Balanced advice please!

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This is the first thread I've ever started. Yay me! Bad news it's a little on the negative side but I do really need some advice so here goes nothing.....

I am a nurse but am in school getting my RN. At our school you do your clinical day and you get a grade on your clinical day. The teacher also writes out a written report of how you did. You must sign the grade rubric and the written report. I read my written report and there are multiple errors in what the teacher wrote. I will point out some of the deductions I deserved so I'm not just whining about my grade or being criticized. My issue is with the incorrect deductions. These are factual errors not differences of opinion.

After some thought, I realized that I was not willing to sign a document that was incorrect. I took the bull by the horns and spoke to the teacher about it. It was not a bad conversation but I did have to be pretty insistent to get her to realize some of the items were incorrect. At the end of the conversation she had pretty much talked it out with me and seemed to be open to what I was saying. Then she blew me away by stating she would be changing only 1 of the 4 incorrect statements and she said she did not deduct any points of for that one. (I guess it was a freebee?) My grade is actually not my issue. My problem is that when I sign that paper I make whatever is on it fact. I will not be able to argue it later if an issue comes up. I have to advocate for myself now. At this time I cannot see a way that I am comfortable signing it. If I was at my job and they wanted me to sign something this inaccurate there is no way I would. I don't want drama and I have no interest in hypothesizing about her motivations.

I kinda have 2 questions.

1. Do you think I am being to strict about not signing it?

2.Can you think of another options that might work for me?

I appreciate any thoughts you might have. I wish to be balanced and smart about what I do next. Thank you.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

It's good ur standing up for yourself. One time, our whole class rebelled when they failed a subject, and demanded our grades be put up to a 'pass'. We won.

I have had to fight with unfair nursing instructors too.

I say to go to the head of the school with your written concerns. Don't sign anything that will stay on your record forever - I certainly wouldn't.

Good luck & let us know how u get on.

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Can you write "Disagree with parts of statement" next to your name & date ?

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I was going to say the same thing. I would make a comment on there about not agreeing with the errors and then sign it.

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Specializes in FNP.

^^^agree. Just write in that you disagree where applicable. I'd turn the paper over and document any clarifications necessary, or attach a sheet and write "see attachment" on the original. Keep copies.

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Specializes in Infectious Disease, Neuro, Research.

What is at issue? Are they "facts", or are they subjective circumstances being interpreted through different perceptual backgrounds? A, "fact", I can use to nail your hide to the barn door; a, "circumstantial body of evidence", is interpretational.

Very, very few people deal in purely objective facts, relating to personal events. Even then, it is generally not healthy to push something that does not have direct and tangible consequences. If the "facts" are unlikely to be harmful to your academic progress, and are not open to substantial negative interpretation at a later date, let it drop.

Without knowing you personally, it is difficult to offer better, more explict advice. One of my classmates, whose abilities and judgement I had(and have) the greatest respect for, and whom I love as dearly as a sister, didn't recognize when to let a similar situation drop, and my personal suspicion(actually, knowing her GPA, and the people involved, and having been so accused, I am arrogant enough :rolleyes: to state this as a "fact") is that this cost her an extra semester, more than any practical deficit(s).

Pick your fights carefully. As noted in The Patriot, "I have a family, Sir, I do not have the luxury of principles...":cool:

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

If you can't let it drop and just sign it ... put a statement on it saying that you disagree with the content of the evaluation, but that you acknowledge being informed of the instructor's comments and grade. Give your side of the story. That is the standard procedure when receiving any sort of eval you disagree with.

However ... if it doesn't have a significant effect on your grade, the smart political move might be to simply let it go. "Pick your battles..." and all that.

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I agree with the others about making a notation that you do not agree before signing. Are other students having similar problems with this instructor?

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Specializes in Cardiac, PCU, Surg/Onc, LTC, Peds.

Pick your battles wisely. Does this in any way affect your grade? No? Then my advice is to let it go. Does it matter in the grand scheme of things? Doesn't sound like it.

IMHO you're putting too much thought and energy into something that really won't matter in the long run. It's not healthy and may make you appear to be the problem student. Tread lightly this instructor can make your life he-double hockey sticks the rest of your time in this program.

Put this energy you're wasting into something useful.

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I couldn't agree more that I really want to stay away from a battle with this teacher. She is very punitive to students in the clinical setting. The grade is not going to affect my passing nursing school. (as far as I know, the semester is still young)

My fear is the grand scheme of things as DookieMeisterRN put it. Last semester students signed these written reports without asking for corrections in errors. These signed reports were then used later to show a pattern of errors and failures on the students part. They were subsequently dropped from the program due to clinical failure. They did make some errors on their clinical days but they were not failed due to a single error. The reports were used to establish a pattern and failure to improve. I cannot guarantee that I will not make errors during a clinical day. I wish to think and consider my options carefully now so that I do not find myself regretting it at a later date.

It is my hope that none of this will matter in the long run and that I am wasting my energy in thinking so hard on it. I don't want to be the problem student and I have no interest in grandstanding. I still have pretty much no idea what to do but thx guys.

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Specializes in Cardiac, PCU, Surg/Onc, LTC, Peds.

It seems you left out some pretty substantial details from your OP. Well now that you say students were dropped due to clinical failures that changes everything. If that is the case which I didn't see in your OP (but I could have missed it, sorry if I did), I definitely would ask to speak with your director about your valid concerns, or at least to get supposedly an unbiased, fair view on your situation. Since we do not have any idea what your 'errors ' were it is a tad bit difficult to give helpful advice. I don't think just merely signing the clinical report and writing there are some things you don't agree with would be sufficient to say the least. If you want answers and corrections than go up the chain of command. Your welcome :)

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Specializes in Cardiac, PCU, Surg/Onc, LTC, Peds.
I couldn't agree more that I really want to stay away from a battle with this teacher. She is very punitive to students in the clinical setting. The grade is not going to affect my passing nursing school. (as far as I know, the semester is still young)

My fear is the grand scheme of things as DookieMeisterRN put it. Last semester students signed these written reports without asking for corrections in errors. These signed reports were then used later to show a pattern of errors and failures on the students part. They were subsequently dropped from the program due to clinical failure. They did make some errors on their clinical days but they were not failed due to a single error. The reports were used to establish a pattern and failure to improve. I cannot guarantee that I will not make errors during a clinical day. I wish to think and consider my options carefully now so that I do not find myself regretting it at a later date.

It is my hope that none of this will matter in the long run and that I am wasting my energy in thinking so hard on it. I don't want to be the problem student and I have no interest in grandstanding. I still have pretty much no idea what to do but thx guys.

Well if students were 'dropped ' as you say due to clinical failure I would think this could impact you passing nursing school. Especially if she is punitive as you describe her. You may want to get to the bottom of this before she writes you up with too many clinical errors, you may be subsequently dropped too. Can you transfer to a different clinical instructor? Whatever you can do to get her off your back the sooner the better!

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