How My Instructor Affected My Life

I so hate it when instructors are nasty like this, thank you for persisting

Rae, you need to say thanks to you and your mom that let you enough strong to stay up! Is not ANY explanation for her bad behavior, positive motivation works better than rude behavior, you will never forgot her style for sure. Is not her merit that you are a good nurse is YOURS, you deserve that, with her or with a soft one, you still became a good nurse. But she will be a taugh instructor and at one point she will loose students, make taugh nurses like her, make many others to cry... bad for her... good for you hon! A lot a love and enjoy your new nursing life!

You are probably one fantastic nurse. I would let you take care of me or mine any day. It's a shame that you had to go thru that in your training. No real reason to treat anyone that way, and just awful to do this in front of a patient. You, on the other hand are quite amazing and a credit to all of us.

Good on you for keeping at it. I don't believe in that type of leadership, I despise it. It's not her attitude who made you the wanderful nurse that you are, it's yourself and yourself alone. She didn't give you any motivation, you found it in yourself. Hats off to you!

I agree with some of the others on here - your instructor doesn't deserve the credit - you do. And you had the proper outlook and attitude toward it. Which is, even when bad things happen, there is always some good that can be found in it. I don't really believe in that style of teaching either myself, and I don't believe that it should be allowed to exist. But the sad fact is that it does, and sometimes all we can do is make the best of it. Outside of yourself, the person to really thank is your mother, who recognized what was happening, and actually gave you some encouragement, which is what your instructor should have done.

I had an expperience a lot like yours with.....of all things....my psych. rotation clinical instructor. OMG, lets just say our instructors mirrored each other. She made no secret of the fact that she couldnt stand me. Told the other students too. Little did she know, they were not quick to cross me and were simply humoring her as they listened to her whip up stories about me. See, I was a CNA at the very hospital we did clinicals at. Most of the people in my group were from non-medical backgrounds. So, as far as getting ADLs, AM care and such went, I helped everyone. Obviously, they were not going to jump on the bandwagon with her. This annoyed her to the point of rage. She gave me an evaluation filled with lies and twisted truths you couldnt believe.In the end I got the best of her. Not only did her review not keep me from graduating, but I got very good scores on the psych. portion of the final that semester. Graduation came a semester later. We were to receive our pin then walk down the line of instructors to shake hands and be congradulated. When I got to her, I could see in her eyes the desire to give me a half hearted handshake and be done with me. There was venom in her eyes as I approached her. So, I did what every respectfull newly graduated nurse would do. I acted like I was none the wiser to her attitude towards me, gave her the biggest hug (picked her up off the floor and spun around and all) and acted like she was Gods gift to the school. She about puked from the experience from the look on her face, and she was trying to say something (something venomous I'm sure) but no words came out of ther mouth. She just stood there muttering, moving her lips with no sound coming forth.....total shock. I loved it.

erik that is great! Good for you! To the OP...... I can tell by your writing that you are strong and smart. Aren't you glad you stuck it out! You are inspiration to the others in that position right now. That horrible instructor will have hers coming. One day she will be a patient and she may get a nurse exactly like her!!

I think this particular instructor does not have proper training to be a instructor, when you asked her how to put the medication trip on, I think she herself did not know how to put that on. When instructors do not have enough background stuff about meds or procedures they avoid any situations where you would ask questions. The trick is if they are rude you wouldn't dare to ask questions.Congratulations for your inner strength , you will make one great nurse, do not let anybody put you down.

Nursing educators like this should not be permitted to teach! I experienced this as well, except that those first negative pronouncements over me were very hard to overcome. It seemed they all read each others evaluations. Some instructors seemed "hell bent" on destroying certain students, and often for no good reason. I have been practicing nursing for thirty years now and my life has been full and rich because of nursing. I thank God that I was permitted to graduate in spite of the ill will of a few mean spirited and very vindictive instructors who tried their best to discourage me! There is nothing like nursing for opportunities and adventure!! I wish you the best in a long and exciting career!

My dear future nurse!Ah, how your article reminded me of an instructor I 'experienced'. Not only did she 'attack' me the first day of clinicals when i expressed fear of the unexpected but she continued throughout the experience. She even lied about 'supervising me' when she was not even in site.There will be many dysfunctional situations in your career as a nurse. There will also be many situations that involve individuals with integrity and an interest in the 'whole picture'. Rest assured my friend that you are not alone; however, you read the signals correctly. You continued to forge ahead, learned to expand your abilities and in spite of her attitude you rose like the phoenix from the fire! No one can keep a good nurse down. I see this happen to people even after they are licensed and working. This is a good experience to identify what to ignore, how to expand your knowledge and increase your self worth and forge ahead! Continue to use their negative energy to fuel your desire to provide good patient care. There are always going to be days that do not meet your expectations. Know this! There will also be days when you walk away knowing you provided the best care anyone possibly could provide. There are bullies everywhere including education. They are eventually identified as no one can get way with this negativity forever. Keep that in mind next time someone tries to intimate you like this! You will eventually identify their method of operation quickly and realize 'IT'S NOT YOU'..!

I also had an instuctor that didn't seem to like me. My patient was a 20 year female who had a thyroidectomy and I was also in my twenties. The patient and I got along very well because we had a lot in common. Anyways, this mean instuctor told me that I was very unprofessional and that I didn't have what it takes to be a nurse and that I should just give it up right now. I wanted to start cryiing but I thought I'm not going to let that ----- see me cry. So it took everything I had to keep from crying! But when I saw my other instructor who was so sweet and was a nun I just lost it and told her what she said to me. 2 of my charge nurses at work were both told that they should do some other job by their instructor and they happen to be very excellent nurses! Thank God that we all hung in there!

Stay Strong... Some of these instructors out here are on serious power-trips! I've experienced something similar and after being so mad, sad, and feeling down, I realized that only an inadquate educator would believe that shattering one's confidence was adequate education. It's on her..not you.. Just do your best and document these things. If she did it to you, she definitely did it to others...Just keep a journal, time and date in a mini notebook you can keep in your notebook pocket, like a diary... then if you should have to defend yourself in a "grading situation" you will not have to rely on anecdotal recollection of what occurred.