When I was in nursing school (4 years ago) I had an instructor that I just did not click with. We just never saw eye to eye, and I never felt like I was good enough for her. It didn't matter how hard I worked she always made me feel small and insignificant. Students from my school do their clinicals at the hospital where I work, and I love having them. I love teaching in the clinical setting.
Two months ago my old instuctor had a group of first year students on my floor. She assigned one of them to me, which was flattering in itself, and asked me if the student could just follow me and observe how I go about my shift with a focus on head to toe assessment and time management. I happily said yes and off we went. I am a hands-on teacher so, when I did my assessments I instructed the student to listen to the heart and lungs, assess skin and so on, and had her verbalize her observations so we could compare, and did other things to allow the student to apply what she had learned so far in the classroom. When her time with me was over she thanked me and left. I didn't give it another thought.
A few days later the instructor stopped me in the hall and told me the student had told her I was a wonderful teacher, that hands on learning was just what she needed to really understand head to toe assessment, and that I was the only nurse she had followed that had done a neuro check on every patient regardless of neurological status ( I work on an ortho/neuro floor). The instructor then went on to say she would like to add me to her cirriculum and asked me if I would be aggreeable to having a student for head to toe assessments for at least one shift a week during the school year! I was floored! Hands down the best thing an instructor has said to me! Knowing I have earned her respect, as a teacher and an RN is priceless!
I had a chemisty teacher say something similar. We started with 65 students. Ended up with 18 and no one got an A. That tells me more about the quality of the teacher than it does the students. I had anxiety/stress dreams about that class the following summer. Used to dream it was not really over and only mid-term! LOL!
No offense, but nursing students and recent grads are the only ones who care about an NCLEX score. I assure all students, no one will ever ask you how you scored on any test once you are working as a nurse. You could have the best or the worst score and it doesn't have a lot to do with what makes someone a great nurse. So all you new grads about to take boards, don't stress on that too much. It is one of the most stressful things many students go through, but it doesn't matter a hill of beans in the end.
One evening, I was at a traffic light with an assoc. nsg instr. 2 cars behind me. Suddenly, a horrific 2MVA occurred in front of us. So, I grabbed my lab coat, and stepped forward. Yep, was mistaken as a doctor by the cop, but anyway... helped the less injured lady with the gash across her cheek, assessed, VS, held pressure with gauze, temp.drg. and buckled her into the front passenger seat of the ambulance, and waited for them to depart. Mainly because all the others were needed for the other victim. As it turned out, the instr. and I were both heading to the gas station around the corner. I paid inside, because I still needed to wash my hands. She overheard the cashier ask me if I was an intern. I replied, simply no, I was "just a nursing student."
As we crossed paths out at the cars, she proceeded to lecture me: Don't ever let me hear you say you're "Just" a nursing student or "Just" a nurse! You are The Nurse, or You are Their Nurse... She wanted to tell me, she saw what I had done, and was pleased with my skill and calm manor. Instead, I got chewed out for cutting myself short. Since then, I have been known as "Paul, the nurse." Many times since I have corrected other CNAs, nurses, once even a sleepy eyed resident (that was about to make a mistake). We have to empower ourselves to use what is in each of us: I don't allow a spouse to say, I'm "just the wife." Please remind them...
It doesn't matter what's behind you name: LPN, MD, RN, Mom, Dtr, Son, or friend....
What matters is that it comes from your heart, flows down your arms and into your hands,
So at that moment, when you lay your hands on that patient,
You're the one ministering, nurturing, Nursing to that person.
You care to give. You're the caregiver. The nurse.
Specializes in Float Pool - A Little Bit of Everything.
I had an instructor who would randomly shout "AIRWAY!!!" during our lecture on primary assessment. It made us all laugh, but to this day I hear her voice when I consciously asses the airway first.
I don't remember an instructor specifically saying anything awful to me, but I do remember the least clear and concise lecturer trying to teach us about blood gasses and how confusing and difficult she made it, until we got the "AIRWAY!!" lecturer to explain it to us in a way that made sense.
We must have had the same professor!!!! LOL, same situation for me! She was the one professor that got a standing ovation from students at graduation.
What is the worst or best thing a nursing instructor (or preceptor) ever said to you?
My first clinical instructor told me to consider a different career because I cried too easily and wasn't assertive enough.
Ironically a later preceptor (after I teared up at my first delivery) said you were born to do this and you'll make an excellent nurse.
Both pushed me to keep going so I guess both good? Although I still can't stand that first nursing instructor.
My med/surg I clinical instructor also told me to consider a different career. I wasn't doing so well on the exams, but I ended up pulling a B for the class Rather than give me encouragement and offer extra help or alternatives to identify the real problem (test anxiety, stress, work schedule, etc.), she just gave me that response. Needless to say, I received the help that I needed from another instructor. Sometimes I wonder if she went into teaching because she didn't seem to have the correct interpersonal skills and couldn't cut it on the bedside...like the old saying, "those who can do, those who can't teach". I noticed during our clinical rotations, she seemed reluctant to touching any of the patients and her conversations with them seemed awkward. Maybe SHE should have chosen a different career because that quote definitely fitted her personality Kudos to the nurses who are instructors with great interpersonal skills!
Worst: one instructor called me out, in front of our entire class, for needing medication. Something along the lines of "If you can't pay attention in here, you're not fit to be in the floor"
Same instructor told me not to even apply for a critical care spot for my capstone because "you can't even handle a circumcision" (I fainted during my OB rotation while observing a circ. Hated OB!)
Best: During my capstone in ICU, my supervising CI told me that she looked forward to seeing my career flourish and that I should continue to research and submit my work.
She shared my capstone project with the incoming class. I remember being floored when I heard that she told them what a great job I was doing and that they should seek me out if they needed advice.
Another best moment: sitting in my advisers office freaking out over my med/surg 2 grade. I started to cry and began to apologize when I realized she looked angry.
She told me that my situation was complete BS and that I needed to go home and study and wait to hear from her. She really went to bat for me. I mean really! I would have failed out 5 days from graduation if she didn't step in to advocate for me.
It was an amazing experience to receive my pin from her along with a huge hug.
in an OR observing I was the only nursing students and there were 3 med students. The surgeon was grilling all of us quizzing us and 2 of the students were not doing so well but then the 3rd fainted. The other 2 had to take a couple breaks throughout the lengthy procedure. The MD made a crack about nurses not being cut out of the same cloth. A nurse helped the fallen up and out of the OR. Walking out of the OR the surgeon was complimenting my knowledge and ability to hold myself. He told me I would make an amazing Doctor. I turned and started pulling my disposable gown off and told him "thank you but I'd rather be a nurse" and then it hit him that I was the nursing student.
My instructor(hated me with a passion) heard a nursing student fainted and came in reeming me without even assessing the situation. That doctor told off my nursing instructor and raved about how knowledgable and great I was. He told her that I was "wasted talent" by being in nursing.
Not it that I agree with him about the profession but it was amazing the have a MD tell her that I was intelligent, knowledgable and held up when a med student couldn't.
Worst st would be in my RN program-
The program director told me being disabled I couldn't be a nurse and had no business in nursing... even though I've been a working LVN for a decade.
An instructor told me if I listened to her and did exactly what she said then I might have a chance at being a decent nurse some day even though I already was an amazing nurse... nevermind the fact she told our entire class you are actually pregnant 10months. 40weeks=10months (so 2 months of 12weeks?)
Not a nursing instructor per se, but a nurse I worked with as a tech while in nursing school: one day after I was working as a new grad RN and we had a horrible shift with lots of very sick patients, this nurse (who has been a nurse longer than some of us have been alive, she graduated from a diploma program in the 1950s) gave me a big hug and told me I was one hell of a nurse. That made my day/week/year, because she is an amazing human and I learned so much from her.
Rather than give me encouragement and offer extra help or alternatives to identify the real problem (test anxiety, stress, work schedule, etc.), she just gave me that response. Needless to say, I received the help that I needed from another instructor. Sometimes I wonder if she went into teaching because she didn't seem to have the correct interpersonal skills and couldn't cut it on the bedside...like the old saying, "those who can do, those who can't teach". I noticed during our clinical rotations, she seemed reluctant to touching any of the patients and her conversations with them seemed awkward. Maybe SHE should have chosen a different career because that quote definitely fitted her personality 
Kudos to the nurses who are instructors with great interpersonal skills!
Guest957596
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So out yourself.