Very bad clinical evaluation from my instructor

stressgal, RN · Mar 9, 2006

Sorry you are not having a great week. Evaluations can be tough, but they are there to assist, not deter you. No, you aren't going to be great friends with everyone, but you will need to communicate well and be able to work with others to be a "good nurse in the real world." I'm sure we have all had reviews that weren't wonderful from time to time. The key is using the criticisim in a constructive way to grow and learn. Instead of defending, ask what you can do to improve relationships and communication. When you have clear goals you can then work on them. Ask the instructor how they would handle a difficult patient when a situation arises. If the review was fair or not is something you will have to decide for yourself. But proving it is a different situation. Once again if you have clear goals to work on you can be assured the same things don't happen.

Good luck!

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Mar 10, 2006

Just thinking a bit about that patient who told your instructor she didn't like you, and how you said "everything was routine" that you did. Just maybe, it might be worth looking at it from the patient's angle, and from a different one than you may have before: was this a chatty patient and you weren't talking to her? Were you being "routine" enough that she felt like you weren't seeing HER, just a patient? Were you smiley, or straight-faced while taking the measurements? In other words, were you there to do a job and get it done but could have interacted better with her?

I'm not criticizing you, I wasn't there, but sometimes if a patient says she "doesn't like the student" it's not that the student did anything WRONG, but maybe could have been a little more....right. Just worth mulling over, anyway :)

Bala Shark · Mar 10, 2006

Just thinking a bit about that patient who told your instructor she didn't like you, and how you said "everything was routine" that you did. Just maybe, it might be worth looking at it from the patient's angle, and from a different one than you may have before: was this a chatty patient and you weren't talking to her? Were you being "routine" enough that she felt like you weren't seeing HER, just a patient? Were you smiley, or straight-faced while taking the measurements? In other words, were you there to do a job and get it done but could have interacted better with her?
I'm not criticizing you, I wasn't there, but sometimes if a patient says she "doesn't like the student" it's not that the student did anything WRONG, but maybe could have been a little more....right. Just worth mulling over, anyway :)

My instructor told me that, that not everyone is going to like me so he kind of agreed with me on the patient but still, he said, your evaluation is weak because of what a patient told me and what your classmates told me..Every evaluation done by the students related to if they bonded with you in class..Of course, you will give a high rating to your friends and a harsher rating to the people who are not your friends..That is common sense..Anyway, I have a new instructor on my next rotation and I am going to ask her about the communication part on what is expected of me, and I will go from there...Having a patient tell the instructor that I am not doing well..Yikes, and all I did was take her blood pressure and blood sugar without any complications..

Bala Shark · Mar 10, 2006

I was wondering, the classmates who failed me..I suppose to face them everyday...Isnt it appropriate to ignore rather than interact with your the classmates who betrayed me? I mean, I did not grade my classmates low even thou, I dislked them..But that is what they did to me..Gosh, the world is cold..

smilin_gp · Mar 10, 2006

Classmates such as this are going to be very similar to the people that you work with in the future. You don't have to act as if they are your best friends or that you want them to be- no one is expected to love everybody, but you probably do need to learn ways of communicating with them so that they like working with you. Acting in more defensive ways, such as completely ignoring them, will make things worse for you, and will not allow you to grow from the experience.

Bala Shark · Mar 10, 2006

Classmates such as this are going to be very similar to the people that you work with in the future. You don't have to act as if they are your best friends or that you want them to be- no one is expected to love everybody, but you probably do need to learn ways of communicating with them so that they like working with you. Acting in more defensive ways, such as completely ignoring them, will make things worse for you, and will not allow you to grow from the experience.

Yes, I know that, but the employer will hire a nurse if he or she thinks that the nurse will fit in the working enviornment..And the best way to avoid confilict is to completly ignore the person in a classroom setting..Even in the working world, ignoring someone is the best option in avoiding conflict..I mean, that is what I should have done all along in the first place..I mean, I should not have tuned into their personalities in the first semester for me to avoid them in the last semester..

Tracey "Amber" · Mar 10, 2006

So sorry about the evaluation. It stinks to get knocked down especially when it is personal not professional.

I am finishing my first year in a few weeks. The tear streaked faces every night including my own are begining to freak me out.

The instructors are not happy:angryfire and are saying the most awful stuff lately. Maybe it is something in the water.

They explain 5 tests, 4 finals, 2 papers ,2 group projects, and some community service in 4 weeks is to test weather or not your spirit can take the overload because that is the way it is in the real world.

Goodness do I really want to do this. Are these the people I want to spend a lifetime working with. Will you ever forget who gave you the student eval. No way!

rpv_rn · Mar 10, 2006

Rather than focusing on others and what they did to you, take the time for self-reflection and evaluate yourself.

Honestly assess yourself (as in the 1st step of the nursing process) by critiquing your behaviors. Do not assess the behaviors by others that you perceived have "wronged" you, as you cannot control or change them (patient, instructor, peers). Maintain your self-reflection in "I" statements. This is not easy but sincere reflection of your behaviors will help in future professional rlelationships with others.

Reflect on your communication techniques. Reflect on how your behavior impacts others. Remember that non-verbal speaks volumes much more than verbal communication. Once you have truthfully reflected inwardly, discuss with your instructor about positive and negative aspects of your behaviors and how you can promote the positve and improve on the negative.

KyPinkRN · Mar 10, 2006

Yes, I know that, but the employer will hire a nurse if he or she thinks that the nurse will fit in the working enviornment..And the best way to avoid confilict is to completly ignore the person in a classroom setting..Even in the working world, ignoring someone is the best option in avoiding conflict..I mean, that is what I should have done all along in the first place..I mean, I should not have tuned into their personalities in the first semester for me to avoid them in the last semester..

Healthcare is a team sport. You can't possibly have an effective working relationship with someone if you ignore them... you don't have to be their best friend but you do have to show them respect (even if they don't give it to you.) That is what makes a sucessful professional, the ability to put personal feelings aside and do your job. Good Luck with the rest of school I hope it gets better for you.

Nutmeg5575 · Mar 11, 2006

I agree with what the last person said. I am sorry you had this happen but even though it stinks you should do your best to get along with the others. Those people in your class may work with your or heaven forbid even be your boss one day. (Of course it could be the other way around.) I know it is hard, especially when some of the students are fresh out of high school and still have the "popular unpopular" mentality. Just do your best and don't do anything to make them dislike you. One day they will wake up to the real world. (hopefully :lol2: ) But if they don't they won't make it far in life. Good luck.

DaFreak71 · Mar 11, 2006

I'm sorry you're having such a hard time. I know that school is hard enough without having to worry about how much your classmates like you. With that said, I would suggest that you make a real effort to improve your relationships with your classmates. Not because it might improve your evaluations (which would be a great bonus!) but because these skills are essential to having cohesive work relationships. Your class is a microcosm of the real world working environment. A few things I would do in your situation would be to offer assistance to the classmates that you are having difficulty with. When you have free moments, offer to help them bathe or otherwise assist them with their patients. I would also try to interact with them more. You don't have to be best friends with them, but these are your future co-workers and it might be a good idea to put the animosity to rest before you graduate.

When my husband graduated and was interviewing for a job at our local hospital, the interviewer asked who he thought would make a good employee (out of the others in his class who were applying). I think employers want to get an idea of how well you and your classmates work together. You are in an ideal position to evaluate your classmates because you will have spent a good deal of time with them in class and clinicals. Instructors recommendations are valuable, but it's your fellow classmates who actually worked with you in school and were around you the most.

In a perfect world we would only be judged on our competence with regard to job duties. But politics play a role in these situations and you ignore them at your own peril. Make the effort to at least be on speaking terms with your classmates.

Best of luck!