Why am I up at 4am on a night I'm not doing the night shift on the OB unit? I'm a nervous wreck about my teaching debut today!
I accepted an offer to teach OB clinicals for half a semester at my Alma Mater. So, now I am the nervous instructor where once I was the nervous nursing student.
The source of most of my anxiety comes from the fact that I am doing my clinicals at a hospital that I do not work at. I have to use their pyxis/electronic medication computer system, etc. and learn their protocols, etc. I just wish it were at the hospital I am already working at where those details were not a source of stress to me and I could just focus on mentoring the students.
Another source of stress is in the details. As a practicing nurse on OB, when I assess a postpartum woman's fundus, I feel it and can automatically tell if it is appropriate or of concern without really thinking much about it. But, now I have to go back to my textbook days and be able to site that at X number of hours postpartum the fundus should be midline, firm and at X-finger-breaths below/above the umbilicus, etc. etc. Another example: when I listen to bowel sounds on a post cesarean section mother, I put my stethoscope on her abdomen and can tell relatively quickly what we are dealing with. But, that will not be good enough. I will have to now instruct student to listen to each quadrant in a clockwise motion before palpation for X number of seconds and count the number of bowel sounds heard and their characteristics in order to successfully assess the patient. See what I'm saying?
And, as I former student who lived for the DETAILS, I know there will be a student or two who are just waiting to test the new instructor and deem her fit/unfit to instill knowledge into them.
Anyway, dispite all of my fears, I am looking forward to it. I used to do doula work at this hospital, so I am hoping to see some of the doctors and nurses I used to work with years ago. And, it is a new experience. One I am thankful to have.
Wish me much luck, please!
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1 comment:
Best of luck, Myra!
A professor of mine once said, when I was in grad school, that the flip side of nervousness is excitement. It's good to be nervous because that means you're also excited. Your enthusiasm will help you do an excellent job.
And after 18 years or so of teaching, I still get nervous before I step into a classroom! :-)
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