Unfair Clinical Evaluations

Nursing Students General Students

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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 :(.

Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Instead of stating you are going to do something ask if the nurse would like you to. Then do what he or she says. Period. You absolutely were insinuating she was stupid by getting all questiony about something so basic. HER patient. HER timeline. End of story! When you are the floor nurse you can do it your way. Just stop it.

Taking initiative when it comes to students usually means you need to help more. That means doing the stuff most students prefer not to do. The less exciting stuff, like toileting, cleaning after bowel movements, assisting to the chair, taking vitals, ambulating and giving showers or bed baths. Asking about patient transport is not taking initiative.

You have most likely burned your bridges here. Remember that those nurses Do. Not. Care. What. You. Know. Or what you think you know. Or how smart you are. Or that you think your way is better. They did not ask for you to critique them and they do not need your feedback. This is a lesson you need to work on hard not just as a nurse but in all your relationships. It reminds me of when I am doing something around the house and my husband feels the need to imply I could do it better even though the way I have been doing things has worked just fine for years. They do not need or want your thoughts of process improvement. Be a learner. Stop asking them if you are defensive or annoying. That’s annoying.

Just. Be. A. Student. Nobody cares what you know. They care if you are safe and if you are going to make their day harder. The end.

8 Votes
Specializes in Medsurg.
2 hours ago, not.done.yet said:

Instead of stating you are going to do something ask if the nurse would like you to. Then do what he or she says. Period. You absolutely were insinuating she was stupid by getting all questiony about something so basic. HER patient. HER timeline. End of story! When you are the floor nurse you can do it your way. Just stop it.

Taking initiative when it comes to students usually means you need to help more. That means doing the stuff most students prefer not to do. The less exciting stuff, like toileting, cleaning after bowel movements, assisting to the chair, taking vitals, ambulating and giving showers or bed baths. Asking about patient transport is not taking initiative.

You have most likely burned your bridges here. Remember that those nurses Do. Not. Care. What. You. Know. Or what you think you know. Or how smart you are. Or that you think your way is better. They did not ask for you to critique them and they do not need your feedback. This is a lesson you need to work on hard not just as a nurse but in all your relationships. It reminds me of when I am doing something around the house and my husband feels the need to imply I could do it better even though the way I have been doing things has worked just fine for years. They do not need or want your thoughts of process improvement. Be a learner. Stop asking them if you are defensive or annoying. That’s annoying.

Just. Be. A. Student. Nobody cares what you know. They care if you are safe and if you are going to make their day harder. The end.

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2 Votes
Specializes in LTC, PSYCH, ALF, POST-ACUTE.

DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED!!!

All of what you have listed, I was there!

I was stressed out when I was in clinicals that I went outside the hospital and wanted to drop out completely. My mentor nurse berated me for the same things and the Charge nurse came in to berate me some more. My nursing clinical instructor who had been around for only one week out of the four continued to berate me after the meeting and I took time for a walk. As I was walking I really considered if nursing was what I really wanted to do. I asked myself some questions.....

HOW DO OTHERS PERCEIVE ME???

WHAT CAN I DO DIFFERENTLY TO CHANGE THIS PERCEPTION??

HOW PASSIONATE AM I ABOUT NURSING??? OR HOW BAD DO I WANT THIS?

With these questions answered I told myself I had to adapt to the environment and be extremely organized. I developed a spreadsheet that was one piece of paper back and front so I always had the answers to every question on a patient. I did a lot of observing and less talking. I was criticized for lots of things but never attempted to defend myself. I didn't need to. I took initiative even though I didn't want to in this chaotic floor. In the end everything came out a lot better. Its all about personality and tact.

While most of the culture of nursing has changed being a student nurse has still remained the change. Some older nurses still eat their young! Find a good mentor nurse who can change your attitude/perceptions and offer you advice that can help you in other clinicals.

THINK LESS ABOUT GRADES IN YOUR CLINICAL AND MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CONDUCT YOURSELF.

Best of luck, you will make it through!

6 Votes
On 9/8/2019 at 1:23 PM, dij said:

DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED!!!

All of what you have listed, I was there!

I was stressed out when I was in clinicals that I went outside the hospital and wanted to drop out completely. My mentor nurse berated me for the same things and the Charge nurse came in to berate me some more. My nursing clinical instructor who had been around for only one week out of the four continued to berate me after the meeting and I took time for a walk. As I was walking I really considered if nursing was what I really wanted to do. I asked myself some questions.....

HOW DO OTHERS PERCEIVE ME???

WHAT CAN I DO DIFFERENTLY TO CHANGE THIS PERCEPTION??

HOW PASSIONATE AM I ABOUT NURSING??? OR HOW BAD DO I WANT THIS?

With these questions answered I told myself I had to adapt to the environment and be extremely organized. I developed a spreadsheet that was one piece of paper back and front so I always had the answers to every question on a patient. I did a lot of observing and less talking. I was criticized for lots of things but never attempted to defend myself. I didn't need to. I took initiative even though I didn't want to in this chaotic floor. In the end everything came out a lot better. Its all about personality and tact.

While most of the culture of nursing has changed being a student nurse has still remained the change. Some older nurses still eat their young! Find a good mentor nurse who can change your attitude/perceptions and offer you advice that can help you in other clinicals.

THINK LESS ABOUT GRADES IN YOUR CLINICAL AND MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CONDUCT YOURSELF.

Best of luck, you will make it through!

THANK YOU SO MUCH! I really needed this!

1 Votes
Specializes in LTC, PSYCH, ALF, POST-ACUTE.

The author of the post came to this forum for help and she has good intentions. We are only hearing one perspective of the story. No she was not being bullied but harshly criticized. It might be true that she has a poor nurse mentor but she has to remain professional. She is already taking those steps by responding rather than reacting.

Best of luck.....

3 Votes
Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Staff note - multiple posts have been removed....posts that were offensive as well as those that quoted the offensive posts.

Please adhere to the terms of service.

3 Votes
On 9/7/2019 at 5:13 PM, guest723 said:

Gee, god forbid I ask for clarification. Isn't that my role as a student? I am paying thousands of dollars for this education.

For God's sake, don't say or imply that to the nurses who are NOT receiving the benefit of all that money you are paying. Any suggestion that your tuition dollars somehow obligate them to teach according to your standards will end very badly. They are in no way associated with your university and certainly don't benefit financially from it. Their TOP PRIORITY is care of their patients, not teaching you.

6 Votes
On 9/7/2019 at 7:46 PM, Luchador said:

You can't win with these ***es

Keep in mind we are hearing only the student's version of events. I'm sure if someone was passing judgment on your behavior without having been there and not hearing one word from you about the situation, you would disagree that the unchallenged version should be taken as Gospel.

I personally would love to be a fly on the wall during these interactions. My interpretation of the noted events might verify the OP's position, but then again, it might be very illuminating with regard to the nurses' reactions.

4 Votes
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.

OP its a tough situation.

I had some abolutely appalling situations as a student with nurses that were truly appalling human beings, not sure how they managed to function as nurses.

That said, these people hold your power to graduate in their hands, and often its a case of sucking it up, playing the game and realising when you graduate as a nurse, you can develop your own style of working.

You have been given some really good advice on this thread. I recall my first job in aged care. I was driven by the desire to improve things for my patients and my staff and was raising concerns with management when they arose. I learned the hard way when management dont see a problem with how things are, all this does is get you a very large target on your back.

4 Votes

Don't stop to know your textbooks and the other side of the world, but you have or need to understand that most people don't like to be called on their bs even if they're wrong

Just be there and do your things right and be quiet.

1 Votes

I really know what you are going through.

Ditch this program and go to different school. You will not be able to graduate from this school.

I had the same HORRIBLE experience at Ashland University in Ohio

1 Votes
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