RN teacher failing students to "weed" them out?

[xmissxscarlet09]

Here is the situation that has had nursing students, including myself, very upset over this one teacher. I am a first semester RN student, and along with 35 others and we have many complaints about one teacher. Now I am not out to make a big deal about this person, but I feel that what they are doing is very wrong. First, there have been numerous students and ADVISORS who have said that this teacher is trying to weed out some of the first semester students by making the course extremely difficult to pass. I believe this.

For our competencies (where we perform a task to pass on a dummy), it was using a certain technique. And the lab instructors are the ones who watched us and gave us our grade. Well this teacher, after everyone took the competency, said to us "I am the ONLY person who can determine a final grade, and if I feel that you cannot perform the technique by reading the notes the lab professors put on your paper, I have the power to fail or pass you".

Additionally, this teacher never posts our grades, power points, notes, content guides, or any of the material we NEED until 2 days before there is an exam when numerous students have asked this teacher to post them, and they said they would, but they still do not.

I am getting pretty good grades, but I do not feel confident at all when I am the school. I feel really confident when im in the clinical setting. Our clinical instructor said we need to talk to the Head of Nursing, and we all have. I just feel like that isnt enough and this teacher is going to win against us. I really like our teacher as a person, however when they instruct us, I feel like they are looking down on us and trying to fail us.

I dont know what to do, and Im also worried about my fellow RN students... does anyone think this is right??

[RyanCarolinaBoy, ADN, BSN, MSN]

Well, call me mean and abrasive, but I haven't heard anyone say this, and it's begging to be said. Nursing school is "tough" and you may think that this instructor is "mean" and "unfair" but to me, it sounds like a typical nursing instructor. She's not there to be your friend. She's there to teach, and trust me, I've only been a nurse for six years, but i've seen some pretty crappy nurses turning out. Some of them were in my class. To be honest, not everyone is cut out to be a nurse.

My advise is...go to class, TAKE YOUR OWN NOTES...it sounds like the students at your school expect things to be handed to you. In real life, you wont find a doctor that hands you a powerpoint with what you need to know, you'll be expected to find/retain that info on your own. Keep your head down, do your work, and you'll do fine.

[Rob72, ASN, RN]

It doesn't sound like any rules are being broken.

Not quite true. Most accrediting bodies mandate that students have the right to non-prejudicial examination, and a validated appeals process. Stating that if a student is unable to read hand-written critiques they will fail is decidedly not unbiased, and has nothing to do with practice.

In practice, if you can't read chicken-scratches, you call/page the A-hole, and ask them to clarify the scribble.

Some may disagree, but nursing isn't difficult, if one is reasonably intelligent. Time management is a huge challenge/problem, but that has nothing to do with concepts or theory. Attempting to make nursing school the equivalent of the Army's Q course is pedantic and immature, though some instructors are so inclined...

[llg, PhD, RN]

I can't tell from your post whether this teacher is doing anything really wrong or unfair -- or not. The fact that only SHE can officially determine your grade (and not the lab instructors) is not necessarily unfair. Her statement may be simply a correct statement of the fact that she (and only she) is the course coordinator and that she is the person ultamately responsible for determining your final grade. That's not necessarily unfair.

Similarly, the fact that the course is difficult is not necessarily unfair. Nurses have a lot of responsbility -- and good schools have high standards. It is very possible that some of the students in your class WILL not meet the standard necessary to pass the course (or be a nurse). That doesn't mean the course was unfair.

So yes, this teacher may be unnecessarily harsh ... and some students may be struggling with the course ... and maybe there are a few unfair things going on. But be careful about assuming that something is unfair just because it is not what the students want.

[mazy]

She sounds hardcore. I don't know if she is being fair or unfair, but it sounds like she is pushing you guys hard to learn not just the academic skills in nursing, but also the personal tools to adjust the pressures of real life nursing.

If you survive this course, you may someday look back and realize that this teacher was the best learning experience you ever had. Or not. She could be on a real power trip and completely out of line. It's kind of hard to be sure looking at it from here.

I'm a second career nurse and so have a degree in another field and I can tell you without question that whatever you study, if you take it seriously, the best teachers are the ones who will push you to the point where you have to either drop out or change who you are to be able to get the grades and succeed out in the real world.

Weeding out happens in every branch and at every level in academia. Sometimes for the better.

[xmissxscarlet09]

cool??? whats that supposed to mean?

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

66 of us started in my class; 22 of us graduated.

[xmissxscarlet09]

okay well first of all, I DO take my own notes....and I'm not trying to make a big deal about it, it doesnt matter what I am doing, its what she is doing and it is unfair. We do not expect them to hand feed us, I really feel that if i were to explain more then you would understand, but im not going to write pages about this issue. Also, the way they are teaching us they MAKE US memorize and regurgitate the information. Im just saying, I dont feel confident with this specific teacher. All the other teachers really help us, dont talk to us like children, and understand we are struggling. And btw, I am sucking it up...I have not ONCE given up... I just thought that I would share my opinion so maybe I can get some feedback. thanks :]

[RNOTODAY, BSN, RN]

in my opinion, that is the objective of every instructor , every day of nursing school.... to weed out those who cant handle nursing.....

[Orange Tree]

okay well first of all, I DO take my own notes....and I'm not trying to make a big deal about it, it doesnt matter what I am doing, its what she is doing and it is unfair. We do not expect them to hand feed us, I really feel that if i were to explain more then you would understand, but im not going to write pages about this issue. Also, the way they are teaching us they MAKE US memorize and regurgitate the information. Im just saying, I dont feel confident with this specific teacher. All the other teachers really help us, dont talk to us like children, and understand we are struggling. And btw, I am sucking it up...I have not ONCE given up... I just thought that I would share my opinion so maybe I can get some feedback. thanks :]

Please listen to all the advice you're getting. Students with these types of "the teacher is unfair" beliefs are the first to disappear, from what I've experienced. Yes, you need to "memorize and regurgitate" information- but that doesn't mean you have to stop there. You are not going to be "taught" most of what you learn in nursing school- you're going to have to teach yourself. When an instructor tells you you're going to fail if you don't meet her expectations, let her know you're willing to give 200% ...and then do it. :) I never bothered looking at the powerpoints in school and I always did better on my tests than people who whined about them not coming out on time (not that they have to be provided at all).

[AJPV]

in my opinion, that is the objective of every instructor , every day of nursing school.... to weed out those who cant handle nursing.....

I respectfully disagree. The fact is that thousands of QUALIFIED nursing school applicants are turned away each semester due to a shortage of schools & instructors. That means that those who actually DO make it into the schools are a good measure ABOVE the school's minimum requirements. Sure, there will always be a couple people who don't put forth enough effort and fail out, but that should be the exception. If a teacher can't manage to teach well enough to avoid failing half of her class AND she has been given cream-of-the-crop students who are for the most part highly motivated individuals, something about the teacher's approach and competence is not adding up. That raises the question of why so many higher quality nursing schools DON'T find it necessary to be all "hard-core" and fail half of their students and these same schools still achieve first-attempt NCLEX pass rates > 90%. My school is one example.

[nurseryRN14]

When I was in nursing school, we had some of the same problems. The instructors just want to scare you to be good nurses. At the end for graduation you should see how happy they are that you succeeded. If they just let people skate by by not being hard, we are going to have alot of nurses in the field that don't have a clue about critically thinking ect. I think we need more tough nursing instructors like yours, but if you are being mistreated thats another thing. Good luck and study hard even if you have to take your books everywhere. I did when I was in nursing school.

[KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN]

Maybe the problem you are experiencing is with the way your instructor is wording the questions?

I had that issue earlier this semester (this is my 2nd semester in NS), me & my classmates were in the same boat as you. "OMG Ms. So&So is SOOOOOOO HARD! I think she wants us to fail,etc..". The thing is, the questions they give you (in our program anyways) are NCLEX-style questions. Choose all that apply, prioritizing, client teaching,etc.. In other words, you really really REALLY have to know the info, not just guess. Honestly the best thing I did this semester was buy a Saunders NCLEX book & when I did it helped me tremendously! Nursing school is NO JOKE, and unfortunately, everyone you meet along the way won't make it through. Honestly though, your instructor sounds like a typical instructor IMO.