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Discussion

Arrrgh! Impossible Instructor!

Hi all...I was wondering if anyone has had an instructor that consistently gives you incorrect information? I have several instructors who teach different areas of Level 1 Nursing. I get alot from each of them, and always appreciate when the instructor can inject real-life situations they've experienced to enhance what we are discussing. However, there is one instructor whose power points and outlines are consistently different than what is in the books -- these aren't typos, it's completely incorrect information: for example, today's lecture was over fluids and electrolytes. She handed us an outline with certain definitions and lab values to follow along with the power point. One of the things in the outline was a definition of diffusion, which states "diffusion is the movement of a gas or substance in a solution across a semipermeable membrane from an area of low concentration to higher." Diffusion goes from higher to lower...this is one example of several covering just 3 pages. During her lecture, she emphasized this definition several times; I finally raised my hand and asked if her definition wasn't possibly backwards -- her reply was that this was "common knowledge" and that I should already know all this stuff since general bio was a prerequisite of the course. I told her I had taken it, which is why I'd noticed the mistake. She then changed the subject and started talking about electrolyte lab values -- again, which were significantly different on her outline from our lab/diagnostics book. ANother student pointed this out, and she said that lab values were a "general range" and we needed to go by our outline...I understand that different facilities may have slightly differing ranges, but her values were each off by more than just a few numbers. None of us wants to say anything in class anymore because she gets angry that we question her,and while in this level I can probably learn from the book without too much trouble, I'm more concerned with next semester, when she'll be teaching cardiac function. Our school has a high attrition rate, and we've already learned that students have gone to the Dean of Nursing over this instructor before, so now I, along with several other students, are unsure of what to do. No one wants to step on anyone's toes or seem like a complainer, but this is also nursing education, and we need to be getting the correct information. Any advice?

Featured Replies

You and your classmates are given the wrong information, something should be done about it. Have you a class rep that could go to the dean on the classes behalf? you're probably paying for her incompetence. If you got food in a restaurant and it wasnt good enough you would complain, so if you have a lecturer whos not doing their job appropriately then you also have a right to complain. Im glad that instructor is not unleashed on patients though...

  • Author

We've gone to another instructor (there's protocol about issues between instructors/students; we have to go through each level before progressiong to accociate dean of nursing, dean of nursing, school dean, etc) and she said "just go by the book, the book is the Bible." However 10% of the questions on any test can be written by whoever taught that section of the module, and lo and behold: on this past test, those are the general 10% that were missed, which was especially frustrating for me, because I've been maintaining a 95 average. I'm not one that gets upset over every tiny missed point; my main concern is when she's going to be teaching much more complicated stuff as the semesters progress...she's teaching cardiac function next semester & I'm worried.

  • Experts

Document. Get copies of the Powerpoints and the test questions as well as tests where the incorrect answers have been marked as correct. Save your letters of complaint to the dean of the nursing department, or write memos documenting what you have done to address this with the nursing department. Copy all this doumented evidence and include it with an official complaint you will file with your state board of nursing complaining about the school that is doing nothing about your complaints about her. Then, sit back and wait to see what the state board does. They will investigate, especially if you have sent them copies of documentation proving your case.

Any interested citizen can file a complaint with the state board of nursing without going through the chain of command of the school if they feel the school is ignoring them. But the state board will want documented evidence. Watch your back and expect that the school may retaliate.

It's been my understanding that if you can prove it in the book, the instructor has to either throw out the question or accept that the question has more than one correct answer. This can be difficult however because we never get to actually go over the test. We're left wondering if we can't remember the exact wording than maybe we're looking up the wrong information. It's really a difficult situation. Can you schedule a time that you can all look at the exam and go from there?

We've found information in our text and the instructor often refuses to change the grading, but every once in awhile she does. It often seems to depend on how many students are willing to voice their opinion. Let us know how this goes. Good luck

Be very, very careful. Try to solve the issue before going over the Instructor. Try not to write your name on any official complaint if you can avoid doing so. "Class of Mrs. Judy Mitchell, 1:30-4:30pm Mon, Thurs, Fri" should suffice, for example. (Sorry if there are any Judy Mitchell's here)

I was going to start a new thread on my own issues, but I will put it here, and make it as brief as my anger will allow.

My instructor right now is giving us a true or false portion of a test, wherein he demands that you write the word "check" if it is false, and "xxx" if it is true, and had a list of risk factors to be included with "except" the following (emphasis mine, his was on a new line, well hidden under a lot of text. He does not allow any erasures, or superimpositions, etc. Also, during that part of the test, your wrong answers were deducted from your score! He is getting people on being "tricky" rather than knowlege and understanding of nursing.

Needless to say, our class is at our wits end with this guy. I was lucky enough to be among the few that did not completely fail this portion of the test, only because I could hear the "OH !@#$" coming from several people as they were hitting the part I mentioned. I do not base my grade or understanding against others, but the groups who are not under this guy were just as prepared for midterms as we were, and are bringing in a full letter grade higher than we who have this guy on average.

Sorry to threadjack. I feel better now. :cool:

  • Experts

another thought i had since last night is to report this specific instructor to the state board for malpractice. anyone can do that as well, especially with documentation. i'd be arrogant enough to tell her to her face that i was going to do it, too, but that's just the way i am when i am passionate about being in the right about something. don't know if it would go anywhere, but it sure would shake her and the school up to have a complaint filed against her license. perhaps one of her previous students might be willing to file the complaint. nurses worry about patients suing them or reporting them to the state board all the time. instructors think it can't happen to them because they are teaching. they are wrong. read your state nursing laws and board regulations for nursing schools. there are laws pertaining to what the nursing schools are supposed to be doing and the board can sanction a program or shut it down if it is not being managed correctly. i would say that a dean allowing an instructor to consistently present incorrect information after being notified of this qualifies as a huge problem the state board would want to be aware of.

  • Author

We are given a few minutes after tests are handed back to go over them and address any issues. However, the probelm lies more with having to fact-check any info she gives us...I caught the inconsistencies with fluid and electrolytes because we'd studies osmosis, diffusion, etc in biology, and so was able to look at her outline and go "hey, this isn't right." I'm more concerned with what she'll be teaching in the future; this will be stuff none of us have had, and chances are we aren't going to catch those mistakes! We were told by another instructor to just "go with what the book says," and while I do all off the assigned and suggested reading, you know how much there is to cover!!! I'm worried that things I don't catch before the test will be reflected by how well I do on the test, and then having to go through alot to prove the information given was incorrect, and then being told that I should have found it in the book...the way I see it, if I am expected to give correct answers on a test in order to be rewarded with the grade I want, then the person who is teaching the material should also be held accountable for the information they teach. I appreciate the advice from all of you; it's giving me steps to go through in order to resolve this situation, hopefully without inadvertently angering anyone. I appreciate it greatly!

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