Nursing instructors who don't give a S***

Robin61970 · Oct 19, 2001

Have you talked to the dean or directors? Don't do this alone.....present a united front..........tape record things that are being said to you as evidence...too bad you couldn't sneak a video camera in and document........write to the state board of nursing and see what your options are there........the state perios since they provide funding for college.........that is all I can think of right now.......hope all works out for you

shyviolet78, LPN, LVN · Oct 19, 2001

Document and present your information to the dean. Make sure that you guys present a united front and that no one in your group will chicken out when confronted with questions. Don't make it emotional, stick to the facts. Hard not to let emotions get involved with something as important as this, but the dean will take a factual approach more seriously. Don't make personal attacking statements about the instructors, instead focus on the problems of their teaching style. BTW, which school are you going to? Just curious, as I also attend school in Ft Worth at TCC, but I am still taking pre-reqs for the time being. Good luck!

TexasRN to be · Oct 19, 2001

Hey Violet.

Actually I did present a wonderful argument to the head of the nursing school and several heads of other departments but it has done no good so far. The lady in charge of the dept knows there is a problem and has been so wonderful to me, but still, the students' sides are not taken very seriously. The teachers stick to one another. I had about 7 other students go in and speak in my behalf and to exress their own concerns regaurding the department but the appeals committee decided that they "had to stand by the decision of the nursing school" Whatever. I would rather not say what school I go to because after all, you could be a spy for the barracuda teachers involved in the program. Just kidding. I will just say that it is a very small college about 30 minutes from Ft. Worth. Hopefully things will work themselves out for the best. The college is starting to catch wind, and the woman in charge already knows there is a problem, so maybe some whips will get cracked soon. Untill then, I will hold on. Oh, I had med check-offs today and the main pain in the A** woman who is the root of all the trouble checked me off, much to her chagrin!! She grilled me about 15 minutes longer than everyone else and could not stop thinking of questions to ask me in an attempt to trip me up. I passed!!

pkmom · Oct 21, 2001

My Psych teacher in Dallas said that the teachers in the nursing program treated the students harshly to prepare them for the treatment they would be recieving from the doctors when they got into the hospital setting for real. :rolleyes:

tattoochick · Oct 21, 2001

Well I do know what you are talking about to some extent. I go to school in Dallas, and some of the clinical instructors are like that. There NEVER seems to be enough time for them to show us everything that we need to learn. Last week I waited forever for my teacher to show me something, I got sick of waiting and just did it myself. At least I knew what I was doing, and I figure that I'm a senior and should take more initiative. Sometimes you just have to be REALLY aggressive and basically demand that they show you something. I say something like this,"I'm still having trouble with this skill and I need for you to spend some time with me on it." Demand it, don't ask and be hesitant. They will never get around to it then, I'm telling you! But the truth is that you wont get to practice every skill in school...it's just not possible. I look forward to my internship in school next semester and the one I do when I get hired as a new RN (hopefully:confused: ) as when I will start to get really good at skills and what not. Good luck and hang in there...I'm convinced that it will get better! :cool:

zacarias, ASN, RN · Oct 21, 2001

hey texasrntobe!

i so know what you're talking about!!! i myself am a little over a month into 1st quarter of nursing school and from day one, i felt little in the way of positive feelings towards the instructors.

they spend so much time in theory talking about stuff that may be important but when they give us only two short hours a week in skills lab, it seems there is a lot to be desired!

people have already had breakdowns and these are 4.0 students. the pressure and teachers i think have made people feel stressed beyond breaking point. the sentiment in my school is that most students feel expendable;if a student left, the teachers wouldn't care.

maybe it is because your program is new that you are having all the problems. the teachers should though spend more time with you guys teaching you stuff. i seriously think this is a problem going on in a lot of nursing schools throughout the u.s. i almost think it's a rite of passage. however, we are paying a lot of money and we have to feel like we are learning what we need to be at least safe out in the real world of nursing. i'm glad you stood your ground. always i would recommend that you express your concerns to the teachers before going above them.

here at our school, the nln accreditation committee came recently. some students opened up to them about not feeling appreciated or cared about in the program. this got back to the director and she became horrified;she had no idea students felt this way. so at least in my quarter, i feel it's a pivotal time and i'm gonna see changes in the program..or at least i hope. they can't ignore our pleas!!! good luck!

zach

Katnip, RN · Oct 22, 2001

I don't know if this is very practical or not, but can you ask for an open lab to practice? We are given demos the week before a new unit, then we practice during a regular three-hour lab and the other lab is open 5 days a week so we can go in whenever we want. There's always at least one teaching assistant there. They aren't allowed to show us any more demos, but they do supervise. I think it's seriously unfair of anyone to expect you to become proficient in only two hours a week.

TexasRN to be · Oct 25, 2001

We have open lab but it is very limeted with regards to time. For instance, we can meet for about an hour or 2 after classes or clinicals from around 4 to 5 pm. Well, after being up all day and night, and needing to get home to care for families, that is not possible. I would love to come weekends but there is noone to unlock the lab and our teachers refuse to come in (can't say I blame them). Plus, we don't have enough staff to be there to supervise us and the ones that are there don't do ANYTHING but belittle us! I work every weekend but I would gladly give up a Friday night to practice skills. Everyone there feels the same way I do. Anyway, I guess I am being a chronic complainer. I am more annoyed with the crappy attitudes of the instructors and their obvious disinterest in their professions and us.

Katnip, RN · Oct 26, 2001

No, Texasrn, I don't think you're a chronic complainer. Seems to me you have some legitimate complaints. Our lab hours are 9-5 or 9-8 M-F, and sometimes, if we really need it, the instructors will extend the hours or we can bribe a teaching assistant or two to show up on Saturdays. I have yet to see one of our instructors belittle anyone, though that might happen in private. Though we did have one instructor rip into the entire class after an exam, but there were over 160 of us to take it together, and really we just ignored it.

Anyway, you're there to learn and that's what instructors are there for. You're PAYING for this. I really don't know what instructors think they're doing. If they want to weed out students, that's what academics are for.

I know what you mean about scheduling around kids and things. Our tutorials are scheduled at odd times, and like you, I have a family to take care of. But the TAs said they'd be happy to work around what I can do, so I need to meet with them.

Sorry, I didn't mean to start on a rant. I just think you're being treated unfairly.