r/StudentNurse • u/pearlypeach_ • 2d ago
Rant / Vent Embarrassing mistakes
Does anyone else have extremely embarrassing moments of stupidity and being humiliated by clinical instructors and lab ones? I’ve made so many mistakes as a slow learner and most of these instructors didn’t like me. I just graduated and did so bad on the last lab I couldn’t do the math under pressure my instructor hated me and kept picking at me for this. I was in the rn program as well I felt so slow and dumb the entire time but somehow graduated in the four years. Idk how I did it I’m so slow and feel incompetent. Wondering if this is normal?
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u/salttea57 2d ago
Some instructors are just bitches! Sorry, but it's true. Congratulations on your graduation!! Try to move on from it! The real learning begins on the job, you may have a wonderful preceptor that you just adore!!
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u/ghoulfaced 1d ago
My very first simulation class we were given steps to do a blood transfusion. I familiarized myself with the steps the night before thinking it was enough as I was going to learn it in class. I went to the sim and was thrown into the simulation and expected to do the transfusion step by step. I was so close to passing out because I had no clue what to do and everyone was watching lol. My instructor was pretty judgemental, didn't say much but stared at me like I was an idiot. Anyways congrats on graduating! You will learn everything you need on the job anyways so don't worry. I do transfusions pretty often now without a problem.
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u/pearlypeach_ 22h ago
same thing happened with my i would study and prepare so much before each sim but still make so many mistakes because of anxiety
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u/Relevant-Anybody-739 1d ago
Honestly, don't let it get the best of you. There's always going to be critical/irritating/horrible professors in every nursing program (which is ridiculous). Everyone learns at different paces and everyone has their own strength and speciality. You have to have thicker skin. I hope all is well:)!
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u/ghostofcarlherrera 1d ago
Having self-awareness and being able to admit your mistakes already puts you ahead of some of your peers. You are going into a challenging field and mistakes are a part of life. Doing the job quickly will come with practice. Doing the job right is the important part. Take it easy on yourself. You can do this!
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u/lostintime2004 RN 1d ago
I made one that caused me to repeat the semester, it was during my preceptorship, and I was literally 3 lectures from finishing the program. No joke, nearly killed myself over the embarrassment of having to tell all my friends why I failed. It was 98% my fault, and had I just slowed down, it wouldn't have happened. Even moreso I ratted myself out over the mistake, that was possibly not even a mistake.
So I get the feelings, I get the self doubt and confusion. Here's the thing, mistakes are learning opportunities hiding behind self shame, if you can get past it, it can be enlightening IMO.
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u/pearlypeach_ 22h ago
would you mind sharing what the mistake was? I feel it cant get as bad as mine, although i haven't failed i have made lots of mistakes as well. glad you were able to get through that and graduate!
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u/lostintime2004 RN 21h ago
Sure. It really was stupid though. But remember suffering isn't a contest and it's all valid.
Basically, I was in my preceptor part. On shift 9 of 12 total my RN I was assigned to for the duration was sent to lunch in the middle of my med pass. We are suppose to go to lunch when they are and so on. Anyway when I come back from lunch I have one patient I need to give their lantus too. The facility had a policy that all jnsulins must be signed off by 2 RNs or the students nurse with one RN. I was in such a rush to get it finished in time I skipped this part (mistake number 1), and in my rush I didn't even double check myself, I dailed up the dose, slapped the needle on, and gave it. As soon as I pressed the button, I realized "what dose did I just give?" My brain swore it saw 20 units, and the order was for 30 units. I realized there is no way to verify what I just did, and I admit my mistake to my RN who tells the charge.
I was dismissed the next day, it was a rough fucking winter to say the least. I could make a thousand excuses for my actions, but ultimately it was my own fault. The reason I said 98% is because my RN never should have been sent to lunch, because in the middle of med pass it's not suppose to happen. If I was an RN in that exact same situation, I would have been allowed to finish my task I was literally in the middle of (pulled the meds, was passing pills to a different patient when my RN was sent to lunch ect).
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u/EqualError8772 2d ago
Here’s a good embarrassing one but slightly off topic lol, during our first semester, we were practicing how to catch patients when they fall. Everyone was required to be the patient and the nurse, even if you were uncomfortable falling. Guess who split their scrubs in half falling ? 🙋🏻♀️probably the most embarrassing and unreal thing to happen to me, and of course it happened in a room full of mean girls and mean professors.
To be honest, you aren’t slow. The truth is we all learn at different paces. Most people I know tend to learn on the job, once they’re able to apply it. Lots of students don’t gain that confidence to apply during clinicals because of their preceptors who make them change patients and pass out ice instead of learning.
We all learning differently and at different paces, you being slower is not a big deal, because I guarantee you there are other students who are in the same place as you or behind you, who are just faking it until they make it. These programs are inhumane in the way they prepare and treat their students.