can only tell you the appearances you are giving. I would answer your irksome question (very succinctly) one time and then if you kept it up just excuse you from my assignment. There is no time for games or for unnecessary annoyances.
I'm sorry. I do like working with students. But you are not going about things in a socially appropriate, professional manner. Even asking around for others' opinions on whether or not you are acting defensive is weird. You are not understanding: No one is there for any of that. Think neutrally for a moment--neither the hospital nor any of the nurses (nor certainly the patients) are there for you or for any of "this." Your continuance in the program may eventually depend up on your ability to stop focusing on yourself.
By the way - "no worries" is not an appropriate reply to someone who hasn't wronged you. They do not need to be excused by you or told not to worry.
Again, I will suggest you take it down a few notches. I understand these are straightforward words...but they are genuine attempt to help you.
When it finally starts to show on a message board, where communication is, at best, difficult, it must be very evident on a day to day basis. Suspected a long time ago in this thread that this was the way OP is coming across. Clinical placements don't last that long. It might not be feasible to salvage the negative impressions that seem to be firmly in place here. That does not mean that the OP would not benefit from immediately adopting a "keep mouth shut unless absolutely necessary" approach.
When it finally starts to show on a message board, where communication is, at best, difficult, it must be very evident on a day to day basis. Suspected a long time ago in this thread that this was the way OP is coming across. Clinical placements don't last that long. It might not be feasible to salvage the negative impressions that seem to be firmly in place here. That does not mean that the OP would not benefit from immediately adopting a "keep mouth shut unless absolutely necessary" approach
Yeah. I probably am coming off like a jerk. ? I don't mean to. It's difficult for me. I am book smart but I guess I am socially inept...And that makes me pretty self-conscious. I ask too many questions I guess is my problem...I came from a different clinical site and they loved my attitude the way it was. I could ask as many questions as I want, they appreciated my involvement, etc. The nurses probably want me to save all my questions for someone else. I hope I can salvage it. I have been at this site for only a few weeks so far. I got 16 weeks left. I guess my goals for now on are:
-Don't ask too many questions
-IF I need to write notes, write them during lunch break or after.
-If I have a question, immediately use positive reinforcement, thank them, and don't ask for further clarifications. If i am struggling, ask the clinical instructor.
- Ask them if they need anything to show 'initiative'.
Yesterday during clinical, I was asking the Nurse I was with about contacting transport for patients. The patient went to the bathroom (we were done with her) so I told the Nurse I will be putting her in transport to bring her back to her bed. She replied, "Wait for her to come back! Then we can call transport!" I said, "Ok. No worries." And I asked if transport is relativity quick at this clinical site, she said, "No." I said, "Ok, for clarification, it is best to contact transport when they are not going to the bathroom and when they are back in their stretcher, correct?" Her response? "I mean, do you want to argue about it? We can argue."
OK this reminds me of an interaction I had with a new grad I was orienting.
Orientee: “What tubes go to blood bank?”
Me: “Two purple tops”
Orientee: “Well, I think it’s two blue tops.”
Me: “ If you aren’t going to accept my answer why in the hell are you even asking me the question? Go ahead, send the blue tops and see what happens.”
Orientee: “ Why are you being so rude it was just a question?”
Mind you this was after hours of her questioning my answers. Literally every. single. one. She just didn’t get it. I refused to orient her after that.
And you aren’t a jerk. You just need to learn at what point your questions/suggestions become challenges.
I got frustrated with Snatchedwig because this user told me to 'not speak unless spoken to' and not question the staff, and I took things personally when he/she said, "how is this HARD to understand" . I wasn't questioning the Nurse, I was seeking guidance as to when best to contact Transport so in the future I will not have any issues.
You need to be honest with yourself here in what your intentions were. It absolutely sounds like you were questioning the nurse's judgement on timelines. Try to imagine for a moment being the nurse, forming your judgement on when to call transport. Telling the student when to call. And then having that student insinuate that you should call transport sooner because they are slow. Whether you are right or wrong in the judgement of the situation, it is not your place as a student to question it. Nobody likes to be made to feel stupid, which is what you were doing to the nurse, and why she snapped at you.
Now, if you TRULY did not mean to insinuate that it would be better to call transport NOW (your idea) rather than later (the nurse's idea) then what was the reasoning in your question? Was it really that important of a question that it needed clarification? No. You're not being trained to work at the place. This is a perfect example to reflect upon.
Now, if you TRULY did not mean to insinuate that it would be better to call transport NOW (your idea) rather than later (the nurse's idea) then what was the reasoning in your question? Was it really that important of a question that it needed clarification? No. You're not being trained to work at the place. This is a perfect example to reflect upon
It is a perfect example. I was hoping the Nurse would take interest that I was interested in being active with questioning. I guess it can be interpreted as a challenge, or a nuisance, along those lines. I immediately did apologize, thank her for the advice, etc---so I had no harmful intent.
I will just not ask as many questions, do only what I'm told, etc --- and go from there.
It is a perfect example. I was hoping the Nurse would take interest that I was interested in being active with questioning. I guess it can be interpreted as a challenge, or a nuisance, along those lines. I immediately did apologize, thank her for the advice, etc---so I had no harmful intent.
I will just not ask as many questions, do only what I'm told, etc --- and go from there.
Yeah. I probably am coming off like a jerk. ? I don't mean to. It's difficult for me. I am book smart but I guess I am socially inept...And that makes me pretty self-conscious. I ask too many questions I guess is my problem...I came from a different clinical site and they loved my attitude the way it was. I could ask as many questions as I want, they appreciated my involvement, etc. The nurses probably want me to save all my questions for someone else. I hope I can salvage it. I have been at this site for only a few weeks so far. I got 16 weeks left. I guess my goals for now on are:
-Don't ask too many questions
-IF I need to write notes, write them during lunch break or after.
-If I have a question, immediately use positive reinforcement, thank them, and don't ask for further clarifications. If i am struggling, ask the clinical instructor.
- Ask them if they need anything to show 'initiative'.
Do you think I have a chance at salvaging everything? It may take time to formulate new opinions. I'm definitely going to change, and I am looking forward to it.
Do you think I have a chance at salvaging everything? It may take time to formulate new opinions. I'm definitely going to change, and I am looking forward to it.
Nope your pretty much screwed. Listen to the advice given here and head onto the next clinical.
I am doing my best. Yesterday during clinical, I was asking the Nurse I was with about contacting transport for patients. The patient went to the bathroom (we were done with her) so I told the Nurse I will be putting her in transport to bring her back to her bed. She replied, "Wait for her to come back! Then we can call transport!" I said, "Ok. No worries." And I asked if transport is relativity quick at this clinical site, she said, "No." I said, "Ok, for clarification, it is best to contact transport when they are not going to the bathroom and when they are back in their stretcher, correct?" Her response? "I mean, do you want to argue about it? We can argue."
Some people I think look for anything to get in a fight, I am convinced. I apologized, told her that I apologize if I came off defensive. She said she did not think I was defensive. I then thanked her for her advice.
Waiting for another eval...
Just a side note - When you're the nurse on your own, you don't want to leave the patient in the bathroom by him or herself. Especially if this is a patient you need to assist to the bathroom in the first place. Even for a moment. There's a pretty good likelihood that the patient will go ahead and try and ambulate back to bed/stretcher on their own and suffer a fall in the moments it takes you to try and call transport. Far safer to stay with the patient and ensure they're tucked in, then take care of the transport call. The patient is always first and foremost your priority, and you should always keep their safety at the top of that list. In this situation, I like to think I would have taken the time to point that out to you, outside of the room. Don't perseverate once you've suggested something and received correction. It drives people nuts. Make a mental note of it and look into it/talk with your clinical instructor about it in the post-clinical debrief. Your follow-up question was not an appropriate "clarification" question, as it was a leading question, and would provide you the exact same answer you received before. No. It did not provide the nurse the opportunity to elaborate on her rationale to clarify for you. You needed an open ended question there. One that was asked outside of the room, when the patient wasn't in ear shot and was tucked away in bed. Think more along the lines of, " Can you help me to understand where I went wrong in my decision-making? " Or, simply, "how can I improve?" If the staff nurse isn't really interested in going over it with you, or simply doesn't have time, acknowledge this and talk with your instructor about the situation and ask her to run you through where you went wrong. You need to learn how to make these clinical judgements on your own.
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
On 9/5/2019 at 4:23 PM, Scorio said:
She told me, "Well, you need to take account with our perspective, that a lot of us Nurses are not forward with you about criticisms because we are not sure how you will react." I am not rude, or argumentative. I simply acknowledged she was correct, her position was understandable. I am also planning on meeting with several Nurses to help address this problem, because it does upset me how I do not receive criticism first-hand, and when an evaluation comes that I did, "X,Y,Z" wrong, it makes me appear in front of my evaluator that I am not fulfilling my role as a student in advocating for myself. Additionally, it will appear that I have a lack of self-reflection and introspection, which frustrated me further. What is everyone's thoughts about this?
I think in a lot of cases when the nurses address students they get defensiveness and lack of receptivity. They don't get paid enough to deal with that, so their MO is just to report any concerns to the instructor.
One thing I always hated when starting a new job is getting feedback (especially negative) from the manager after the fact. I learned to be proactive and made sure the manager and my new coworkers knew that I was approachable and receptive to feedback. My response to feedback was to ask questions to make sure I really understood what I needed to do differently.
I think you're on the right track to approach people to make amends and clarify expectations. Doesn't mean everyone is going to be civil to you going forward, but at least you don't have to take anything personally when you're already doing everything you can. Wishing you smoother sailing from here on in.
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caliotter3
38,333 Posts
When it finally starts to show on a message board, where communication is, at best, difficult, it must be very evident on a day to day basis. Suspected a long time ago in this thread that this was the way OP is coming across. Clinical placements don't last that long. It might not be feasible to salvage the negative impressions that seem to be firmly in place here. That does not mean that the OP would not benefit from immediately adopting a "keep mouth shut unless absolutely necessary" approach.