I have to vent - nearly expelled for 'inciting a riot'

[delilas]

4 weeks ago, I missed a day of clinical. At my school, this is a 'critical incident' and requires a writeup and a meeting with a director. I knew it was coming, but because of snow and midterms, it got pushed off repeatedly.

Imagine my surprise when I am called in and there is not one, but two critical incident forms. The second one is in regards to "misuse of technology".

Let me explain some - I was a student advocate. Our graduation recently was changed to an event 14 weeks after our actual graduation, and it is 2 hours away and with 150 students that are not from our campus. People were livid, we would already be moving on to our BSNs or employed for 3 months by the time we got to "graduate", and now we had to graduate with strangers too?

I was bombarded by emails over this and so sent out an email to everyone begging them to direct their emails towards the administrators, instead of relying solely on a couple advocates to get it heard. When 60 people are upset, they need to know it is not a minor issue.

Well apparently - this is 'inflammatory' and 'inciting a riot'. So I have two critical incidents now, which is technically enough to expel me, although I am being allowed to stay in the program for now with the warning that one more mistake would remove me. I am only 17 weeks from completion.

What have I learned? To not stick my neck out for anyone else any more. I am no longer an advocate, and I will not be giving advice or hearing problems any further. I will stick to myself, focus on my work, and focus solely on getting to graduation without raising any flags. I am not a trouble maker - I am a 4.0 student who is in love with what she does. The only reason I am not removed so far is because I am a good student.

Worse, they pulled me out of class right before a test. So after I am shocked and in tears, I had to sit down and take a test 15 minutes late.

Sorry for the raging. Needed to get it out today.

[Ella26, BSN, RN]

Wow I cant believe missing 1 day is a 'critical incident' and enough to talk to the director, thats harsh. I think in my program we were allowed to miss 1 day or 3 tardys were = to 1 day after that your we done.Some students used that, but instructors would stress that if they take the 1 day what if you are 30 min then u are done because you have used it. I did not use any I was too scared to. Well it sounds like you know what to do...

"What have I learned? To not stick my neck out for anyone else any more. I am no longer an advocate, and I will not be giving advice or hearing problems any further. I will stick to myself, focus on my work, and focus solely on getting to graduation without raising any flags."

I would definitely stay under the radar for the rest of the program. Cop a yes ma'am, no ma'am and just do what ever it is they want you to do, thats what I was told just do what they want you to do even if you dont like it until your graduated. Good luck.

[caliotter3]

Sounds as if you have a clear picture of things and have decided to take the right route to get yourself through this. Remember this lesson for the rest of your career and follow your own advice. It will save you a lot of heartache in the future.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

That is so flipping absurd. Glad you will be graduating in a few months and be done with it.

[ok2bme]

"Inciting a riot" lol I've never heard such hyperbolic rhetoric. I agree with a previous answer, just stay under the radar and get the heck outta there.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I think you are making the right decision to not be an advocate anymore.

I'm a little curious though ... Is "advocate" a formally recognized position at your school? If so, there should be prolicies and procedures in place to give the advocates guidance as to the proper way to handle such situations -- and to provide protection for those advocates when a really challenging issue gets inflamed. Students are in a vulnerable position and should not be put in a situation in which "fulfilling their role as an advocate" in an appropriate way can be used against them.

If that role is recognized by the school, I hope you will address the need for such policies and procedures after you graduate. Address it politely, respectfully, etc. with an appropriate person (not the people who threatened you) so that future advocates will have a better-defined role and the needed protection that you did not have.

If the advocate role is not officially recognized at your school, then you made a big mistake in putting yourself in the position of being the lightening rod for other people's complaints. There are some issues worth fighting for. There are even some issues worth risking your career for -- and still others worth risking your health and/or life for. However, you need to choose your battles carefully -- and it is usually a bad idea to take on everybody's else's problems and complaints. Keep your freedom of choice to take risks and fight only those battles YOU decide are worth the risks. Join other people's battles only when you decide it is the right choice for you.

I think it is wrong for the school to put any student in the position of being responsible to advocate for the other students -- unless that student has been given the training to do so and given some protection. It's a dangerous position and a school should not put students in that kind of danger. That's why I hope you will address the issue after you graduate.

If the advocate was just a role you took on for yourself that is not recognized by the school ... well ... that was an even bigger mistake -- for all the reasons discussed above.

Good luck to you. I hope you make it through the rest of your program without incident and go on to have a great nursing career.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Keep your head down and your powder dry.

[delilas]

Thanks for all the support!

And to answer:

I'm a little curious though ... Is "advocate" a formally recognized position at your school? If so, there should be prolicies and procedures in place to give the advocates guidance as to the proper way to handle such situations -- and to provide protection for those advocates when a really challenging issue gets inflamed.

Yes, its recognized - each term votes on three advocates. During the first two terms here, we lost our campus director and our faculty advisor (aka, the people we talk to) and things became increasingly frustrating. No one held meetings with us any more, no one was listening to our concerns. The school is fairly new - its no longer in its probationary period, but it is only two years old, so naturally there are still kinks to work out. It wasn't until about midterm this term we got a new director who IS trying to talk with us and is establishing policies for doing so.

However, he's punishing my letter from four weeks ago. Nothing in it was unprofessional. The worst thing I said was ''its your school, your money, your graduation - let them know how you feel.''

But inciting a riot? Overboard.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I think you've learned the hard way that nursing is less concerned with "helping people out" and more concerned with politics.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

HA HA HA HA HA HA - sorry but this was just such a classic example of why nursing education is so out of touch with reality.

Just like in High School, the qualities that get you in trouble with the 'authorities' are the same ones that will make you successful in real life. Self confidence, Assertiveness, willingness to question the status quo, trusting your own voice, making yourself heard, insisting on doing what's right instead of what's easiest, etc. If you want to refute them with their own academic tools, take a look at Kohlberg's theory of moral development http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohlberg's_stages_of_moral_development They are at the 'pattycake' stage and you exhibited a much more advance level of moral reasoning. GO baby nurse!!!!!! I am so proud of you.

Of course, I would also agree with the other posters - keep a low profile until you can escape and graduate. It's never good to be a tall daisy in a totalitarian environment - LOL. You have restored my faith in the ability of nursing students to overcome the mediocrity of their educational processes. When you finally bust out of that place - I would be very happy to work alongside you.

[delilas]

Of course, I would also agree with the other posters - keep a low profile until you can escape and graduate. It's never good to be a tall daisy in a totalitarian environment - LOL. You have restored my faith in the ability of nursing students to overcome the mediocrity of their educational processes. When you finally bust out of that place - I would be very happy to work alongside you.

That just made my day :yeah:Thank you so much!

[9livesRN, BSN, RN]

It sucks to be you... sorry!!! did you call in or just "no show"?

it makes me feel like wearing a black Tee under my grad. gown and rip it of in the end....

on the back of the tee FREEDOM!!! and a pic of William Walace!