Nursing instructor putting student through embarassment and singles out

[mjacobs]

In my nursing lab we have an instructor who does not teach us details (such as giving us different scenarios) on handling patients. She's impatient and is not very professional by the verbal and nonverbal actions she makes towards students(ie. negative comments and making faces of disgust. Lately, everyone has noticed she has been singling out one specific student. She constantly picks on her when we practice our skills. She has trouble making a bed perfectly and every week she makes sure to yell out to her to work on one, even if she is performing other skills such as vital signs, etc. She will say something like, "why aren't you doing the bed like I told you to." Mind you, this is a BSN program. She will make remarks about her to other students like," can you help her, she still is not getting it." Everyone in class has noticed how the instructor is focusing on her, it's become pretty obvious. I think the breaking point is when we had a skills exam and she was grading her very harsh, had her repeat it and still told her she needs to go back another day. Part of the skill was something the instructor did not really practice with us.(actually there was some things she told us we had to do the day we had our exam,wth right? so many people were deducted points for that. Anyway, instructor told her during her skills exam," why do you want to be a nurse?" in a disgusted face when she was nervous performing the task. Throughout the exam, the instructor would tell her everything is wrong. Who wouldn't get nervous if the instructor is being extremely negative? How can anyone learn through embarrassment and harsh criticism? The girl cried as she left the classroom after her exam with the instructor. I think if the instructor feels a student needs more improvement, she should talk to them personally and not do it in front of others. With the stress put on her by her very own instructor, how can anyone function? It's a freaking beginning nursing class!

What would you guys suggest? Emailing the professor about the situation. Email her higher superior. Or, talk to the dean? Or, email the professor and bcc the superior and dean to let them be aware of the situation? Nursing school is expensive, I am shocked an instructor would treat anyone this way..esp if the person is very smart, kind and courteous.

Any input would be very appreciated. thanks.

[SandyB]

Your instructor is out of line, but talking to her could backfire; she could simply fail all of you.

This......

Each person has to decide for themselves if it is worth the risk.

Good Luck

[spunky1281]

I'd be very careful with this. If you speak up about it, it may backfire on you. Nursing instructors tend to stick very tightly together and going over their head or calling them on something could only upset them more. They will flag you and ride you even harder. My advice, keep your mouth shut, do ask they ask (with a smile), and do things even better than they will want. After you graduate, then go back to the dean. I was in the program with someone who tried it and she suddenly got flagged for this and that and was kicked out.

[LaneyB]

I disagree that you should talk to the instructor alone, or with one other person. Yes, that is the adult thing to do, but this instructor seems too vindictive. I would go above her to an advisor with a group. She sounds like she could be the type to hold a grudge.

[nuadvtur4oldjulie]

welcome to nursing school....from what I hear there's at least one bully on every campus. I had a similar problem and found this website by bob sutton very useful http://bobsutton.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/08/the-latest-tips.html it's about workplace a@#holes and how to deal he's also got a book.

Joint commissions also speaks to how bullying in the hospital is a safety issue it's considered a sentinel event check out http://www.jointcommission.org/SentinelEvents/SentinelEventAlert/sea_40.htm. all i can say is be support of the victim let her know it's not her its the instructor and gut it out. I wish you all peace and remember this will pass.

[rayk1021]

Hello, Devil's advocate here.

My first question is "does she really get it?" Is this student being singled out because she is too frail to stand up for herself, or does she really not get it? If the issue is that she is lacking the technical skills, perhaps you and your classmates could turn your focus towards helping her advance her skills. I would strongly agree with the reply that said that your class could offer up your own praise when she does well. This may help the instructor back off a bit when she sees that the student has the support of her peers. However, again, "does she really get it?"

About the instructor...... What is her background? how long has she been teaching? Judging by the numerous replies saying that "she sounds like one of my old instructors" This seems to be a pretty common practice. Just a thought, is she really trying to crush this girl, or is she testing the rest of the class on their ability to assist a struggling peer?

However, if the instructor is being unprofessional, using abusive terms such as "stupid, moron, loser, or foul language of any kind, that is completely unacceptable, and should be addressed professionally. Bottom line, this young lady, along with all of us, is going to have to learn to overcome this type of situation. I am sure that during her career, she will encounter a charge nurse, manager, or angry pt family member that is going to treat her the same way.

[psychonaut]

You will work with a version of this instructor when you are a new nurse. The independence and self confidence required to be a successful nurse can, in some, get twisted into a nurse who fells justified in hazing the new, the different, and the less able.

In school, you take it and get through. In the workplace, you develop your ability and don't take it anymore.

[Conqueror+, BSN, RN]

Get together as a group and go to the student FIRST. If she feels as strongly as the rest of you then indeed go as a group to the instructor with 1 person as the speaker, THE STUDENT BEING HARASSED. Welcome to the wonderful world of nursing. You will meet "people" like this instructor over and over during your journey as a nurse. You are brave and compassionate to feel for her situation but there is nothing worse than speaking up for someone and when they call her in she folds her hands, looks right past you to the instructor/dean, and says "everything is fine". You have an obligation to SUPPORT her not fight FOR her. She is not your child and unless you will follow her around like a bodyguard for the next 35 years you are not letting her learn some very valuable skills. And ask yourself, are you ready to join her or take her place? It happens.

[>30yrsRN]

I agree with most of the statements above

What does the student that is being single out say?

Is she asking for help from the other students?

This smells a little fishy to me. Is there something the instructors knows about this student that should not be the reason of instructors biases.

Does student act unprofessional in other nursing class settings?

I seen this happen before where another instructor tells another instructor and it goes on and on...

Maybe she does not represent in her mind what a nurse should act and look like? ( I am not saying this is right either)

[nursk8]

The same thing happened to me as a lvn student 26 years ago! The instructor who was pretty old would Yell at the students in front of other people even during clinicals on the floor and i had my fair share of it. thie teacher doted on her son and allways talked about him as if he could do no wrong. one day after a long clinical day i was finishing my care plan as i had been helping other students and didnt have the time to do all of my paperwork, the teacher came up to me and unloads on me! i knew she had gotten upset with another student earlier in the day and i know i didnt do anything wrong, I told her why i was not done and she told me her famous line " thats no excuse". well i turned to her and said " If your son died and didnt come to your birthday party, you would say that that was no excuse either, i didnt do anything wrong and dont deserve to be yelled at like that". she just gasped and looked at me and then said well its time to go home you can finish that later. we left and she never yelled at me like that again, nor did she give me a hard time. it took me awhile to tell her but once i stood up for myself she never treated me like that again and she never brought up that moment again.

[MORNINGSTAR99999]

In response to your posting - it's everywhere or it's evident. Most of these instructors have two areas they lack in: 1) they didn't like the clinical settings while employed at a hospital - which results none other than having to become an instructor at a college or university, or 2) they prefer the power trip game - only the fittest will survive. This results of a student of getting back at the instructor. I remember about 10 years or so, it came out in the news as a shooting (I don't know what state that was in), but a nursing student failed the pediatric exam, and as a result of the student's failure in the program, the student took out the frustration at the instructors. Meaning, the student shot up the nursing faculty. Then you have the random university shootings.

In the L.A. Times (Sunday's Edition), three months ago, there was an article about nursing employees treating their patients badly. Some nurses battered their patients. Nursing should be treated as a learning experience. When I was in the LVN program at a community college in California, I had an instructor who yelled like we're in boot camp. If we didn't get this right, we get an earful from her. Nursing instructors can be your friend or they can be your worst enemy. You ask yourself - why do students have such a high rate failure in nursing schools?

The instructors are there to punish the student. Some instructors will help you. These are the ones whom are the old timers. The senior citizens. I like these instructors, because they've seen it all. Then you have the younger ones who may have gotten yelled at - in some point in time - use the same technique of returning the action back. These are the ones whom are telling you - you're just a student and I'm your instructor - put in other words, "I own you" or "I'm your daddy!!"

The best choice to have the classmates request a scheduled meeting with the Dean of Nursing. Put everything in writing and present it to her. Remember this - everything is teamwork. You learn that during clinicals and at work. These are the instructors who prefer to be in the theory setting and never were a good nurse's in the field (hospitals). These are the ones who jumped around working for 5 different hospitals within a 3 year span. If the student is traumatized by the events; then she can apply for another allied health program.

[AOx1]

Whatever you do, you need to handle it with professionalism, as you already seem to be doing, OP.

What isn't professional are some of the comments I'm seeing on this thread that "all" instructors behave in a certain manner and that "they" are only interested in pass rates, or "have" to work in education because we are clinically incompetent. This is a very oversimplified generalization. Generalizations rarely arrive at fact or solve a problem. It is just a way of venting anger.

As a nurse educator, I care about my students deeply, not just as numbers, not just as those who will boost my school's pass rate. This is why I work 70+ hours a week to make their school experience informative while being paid for 40. To do this job and do it well is extremely exhausting, and just as in any area of nursing, it comes with too few recognitions of how hard we work. It is not beneficial to criticize all educators because you have encountered a poor one, just as it would not be helpful for me to assume that all students are dangerous or lazy because I have encountered some who meet that criteria. I did not "have" to become a nurse educator because I am incompetent. I became one because I realized I love both the clinical hospital setting and the education of new nurses. I still work in the hospital setting, recovering extremely ill patients immediately after bypass surgery. Believe it or not, I was not chased out of there by angry colleagues who hate me and find me incompetent.

What is professional and will get results is to address the matter in a non-confrontational way with the lead teacher over the lab (or if there is not one, the Dean). In short, as another post mentioned, follow the chain of command. State only the facts. For example, instead of saying "She's mean to student X, we all see it!" you might state "When she said 'She still isn't getting it'" about student X, student X left the lab in tears. You should mention the outcome you would like to see. For example, if you would like for students to only receive criticism in private, this might be what you would ask for.

OP- I can't agree more that this behavior by the instructor is not appropriate. As instructors, we are to offer critique, but to do this properly, you should never name call or belittle. I always try to offer positive feedback as well as opportunity for improvement. I always want to challenge my students to become the best nurses they can be. This does not happen without pushing themselves and some need to improve, but I know they are proud of themselves when they succeed. I certainly am.

It's a shame that so many posts about instructors default to the "all instructors are egomaniacal, no love at home, hate all students, know nothing......." diatribe I so often hear on these boards. While I certainly understand the need to vent, keep in mind that these type of broad, sweeping generalizations certainly don't encourage those of us who care about students to stay in our chosen profession. I can tell you from personal experience that just as it's difficult for a student to hear only negatives after trying so hard to excel, it is also difficult for an instructor who puts so much time and caring into educating students to hear that same old "all instructors are evil" rant....again and again and again.

[leah164]

Hooo, boy. I bet there are a lot of us, especially, er, mature nurses, who can relate war stories about our nursing instructors. And who knows what kind of instructors this student's instructor experienced? Times have, thank God, changed, but not all old dogs have picked up the new tricks. All of these suggestions are good ones.