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 Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
9 hours ago, atxgirly said:
Keep your head down and get through nursing school. The grass is actually greener on the other side and you'll soon forget the misery of nursing school!
Interesting statement, atxgirly!
The first thought that popped into my mind upon reading it was, "Yeah, because of all the (manure) that gets flung!"
I'm a little confused - did/do most of you get taught and reviewed by the nurses at your clinical sites or the instructor? At my school the instructors are basically like Superwoman and are supervising all 5-6 of us throughout the entire shift. The good nurses will pull us into other rooms if they are doing something interesting, and add some teaching on top of what our instructor is working on with us, but for the most part it is our instructor who is doing meds with us (until later in the clinical after she has watched us a couple of times), who is going over our charting, who is asking us questions about why this and that on all the patients - and they are always very well prepped on all of our patients as well. It's really amazing actually they work so hard and I've learned SO much from my clinical instructors.
I've heard there are other schools at our sites where the instructors basically drop the students off and then disappear for the day and the nurses all hate it, but I didn't think that was the norm, but now I'm not so sure?
My LPN school was very proactive in clinical days. Our instructor always guided us and engaged with us. RN school all them chicks disappeared on us. I wanted a refund.
My LPN school was very proactive in clinical days. Our instructor always guided us and engaged with us. RN school all them chicks disappeared on us. I wanted a refund.
During the final clinical rotation which happened to take place in the summer term, the clinical instructor supposedly met with the preceptors, then took off for her vacation. She didn't even give the students a contact number. But she was there, bright and chirpy so to speak, to inform three students that they “failed”. Failed based on what? She was not there to provide support, input, or to validate a thing. All of that cohort deserved a refund, no matter how well or poorly the precepting nurses performed their work. And we won’t even mention that at least one of the preceptors stated she was told by the instructor on day one to “fail” her preceptee.
The students seem to like it and they say they feel more confident andlike they are more included with the staff when it is done this way. I see pros and cons both ways.
I can see a benefit for students because being assigned with a nurse helps them see the bigger picture of how an assignment is managed - that's the benefit of conducting a final clinical/practicum with this arrangement.
I don't see it as a major benefit for the majority of the clinicals where students are supposed to be learning the ideal care of a particular patient or learning the individual elements of nursing care: The case review, the researching of meds, the care planning, the nursing process, and then all the details involved in performing the interventions. Putting students with a nurse who runs this whole process smoothly and has neither the time nor the need to belabor or tease out each element of the nursing process for someone else's educational benefit is a major disservice to the student.
Students aren't really there to be included with staff - not that they are to be excluded, of course - but they aren't staff; they are not taking independent responsibility for anything. It's fun to have them around and to play a part in their learning experiences, but in the end their presence creates more work and to some extent divides the RN's time and attentions while the RN has a primary duty to the patients for whom s/he is caring. That's why IMO it is best for students' overall supervision and assistance to come through an employee of the entity they are paying for such, which is their school.
I don't agree with any scenario where the staff nurse has either the duty or the power to offer feedback that significantly affects a student's grade or reputation outside of final clinical rotations with a dedicated staff RN preceptor, or individual situations where reporting becomes necessary d/t staff observations of serious concern. Other than those situations there is not a chain of responsibility that makes student evaluations by staff RNs fair to any of the parties involved. That sort of thing is simply convenient for the school, at others' expense (including patients).
Somehow, OP, you are causing others to feel stupid, incompetent.
I'm not saying they are right, I'm not saying it's your fault.
Unfortunately, enthusiasm and desire to learn and be good at things sometimes evoke jealousy in others.
Unfortunately, those others pretty much hold your fate in their hands at this point.
Do it their way. Blend into the crowd, fade into the woodwork, cater to their egos. Soon enough, it will all be behind you.
Take all the notes you want - in your head. Do not make suggestions, do not ask questions. Just be quiet, someone they don't have to be jealous of or feel inferior to.
Best wishes. Try picturing them naked or something.
"My other job is as a clinical instructor. Most of the walking is done at the beginning of the shift when I am getting students assigned to nurses, but after that, I just check on them every 2 hours. In my down time, I find a good spot and work on homework on my laptop."
I was stunned she actually admitted this and with enough information that she could be found on FB which listed the school she worked for.
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:
I agree with others, try to stay silent, and if it stays the same, file a complaint for abuse against your instructor (if it comes down to that) or the school. You are not at school to be abused or harassed, or for them to contribute to anxiety, you are there to learn.
Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.
I was one of the floor nurses who loved having students. However, when I got one, I always took a couple of minutes to review my personal policies for having a student during my shift.
1. I always told them I loved having a student and looked forward to the day with them.
2. Then I told them that I could not slow down for them. Keeping up with me was their responsibility and if they disappeared, I was not going to go find them and if I had something cool happening I was not going to seek them out to show them. If they were where they were supposed to be, they'd get to see all kinds of stuff and take part in anything they were allowed to.
3. I told them to hold ALL questions until we were out of the patient room. Even if the questions were great ones, they didn't belong being asked in front of the patient and that included any "helpful suggestions" they might feel compelled to make. If they had an idea I had not thought of I would tell them it was a good idea or a bad one and why. If they had questions about patient condition, hospital policies, why I did something the way I did or handled something the way I did, we could talk about it together away from the patient. I explained to them that the patient's comfort in their care was more important than anything else.
In going over these things, it set the tone for the day. I only once had to offload a student and not let them complete their shift with me. This was because the student in question seemed exceptionally focused on trying to demonstrate how much they knew, not focused on how much they had to learn. It may be you are giving this impression as well, I don't know. I think it wasn't handled well and I think you sound like you want to do a good job. The desire to do a good job is something we cannot teach. Either you have it or you don't. The rest, we can address.
Most nurses aren't interested in how much you know as a student. We are more interested in how much we can teach you in the time we have you. Intervention isn't your role. Learning is. Remember to ask all questions out of earshot of patients, to recognize you are a student and the nurse is a licensed professional and that you are going to work with all kinds of personalities and cultures. The first was nurturing, this one is more stringent. Learn to roll with it. And get rid of the notebook. ? Not because having it is wrong, but because you have been let know that you need to for whatever bizarre reason. Its a small thing and easy to rectify.
eta: Advocating for patient safety in the case of a med error is an obvious exception to avoiding questions in front of the patient. Preventing harm would always take priority, but most student questions are not in that vein.
I was one of the floor nurses who loved having students. However, when I got one, I always took a couple of minutes to review my personal policies for having a student during my shift.
1. I always told them I loved having a student and looked forward to the day with them.
2. Then I told them that I could not slow down for them. Keeping up with me was their responsibility and if they disappeared, I was not going to go find them and if I had something cool happening I was not going to seek them out to show them. If they were where they were supposed to be, they'd get to see all kinds of stuff and take part in anything they were allowed to.
3. I told them to hold ALL questions until we were out of the patient room. Even if the questions were great ones, they didn't belong being asked in front of the patient and that included any "helpful suggestions" they might feel compelled to make. If they had an idea I had not thought of I would tell them it was a good idea or a bad one and why. If they had questions about patient condition, hospital policies, why I did something the way I did or handled something the way I did, we could talk about it together away from the patient. I explained to them that the patient's comfort in their care was more important than anything else.
In going over these things, it set the tone for the day. I only once had to offload a student and not let them complete their shift with me. This was because the student in question seemed exceptionally focused on trying to demonstrate how much they knew, not focused on how much they had to learn. It may be you are giving this impression as well, I don't know. I think it wasn't handled well and I think you sound like you want to do a good job. The desire to do a good job is something we cannot teach. Either you have it or you don't. The rest, we can address.
Most nurses aren't interested in how much you know as a student. We are more interested in how much we can teach you in the time we have you. Remember to ask all questions out of earshot of patients. And get rid of the notebook. ?
Wow, really good stuff! It would be helpful to know which "clinical site" you were hosting, critical care?
I haven’t read all the pages of responses here. I just wanted to say— keep your head down and your mouth shut and you’ll get through it.
I have only been out of school for six months. And yesterday something reminded me of a clinical site and I thought “Wow.. gee.. that was sort of rough. Seems like years ago.” I honestly barely remembered the clinical-site drama and it was six MONTHS ago. Once you graduate you’ll be busy and this will quickly fade into the depths of your memory. Just say “yes ma’am,” accept a low grade if that’s what they give you, and keep your eye on the prize. It doesn’t sound like you’re in danger of failing, which is the only thing that would really make any difference to your future.
Davey Do
10,666 Posts
Interesting statement, atxgirly!
The first thought that popped into my mind upon reading it was, "Yeah, because of all the (manure) that gets flung!"