I am so frustrated and angry with my school

[loveSBK]

Hello everyone. Just a little background info, I am going to nursing school for my bachelor and this is only the third semester of an accelerated program. My school is notorious for slacking, being rude, and not being organized. I've dealt with all these in the hopes that as long as I do what I need to do nothing else matters.

I've had clinical instructors who "don't like to work hard" as they themselves said, and now I have a clinical instructor who I really like and I am learning a lot from her.

We had our first care plan due and I got an A, turns out that another lady from the dept (who is not the chair, coordinator, or anything else but an advisor and who always wants to control everything) told her that she would regrade the care plans who got A's. We heard rumors about this but did not believe them since this lady is not even our instructor so why should she be the one grading us. After this lady regraded my care plan, she scored me with an F!!!!!

A little background hx about this lady: she is rude, nasty, no one ever wants to register in classes with her because of the way she is. She has a lot of say about how the dept is ran and a lot of times things are done the way she says (for some reason everyone kisses her butt).

She has suggested to our med surg professor to only do case studies in class and to post video lectures online, this has not worked in our class since we all failed the first exam. She teaches med surg also but she is not doing that with her class, she actually teaches. And she was mad because no one wanted to register with her.

Everything set aside, I am just angry because ever since the program started, I've had bad experiences. I would understand if she graded me in a way that would be constructive, but she was just so rude and nasty, and also graded me as if I was in a master's program. Taking points off for not using a med surg book to describe the patho of the disease (which I used my patho book for that -_-).

I don't know what to do. This semester has just been hell and to add this on top of it. I really do not understand why someone who is not our instructor has to grade us. Is there anything I can do about this? I guess this is more of a vent than nothing else.

PS: I know life is hard and not everything will be easy and that nursing school is not easy so we should not be spoon fed. Trust me, I know.

Thanks

[sharpeimom]

What students often do if they disagree with their professor's grade before filing a formal complaint with the department chair or dean, is to ask another professor to grade a copy of the paper or exam. It isn't binding but it helps students who were given unfairly low grades by making the professor rethink is grade and if a student is merely dissatisfied with a poor grade, it strengthens the original grade given.

The "But I always got all A's in high school!" type.

It strengthens a student's claim that the original grade was unfair if another professor has given it a higher grade. Where my husband is on faculty, everyone but one person could pretty much grade any paper, exam, or project for one another and everyone would be happy, but one holdout is very difficult and unreasonable. It's his papers and exams that get the requests for regrades by others.

Could you request something like that?

[hzjess87]

Go to the dean. She sounds difficult and on a power trip. Maybe you could set her aside and privately discuss your concerns.

[JBudd, MSN]

If your school is accredited, there has to be some form of school handbook regarding grading and appeal processes. Even if they didn't give you one, there has to be one on file (our school just went through re-accreditation). Time to go hunting! and appeal it.

[ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN]

"Taking points off for not using a med surg book to describe the patho of the disease (which I used my patho book for that"

So, she is an APA Nazi? Everything dealing with evidence-based research must be cited. After graduation, you may participate on a committee and be required to put together learning aids that require APA. However, there is a huge different between an A and an F. Was a rubric provided?

"She has suggested to our med surg professor to only do case studies in class and to post video lectures online, this has not worked in our class since we all failed the first exam."

I teach the same way. Lectures are on Blackboard. You are required to complete your reading and lectures prior to the next class. I answer any questions students have about content. I then have students participate in several activities that help connect the pieces. I do this because students tend to have no problem with memorization. Rather, they have difficulties putting the pieces together. Test scores reflect that the method works. Medical schools also use the same practice.

[loveSBK]

I will ask for a copy of the handbook on Monday and see what I can do. I was really angry and I spoke with my clinical instructor and she told me to just bite the bullet and do everything possible to do the care plan as the other professor wants it. Needless is to say that my clinical instructor was also upset because how does that make her look? Incompetent to say the least and she is great. This lady is definitely on a power trip and even if I go to her, I know that she will never see my point of view and pretty much eat me alive. Other professors there care but about us the students but their voices are overshadowed by this lady. I think she eventually wants to become chair.

Lectures online wouldn't be a problem if the professor actually taught the material instead of reading off the power points. I can read, I do not need someone to read for me, I need someone to explain the material and break it down for the students. 85% of the class failing shows that the methods used to teach are not effective, not everyone is lazy and did not study.

The same thing happen to my classmate, she got a really high B and she was regraded and got an F. Everyone else who got low B's are keeping their nice score while we had the failing grade.

[sunshyne17]

There has to be a VERY good reason from turning an A paper to an F paper.

Did she mark up the paper? Was there a rubric? I agree with the other posters who mentioned finding out about policy. No matter how rude a professor is, they still must be professional and impartial.