what can we do if clinical teacher is inappropriate

sharpeimom · May 17, 2014

What's the rest of the story? You didn't give us enough to form a valid

opinion.

ixchel · May 17, 2014

We had an ethics discussion in maternity clinical related to IVF (the baby kind, not the normal saline kind), and as this is the one area of nursing I had the most background knowledge, interest, and passion for up to this point, I didn't hold back on my very liberal, very researched perspective on the topic. (Professors always graded well for full participation, so I didn't think to hold back.) I wasn't rude. I wasn't dismissive. Honestly, I shared my opinions, backed up with reasons for them, and at some point I realized everyone was gradually participating far less, so maybe I need to back off. So I did. And then my professor proceeded to fill in the gaps with her extremely conservative, religiously based point of view, clearly not considering she didn't know her audience well enough to know if any of us was conceived via IVF or if any of us would need it in the future. She was frankly offensive. So I stopped participating completely, recognizing that probably, I offended her.

Grades came in for that day. Everyone else had high As. I had a low C. Not only that, but she said I did things and said things that honest to god I never said or did. I tried to approach her via email but got an "I'll look at it", and then no word back for days. So I emailed my concerns to the course coordinator. It was terrifying. I'd never done anything like that before, but I really did feel singled out. In hindsight, I either offended her, or I made her mad by having more info on the topic than she did (thereby making me look like a show-off, one-upper).

It took a few days for the coordinator to get back to me, and when she did, it was very clear she didn't actually read through what she was responding to. I felt crushed. It took so much courage to go to her, and after all that, nothing. I made myself look bad. I made myself look unreasonable.

I thought about taking it further but realized it was one grade. It was one assignment. It was one botched experience, and I needed to walk away from it. I knew I handled it professionally. I knew I did my part. I knew that I hadn't really done anything wrong. I just had to move on.

I don't know if my story helps at all. It's hard when grading is more subjective. It's hard when an instructor simply doesn't like you. You'll have bosses like that one day, too. If it's a battle worth fighting, fight it. Know when it's time to let go. I hope you can find peace in this situation either way, and my heart is with you.

biopsychmajor, RN · May 17, 2014

I just had the same thing happen to me. It burned me to tears, I was so angry. I was all prepared to go fight but then I thought, "I've had tougher clinical instructors who required more work and gave me a much better grade." You know what? It helped. It was just one grade. Plus, I figured I might hit a brick wall if I complained as has happened in the past with others and knew it would just make me angrier. So I backed off and I'm all the better for it. Like ixchel said, you're gonna come across bosses like that too. This will make me better prepared to handle this type of thing if it ever happens again.

loriangel14, RN · May 17, 2014

I just had the same thing happen to me. It burned me to tears, I was so angry. I was all prepared to go fight but then I thought, "I've had tougher clinical instructors who required more work and gave me a much better grade." You know what? It helped. It was just one grade. Plus, I figured I might hit a brick wall if I complained as has happened in the past with others and knew it would just make me angrier. So I backed off and I'm all the better for it. Like ixchel said, you're gonna come across bosses like that too. This will make me better prepared to handle this type of thing if it ever happens again.

Exactly. In the real world you will come across mangers that will make your life awful if you **** them off. Even if you aren't guilty of anything. I hate it but I have learned to keep my head down and my mouth shut.