Unprofessional Clinical Educator.. What would you do?

[hama1111]

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!

[hama1111, RN]

1 hour ago, JKL33 said:

I think it would be funny (but also inappropriate) if this educator were somewhere posting about how the 23ish-year-old (who is a nice young gal whom others seem to like) blew off class and also let his/her BLS lapse on the very first go-round.

Because all those young-uns are unprofessional and don't follow-through on their responsibilities. As everybody knows. /s

I like to make observations as much as the next person and use various extraneous clues trying to figure out what makes a person tick, but it's dangerous territory...

Do you try to figure out what makes a reporter tick when they describe a suspect or a victim by their age too?.... again I just meant it as a descriptor but apologies if anyone read it as ageism. 

[caliotter3]

Recently AN has an added topic area called New Nurses. Perhaps the site also needs Old Nurses and In Between Nurses.  And then there could always be Biter Nurses.

[Guest219794]

9 hours ago, caliotter3 said:

Recently AN has an added topic area called New Nurses. Perhaps the site also needs Old Nurses and In Between Nurses.  And then there could always be Biter Nurses.

I love the idea of a Biter Nurses section. 

Regarding the rest of this thread- 

Two things I think are pretty trivial:

1- The behavior of the nurse educator.  Just not a big deal, easy enough to blow off.  Patients recognize professional vs unprofessional behavior.  They know the one coming to the door in the middle of patient care to talk about a certification is the unprofessional one here.
That position rarely seems to go to an actual educator.

2- Mentioning the age of the nurse in question.  Not a big deal.  Helped paint a picture of the situation.  

[JKL33]

14 hours ago, hama1111 said:

Do you try to figure out what makes a reporter tick when they describe a suspect or a victim by their age too?

Your analogy suggests a misreading of what I said.  I am saying that sometimes information can bring certain scenarios to mind that may involve stereotyping or over-generalization. So...whether we are experiencing the scenario or hearing about it second hand it isn't a bad idea to focus on the merits themselves in order to avoid misjudging the situation.

Again, the original "PS" was just to state that the merits of this situation can be judged without knowing anyone's age. I had hoped it would be food for thought.

My original reply, which was in agreement that the situations you described were inappropriate, still stands.

Take care.

[JKL33]

2 hours ago, hherrn said:

Patients recognize professional vs unprofessional behavior.  They know the one coming to the door in the middle of patient care to talk about a certification is the unprofessional one here.

Agreed. But I don't think it's trivial that patients are exposed to these little circus acts that go on all day. And are 100% unnecessary.

[Guest219794]

7 minutes ago, JKL33 said:

Agreed. But I don't think it's trivial that patients are exposed to these little circus acts that go on all day. And are 100% unnecessary.

Absolutely.

In general, nursing education leaves a lot to be desired.  We learn to accept crappy education from the start.  Nursing instructors frequently have no educational qualifications and divide their time between reading powerpoints out loud and devising test questions for which students have to pick the best wrong answer out of four wrong answers.

This sets the stage for much of hospital based education.  Nurses educators are rarely gifted teachers, and essentially have nursing school and whatever substandard education they have received as a role model as they perpetuate the cycle.

I can pretty well guarantee the nurse in question in this thread is not a captivating, dynamic teacher picked because of her excellent communicaton skills. 

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

On 5/29/2021 at 3:28 AM, 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. ?

Well as a member of the Crusty Old Bat Society _ I do have t tweeze a chin hair occasionally. But as Emergent said the hair color ain't cheap!.

 Hppy

[Davey Do]

17 hours ago, JKL33 said:

I like to make observations as much as the next person and use various extraneous clues trying to figure out what makes a person tick, but it's dangerous territory...

Once again, I say:

18 hours ago, Davey Do said:

Au contraire mon frère!

As with any situation which have variables, realizing certain constants, or truths, can be applied to those variables and the product can be a known number.

The methods in which the constants are applied to the variables allows us to have a sense of the unknown, in a sense, what Joseph Campbell said, “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek”.

We fear the unknown when we have no idea of know what to expect, thus making it "dangerous territory".

As medical professionals have an idea of the pathological progression of a physical disease, psychiatric professionals have an idea of the progression of mental behavior.

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

1 hour ago, hppygr8ful said:

Well as a member of the Crusty Old Bat Society _ I do have t tweeze a chin hair occasionally. But as Emergent said the hair color ain't cheap!.

 Hppy

As another member of the COB Society, I agree. Can't they give us a senior discount on the color?

Now back to the topic at hand

[Davey Do]

2 hours ago, JKL33 said:

 I don't think it's trivial that patients are exposed to these little circus acts that go on all day. And are 100% unnecessary.

"Unnecessary" in the sense that these situations take place and are not universally desired for therapeutic outcomes.

However, we know that some need drama in their lives, some reasons being, for comfort and motivation. Some are uncomfortable and not motivated without that drama.

As emotional beings, we adapt to the environment and are uncomfortable when that environment is not the one in which we adapted.

The concept of Addicted to Unhappiness applies here. As infants, if our primary caregivers manifested behavior which could have been interpreted as, let's say unstable, we will seek and cause to make situations unstable.

That instability gives us comfort, and motivates us to not be anhedonic.

[londonflo]

1 hour ago, Davey Do said:

As emotional beings, we adapt to the environment and are uncomfortable when that environment is not the one in which we adapted.

The concept of Addicted to Unhappiness applies here.

I appreciate your comment. I learned something that will help me understand my/our world.

[Kitiger, RN]

3 hours ago, Hoosier_RN said:

As another member of the COB Society, I agree. Can't they give us a senior discount on the color?

Now back to the topic at hand

How does one become a member of the Crusty Bat Society?