Transgender nursing student!!

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my nursing class has so many problems we are in the first semester and have just started in june. today the director of nursing came to talk to the whole class about a student in our class that is feeling that the study groups in our class are making him feel left out and then she announced that we have some gender issues so of course we questioned what she meant she said one of the students in our class is transgender and feels we are making fun of him. for 1 no one in the class knew he was actually a she undergoing hormone treatments so we were shocked, not that we have a problem with it we just think there may be a ethical issue for the patients in clinicals who are under the belief that they are being cared for by a male nurse. anyway the problem is we feel like kids in highschool since when do we get in trouble for belonging to studygroups?

has anyone else in nursing school ever been treated like this the whole class doesnt know how to cope

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
I agree with your point, but I'm not sure that this was the situation. The OP said that until the instructor said something, none of the students had known he was transgender, so not including him wasn't about that fact.

I agree that sometimes minorities, or persons with handicaps can be a little overly sensitive reading things into innocent things. So being excluded and isolated might have very much not been about being transgendered. I was staring into space once and a woman said "take a picture it lasts longer, you don't like fat people?".

There were two issues, the exclusion and the being made fun of. Again, unless this student took a poll how does she/he know no one knew and unless she/he was around for all behavior experienced by this transgendered student, she/he should take the student and instructor at their word. If the student is innocent of anything, then she/he should let it go. Hopefully whomever needed to hear it heard it, and it might have been only one person. Or it might have been nobody and all in the transgenders sensitive head. Who knows from reading the op's post?

People do not have to accept the transgendered perrson into their groups. But he has a right not to experience harrassment.

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Specializes in critical care and LTC.

In nursing school I felt like I was in Jr. High all over again! There were so many immature "Ladies" in our class. At times it was harder to deal with the drama going around than it was the class work! I am so glad that is OVER!!!

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I don't get it! I guess my 17 years out of high school has made me realize that stuff like "they won't play with me" is done and over with when a person becomes an adult. I have to admit, we had some pretty immature people in our pre-requ classes that pulled the same stuff and it made it miserable for the rest of us.

Whether or not the student gave the teacher permission to divulge such information does not make it right that the teacher announced something that really wasn't the rest of the students' business. For sure, now that student will be ostrisized, and all due to the fact that the teacher fell into the trap of the "tattle-tale game".

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The fact of the matter is that the student felt uncomfortable in their "supposively",learning environment. Reguardless if this person seemed to come off as immature, sensitive or whatever else. The main objective was they were a student like everyone else who was uncomfortable and wanted a change.

And as far as the comment of " no one wants to play with me" (highschool come off) who is to say that the student came off as immature to the instructor. Its more than likely they just told the instructor that they felt that they wasn't getting their bulk of money's worth. Everyone else are having these nice arranged study groups and I can't even be giving yesterday's notes due to I'm looked at as being different. In most cases as I think what happend. Was that the instructor took it on themselves to tell everyone it was someone who was transgender......blah blah blah. I don't think really the student gave them the authority to tell. As we know the intructor didn't say well "Sarah" is transgender and she would really like you guys to allow her into your study group. What the instructor should of did was said I think it is important for everyone to get study groups. And made it important that she focused on it. And the transgender student could of taken it upon herself to go from there.

I have been in many positions as being a minority all of my life. As of right now I'm a minority. I'm a 22yr old African American male majoring in Nursing. Sure its times when I feel that I'm alone in this profession. But as far as wishing for someone to aspect me that isn't my problem that is theirs.The only reason why I feel more welcomed in my aranged classes is because I live in a 65% African American population. You will never know how it feels to not feel as if you are welcomed and have the same opportunities unless you are a minority. Who is to say it is immature of the student having a voice. I feel it would be more of a problem if the student was not to bring up the situation with their instructor and try to make a change in their conflict. Really though it is 2006, I don't really care if anyone cares if your are of a nother gender or sexuality. Then again it is some people who just don't know how to accept. Once again though this isn't the indivdual problem it is the one who can't accepts problem.

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Sorry guys for the imperfections of my sentence structure and quick type. I'm a bit late on the run to go out with my friends, lol.

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Specializes in LTC, Community.
I definitely agree with Tweety that we are only get one side of the story. I presume that there must have been enough incidents to warrant the student to go to a faculty member to share his feelings of exclusion ( I highly doubt it is just about being excluded from a study group--there must have been other incidents).

More and more you are begining to see transgendered people included in the equal opportunity statements of organizations, both private and public, you know that statement that a particular organization does not discriminate against people based on their race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender expression? It is very possible that the faculty member, with the consent of the student, brought up the issue in order to demonstrate that the school would not tolerate discrimination against someone because of their gender expression. Fear of lawsuits?

What disturbs me is the "poor baby, quit complaining" tone of most posts. Had this thread been about a jewish student or a black student you would not be seeing the reactions on this thread that have been expressed. Unfortunately for transgendered people there is a substantial "ick" factor that most middle mindset people can't see past. I wish the nursing student the best in his endeavors and applaud the school for at least making an attempt to show tolerance and acceptance of people who are different.

I have to agree with this whole post... No one may acknowledge knowing he was transgendered but who is going to admit discriminating... no one.. im sorry.. transgendered, gay, and lesbians are discriminated alot usually by ppl who do not understand think anything outside heterosexualness is icky...

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Well, i'm a Transgender NS. But i'm male to female.

And no, I don't advertise that fact, nor do I show any kind of development of my body and don't do nails....now that being said 2 people aren't an example of the entire continuum of Transgendered individuals. Just like you have women who are touchy feel or men who are touchy feel. You also have men and/or women who are just weird and strange.

It has nothing to do with being Transgendered. It has everything to do with mentality.

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what about HIPPA?????

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what about HIPPA?????

What about HIPPA? It doesn't apply to teachers, as far as I know.

If this person was not far enough along in her transition for her to be recognized as a female she's still probably pretty effeminate. And if you don't think an effeminate guy is mocked you live in a different dimension than I.

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Specializes in mental health, Alzheimer, dementia,.

I know this sounds crazy but how is being transgendered and going through the nursing program a bad thing... Do you guys realize that this person is trying to better themselves and actually be a productive member of society... some do to lack of money or skills or because they do not have a good support system end up on the street homeless or worse prostitution, drugs etc. As for people complaining about dress last time I checked most of us wear scrubs and most scrubs in our school at least are unisex...I don't understand why society makes it sooo difficult for transpeople. I guess look at it this way that individual is going to provide for themselves and have a life.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

AgreeHowever this thread is five years old so may not be an issue for this poster now.

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The problem is twofold, the transgendered nursing student may/may not have tried to discuss this with the study group/s in question (it was not mentioned in the post either way) AND the instructor told the class, without mentioning whether or not they had permission from the student to do so.

Our Nursing programs are totally into privacy to the extent that a writeup could have occurred if that had happened within our program...sounds like the instructor could have been walking "on thin ice".

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