discrimination

Armygirl7 · May 29, 2008

Hmmmm.

Seems kinda mysterious- but there is always an answer--keep asking as politely and insistently as you can. If you are being stonewalled head up the food chain at the school. Take notes at every meeting or during every phone call. Be polite, people are much more responsive when they do not have their guard up.

Also once you move up the food chain (to the Dean, Provost, President or whatever) and if you feel your reasonable questions are not being answered just say well I guess we'll have to have our lawyer take a look at this. That usually gets people moving. If you cannot afford a lawyer contact the ACLU or the EOC (Economic Opportunity Commission) in your area and explain your problem. Don't wait too long to do this. Stay on top of it all.

Has your husband been completely honest about his record? If its YOU that is desperately seeking answers that seems strange...he should be up in arms if he is being discriminated against.

Keep pushing - they owe you an explanation.

A-girl7

Armygirl7 · May 29, 2008

P.S. Request documentation of his unsafe practice.

BBBCA · May 29, 2008

You have probably thought of this already, but if in the process of any background check something may have been found that has become an issue. I doubt that a school would make such a strong statement of denial without feeling they are protected by law. If there is an issue they may be prevented from discussing it with you. He will need to be the one to ask the hard questions and seek help if necessary. Hang in there.

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · May 29, 2008

Hi, first off I am female and I am in my fourth semester of an ADN program. I do not doubt that there is discrimination against males in this field. I do doubt that you have all of the facts. Keep in mind, that he is the one that was going through the nursing program so he could have told you that things were going well when they were not. I think he thought he could get through it without complaining and graduate. It did not happen as planned.... so now he is complaining and may be leaving out some of the details. Let me help to fill in a few....

During clinical sessions schools document everything. Everything we do, everything we say, and everything we submit. Thus, if they are failing him because he is unsafe they have loads of documentation to support the facts. This is why very few students have a leg to stand on when he/she tries to appeal a failure.

As for talking to him, I am sure his CIs did so often. In the first semester clinicals students are watched like a hawk. CIs usually tell us we did such and such wrong when we do it.... They may not say, "I am documenting that you did such and such wrong", but they do. They also communicate with faculty and department heads about us all. Good or bad... we are talked about to others because some of the concerns one instructor may have another usually has too. So I do not think for a second that he did not know that his CIs have a negative view of his performance in clinicals especially given his age.

Similar to your spouse, I did not have issues during first semester that would have caused me to fail at the time. The reason being first semester students are not given negative grades for not knowing basic safety standards unless he/she does something to harm a patient. Thus, I was the top of my clinical group despite the fact that my CIs had to constantly remind me to perform basic safety checks. During my first semester clinical review, which was outstanding, I asked my CI what she thought could help me to improve on safety even though I was not graded poorly and she told me to become an Aid. Therefore, after first semester I took the initiative to improve my behaviors by working as a tech. If I had been in denial like so many other students in my situation, I would have had my minor issues become major ones beginning in second semester. Second semester students usually begin to lose points and gain unsatisfactory for performance regarding safety concerns. This is what may have happened to your husband.

My advice is to him to is to sit down with his CIs again and ask what they think he could do to improve his performance and be readmitted. Plus, If he is not already working as an Aid, he should do that too. I think these steps are necessary to show his instructors that he is willing to improve his performance. These steps will also provide him a better opportunity of becoming a LPN after he repeats this semester because he should be able to provide safe patient care. GL. :twocents:

llg, PhD, RN · May 29, 2008

As others have said, it is very rare for a school to fail a student without having the documentation to back it up. They know that the student will be upset ... go through the appeals process ... and possibly file a law suit. Schools (and their attorneys) are rarely stupid enough to risk that without having documentation of the student's weaknesses. I won't say in NEVER happens, but it is very rare.

So ... your husband (not you) should ask to see that documentation. Then -- and ONLY then -- you will be in a position to address those concerns one by one. He should ask for that documentation in a polite, professional manner and go up the chain of command until he gets it. If he can't get it, then he should speak to a lawyer. But until the actual reasons for his course failure are known and he is prepared to address them specifically, he is "just another student who flunked out and is now blaming the school for his own failures."

sweetcakes59 · May 30, 2008

Thanks everyone for the input,heres where we are now,they have not coughed up the documentation to prove he has been unsafe,I have gone through all of his evaluations and "check offs" and there is mention of anything unsafe at all.There is only positive feedback.

So i have made an appointment with the President of the college in hopes that he will make it happen.There are only 2 clinical days left and 2 days of lecture then the final so hopefully he can finishes those and graduate with his class.

tencat · May 30, 2008

Hmmm......why isn't HE making the appointments with the college? I think there's something more here than you know about. It's nice to be supportive and all, but actually doing the work he should be doing for himself seems to go above and beyond just being supportive.

AlmostRNDude · Aug 26, 2008

I went to a school where the faculty did this on a regular basis. I actually did some digging around and found an published article my faculty wrote justifying kicking people out using legal statutes. Keep fighting. Document dates and times for everything. The faculty knows EXACTLY what they are doing. They kicked a girl out of my class w/2 weeks to go before graduation. Once I pass my boards, I have my own little way to start bringing this to light.

sweetcakes59 · Sep 30, 2008

THANKS to all for your input, we ended up needing an Attorney which felt terrible and although he is not going to be re-admitted to the program "they" are providing him an opportunity with a Nurse Educator (one on one)from out of our area to finish the last 4 days and be able to sit for his LPN. The funny thing is they changed their story(not patient safety at all) and claim that his fellow students and hospital staff are afraid of him( been in contact with quite a few and this does not seem to be true) so with a hostile climate he cannot be re-admitted and must go else where to finish the last 3 quarters and his preceptorship and sit for the RN boards.This whole process took all summer and ALOT of $. Sadly he is really sorry about the hurtful things he said about Instructors and really would like to express that but is not allowed ANY contact with the Nursing Dept. Huge lesson in being careful what you say when hurt or angry! Now He is freaked out coz he is out of "practice" and with 4 weeks until the re-do and then the HESI cannot seem

to motivate himself to get prepared.Any ideas or advice would be welcome! I am trying to be supportive without handholding!AND i feel like without the $300./hour Attorney he might be able to make amends somehow and move forward. I believe everything happens for a reason and although we dont know why this happened somewhere in the big picture it will make sense.