Advice needed on disputing a "clinical unsat"

S.T.A.C.E.Y, LPN · Dec 8, 2007

Look at your course outline or program outline. It should say somewhere how to dispute an unsatisfactory mark. Sometimes its through the student union representative, through the program director, through a VP, or through a committee. Its school specific so you need to start looking through your orientation materials, course outlines or schools website. Start now, and take care of this ASAP. Also, don't sign any papers agreeing to your unsatisfactory mark.

tlc2u · Dec 8, 2007

Thanks for your response. I have looked through the syllabus, student handbook, nursing handbook, and nursing packet which are all the documents our school provides. I could not find anything about disputing an unsatisfactory mark.

We have a student greivance policy for students who have complaints of unfair and/or unlawful treatment by a college employee.

S.T.A.C.E.Y, LPN · Dec 8, 2007

Try going through the usual route, and working your way up before contacting a lawyer. I think that would just make the school put their backs up in defence and blow the whole situation way out of proportion, especially if they are willing to listen to your case. I did know at least one girl who disputed her clinical unsatisfactory and won. There is hope.

Jedi of Zen · Dec 9, 2007

Is there anyone here who can give me advice on disputing a clinical unsat? Do you know anyone who has ever disputed a clinical unsat and who do you turn to at school to do so?
This is my last semester in nursing school. My semester began with one clinical instructor whose beleif was, the last semester there should be no stressors from clinicals as we just needed to focus on classes and passing our class. The instructor said as long as we were there for clinicals and took care of our patient that we could ask questions if needed but otherwise there were two easy assessment forms to fill out and then not to worry everyone would quaranteed pass the clinicals.
Just after we turned in our midterm to this instructor everything changed.
There were issues at school and that instructor is no longer there. The other instructors are known to be very strict and require so much more of their students. Their students manage to gradually improve to barely satisfy those instructors.
For my clinical group when we got those instructors already past midterm we were totally unprepared for being thrown into the "lions den" and did not have the advantage of the other groups to build up to meet their expectations.
Due to this I am preparing to fight a clinical unsat but do not know where to begin and wonder if anyone else knows someone who has been in this situation before and what they did?
rn2be

I'm kinda wondering what the circumstances of the unsatisfactory clinical actually were. ie, did it occur with the first instructor or the one that you got after midterm? Also, do you think that part of the reason that your first instructor is no longer there is because of the fact that other faculty thought s/he was not being strict enough in clinicals?

In my program, if we get a "U", our clinical instructor pulls us aside the day that it happens and informs us of the fact, and the reason why, before the day is even over. As far as disputing it, I don't know my own school's rules right off hand, but I guess I personally would first talk directly with my instructor. If that didn't work, and I still believed that it could and should be disputed, then I guess I would go to the chairperson of our nursing department. Beyond that...I don't know. What was the reason for your unsat? Is it something that others have done and not had it count against them?

What do you think is the worst case scenario at this point? ie, would they make you repeat the whole semester, or what?

Maybe if you could make the case that your first instructor did not adequately prepare or instruct you regarding whatever it was that you did wrong and/or if s/he ever deliberately said "It's okay with me if you do XYZ" and that was what got you in trouble - maybe then you could gain some leeway. In my mind, that would put the blame much more strongly on the first instructor. I don't know if that's actually the case with your situation or not, but just thought I'd throw that out there.

I'm sure you've already thought about all of these things, so I guess this might not help much, but keep us posted. Good luck!

beth66335, BSN, RN · Dec 11, 2007

I may get flamed for this but, have you always had CI that expected little of you? I would think that being in your last semester you would be prepared to switch gears if need be when the original CI left. By the time we get to 4th semester at our school we better be prepared to do whatever is required and do it well. No offense meant so I hope none is taken, but part of what we were taught just this semester is that nurses need to have accountability. Good luck to you in whatever happens.

Virgo_RN, BSN, RN · Dec 11, 2007

I'd have to know the specific reason for your unsatisfactory mark to be of much help. In our program, students know ahead of time if their performance is unsatisfactory, so that they have the opportunity to turn things around before the end of the term.

caliotter3 · Dec 11, 2007

Our nursing department had a faculty member who acted as the retention coordinator. It was her job to deal with students who were in danger of failing, or who had actually failed, and to keep them in the program. If your nursing school has such a person, I would go see her and ask how to go about this. Or, if you don't have a retention coordinator, perhaps there is an instructor that you trust. One thing I would do would be to go to the clinical site and try to enlist the help of the nurse preceptor who you were responsible to. Did she think you were satisfactory? Is she willing to put it in writing? She was supposed to provide an evaluation of your performance anyway. Is she the one that thought you were not up to par? If not, then try to get her or other nurses who saw your clinical work to help you. Good luck.