Unprofessional Clinical Educator.. What would you do?

Nurses General Nursing

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I’ve been a RN for a year in the ICU. Our clinical educator is a woman in her 60’s who generally seems to be well liked and gets along with everyone, although being the clinical educator she can be seen as annoying sometimes - I suppose that comes with the job. But she doesn’t seem to like me.

There have been two occasions where she has inappropriately approached me about an unrelated topic while I’m doing my morning assessment on a patient. The first time she was in a panic asking me if my BLS had expired because she didn’t have it on file, in a patient’s doorway. Today she came up behind me while I was suctioning a vented patient and asked me, “What the hell happened to you yesterday?” in regards to me not showing up to an optional class I had forgotten about. She was almost sort of grilling me and told me myself and another person hadn’t shown and she was livid. 

I think this is inappropriate and I’m almost tempted to speak up because this is the second time she’s done something similar, but curious to know everyone’s thoughts.

Thank you!

There are far worse behaviors out there. But coming to a patient doorway and suggesting that (what could sound to a lay person like) the nurse's qualifications could be expired (because someone can't currently find a piece of paper)? Not cool. "Hey Barb..." is okay if she's at the door asking whether I got my piece of candy for attending her morning inservice. But I prefer to start with "Do not..." when someone has a habit of haughtily trying to conduct non-urgent nursing business in front of a patient, whether they do it to be aggressive/authoritative or just because they're a dingbat. This goes for everyone, not just someone who happens to be an educator.

I think it is very unprofessional to conduct any of this at/near a patient's bedside, even random low-key business. Even stuff like, "hey, you can go to lunch when you're done there..." --- meh, it all adds up to the picture the patient gets of what we are focusing on.

Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
1 hour ago, JKL33 said:

it all adds up to the picture the patient gets of what we are focusing on.

Yeah! The patient could be made part of the interaction by asking the patient a passive-aggressive question directed at the culprit, like, "May I put your care on hold for a moment while I deal with this rude staff member?"

Specializes in ICU.

Thanks all. I suppose there are worse offenses and maybe I’m being overly sensitive but her tone and approach just rubs me the wrong way. I agree it influences the patient’s perspective of their care.

14 minutes ago, Davey Do said:

Yeah! The patient could be made part of the interaction by asking the patient a passive-aggressive question directed at the culprit, like, "May I put your care on hold for a moment while I deal with this rude staff member?"

Not gonna lie, there have been days well in the past where I would've rolled my eyes and said something to the patient about her competency after she left as a means of defending/justifying myself to the patient. I've long since recognized that kind of behavior is not only unprofessional but the feelings it stems from will cause decay from the inside out. Since I don't actually desire to be part of the problem, now I'm much better at recognizing the fact that other people's problems belong to them and I don't need to rush to defend/restore my reputation just because someone else has an idiosyncrasy.

It's good to remember that if someone behaves in a way that most people wouldn't exactly appreciate, others can see that just as well as the one on the receiving end. No need to take personal offense when the fact is that they just clearly look like a goofball (or a jerk or whatever).

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
On 5/27/2021 at 7:50 PM, JKL33 said:

??

Oh, PS: Her age is irrelevant.

I agree. OP why did you mention her age?

Specializes in ER.
7 hours ago, SmilingBluEyes said:

I agree. OP why did you mention her age?

Probably because she is a mean, old biddy who reminds her of bossy Aunt Bertha. She probably has chin hairs too, and a cheap dye job on her hair, plus saggy upper arms. ?

Specializes in Physiology, CM, consulting, nsg edu, LNC, COB.

  “ 22 hours ago,  amoLucia said: 

And NO! You're NOT being 'bullied' nor 'NETYed'.

Davey replied:

Experiencing hallucinations, amo?

Or just acid flashbacks?”

 

I’m looking at this as a prophylactic response against a near-inevitable recrudescence. Love ya, amoLucia! You too, DaveyDo!

I also wonder why her age is relevant here.  Do you think she’s jealous of your youthfulness?  I joke.

These don’t seem like they are that big of a deal to me.  But since it does bother you, take the educator off to the side and tell her how you would like to be approached.  It’s simple.

Just an FYI, at my hospital, not showing up for a class you signed up for is considered a No call, no show and gets you in lots of trouble.  Those classes have limited sizes.  You took a spot that someone else could have had.

Also not having your BLS turned in gets you locked out of being able to clock in at my hospital as well.  That’s also kind of a big deal.  We get suspended without pay for not having BLS done.  Even if I have it done but not turned in to the proper people, I’m suspended.  
 

So while your educators approach was incorrect, you were also in the wrong.  I don’t think it’s that she doesn’t like you.  I think she doesn’t like having to chase you down for things and not showing up to a class.  It doesn’t matter if it was optional.  

Specializes in ICU.

I just mentioned her age so as to describe her. She’s a seasoned nurse who has been an educator and a nurse for a long time. 

I would go with:

"I'm sorry, I am a bit busy right now.  Can I ignore you later?"

2 hours ago, Emergent said:

Probably because she is a mean, old biddy who reminds her of bossy Aunt Bertha. She probably has chin hairs too, and a cheap dye job on her hair, plus saggy upper arms. ?

Uh, I have those. ? Well, my dye job isn’t cheap but...

Specializes in oncology.

The hospital I was at decreed that RT should teach patients how to use their inhalers. A student and I were in the middle of a complex dressing change, RT came in and gave some kind of garbled instruction on the inhaler. No return demonstration, no real evaluation of learning as the RT stood at the foot of the bed describing what the patient would do.

 

This is totally off the subject here, but we had a patient put on a Holter monitor while in the hospital. The individual who was was to place the monitor gave the teaching instructions and documented the patient understood. (I am old...this is before we had the ability to tele monitor all rooms). RN went in shortly and the patient was dead. Code called. unsuccessful. When the Holter was read it was determined the patient was dead when it was applied. The person who applied the Holter, who had documented the teaching and evaluation of learning was a son of the DON. Of course he was fired.....You may think this is an urban legend but it is the truth!

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