by SARS Nars from Mars
Working as a Clinical Instructor is definitely very humbling. It taught me to be more understanding and give more patience toward my students, co-faculty, and my salary for already rendered services.
But I never thought I would say this, but after working as a Clinical Instructor for quite sometime, no monetary compensation can suffice the difficulty a Clinical Instructor have in dealing with students and co-faculty.
Based on my experience, students' attitude definitely varies. But those who are worst to deal with are those who are stubborn, self-righteous, and self-centered.
Some students are stubborn in such a way that you have to constantly remind and reprimand them of their faults. I usually tell these students that a person who thinks but doesn't learn is in great danger, definitely!
Self-righteous students are those who never listens to Clinical Instructors' instructions. Instead, they make their own rules and fear no one because of leverage of their influence in school. An example of this is a student nurse who doesn't bring thermometer on a make-up duty because he thinks he can get away with it and he uses the thermometer at the nurse's station instead. After reprimand, this student spreads rumor among his peers that the clinical instructor is just taking extra effort to watch him closely for faults because of its hidden grudge to him.
Self-centered students are those who take advantage of their fellow students and the faculty as well at all times for their own personal gain. Examples of these are instances wherein these students deliberately compare clinical instructors who they will favor more in terms who can easily be manipulated and who is most likely to pass them with just "pleasing personality" as the basis. Basically, the purpose of these students is to create hostility and competition among Clinical Instructors favoring to their own advantage.
These 3 type of students usually blame Clinical Instructors for almost all their failures. They really never understand the discipline the nursing profession demands that is incorporated into their curriculum and being implemented by the College of Nursing.
They always wanted that everything either goes in their favor or at their convenience.
In regards with co-faculty, cooperation and respect among Clinical Instructors are essential for a nursing faculty to function well.
But how can that be possible if a junior Clinical Instructor have no choice but to do the work of a very inconsiderate senior co-faculty on its behalf because it directly affects his own output. It is aside from the fact that this Clinical Instructor is already preoccupied with his own work load and other errands though they are both equally compensated which is really unfair and very unprofessional. The senior Clinical Instructor on other hand is much more preoccupied in entertaining other part time jobs and on-call duties.
Though I have experienced all of these, as a nurse myself, I have learned to adjust to the demands of my job now as a nurse educator. I do admit that I am not perfect and I have flaws but I always do my best to improve myself personally and professionally.
If its not also only for the great respect and gratitude I have for my mentors in the nursing faculty, who are always there to give me the much needed criticism, advice, support, and guidance, I may already have quit being a Clinical Instructor.
For the next installment of this article, I will be confessing more on the controversies behind Student Nurse - Clinical Instructor Relationships. Watch out for that one.
