I am in the Generic BSN program which is 5 semesters. I did very well in 1'st semester because of caring professors. But this past semester I didn't... because of uncaring people. I need to know if anyone has had any 'run-ins' with professors, and if so... how did you manage it? I feel like I'm in a position that is IMPOSSIBLE to win.
As for uncaring I mean giving us 'blueprints' before an exam and telling us to study "abc" and our exam was over "xyz". Yes our entire class spoke up and I even wrote a letter which reached the dean. She said she would 'handle it' and I now stand in the hands of the Student Affairs Committee to get reinstated since I made 2 grades of 71. (Passing for them is 75)
They would post Peanuts comics often- and one great one the week before finals ---of all times---which read Linus and the girl with dark hair playing tennis: "Awe you can't blame everything on the racquet" "Did you ever consider it may be the man BEHIND the racquet?" "Stop thinking of so many excuses!" Linus responded... "I still think it's the racquet." Subliminal messages which were for me to quit blaming them. Believe me they did not teach anything. Whatever info I got this semester it was because of ME not them... I proved them wrong in their offices twice by the book; because they didn't go by it. After a while I just gave up and accepted the BS grade they 'claimed I earned'. I wish you could see these tests because I laughed at the 'correct answers'.
Duh! Why are you and this Marc dude telling me to blame me; I have over 100+ hours of college credit and you don't think I've dealt with professors before? Babied... I HARDLY THINK SO! I drive 125 miles to and from nursing school. A single mother of a 4 YO daughter. And I am SMART-(what I mean is well rounded); I was awarded an NSP award through HRSA. I am used to doing things on my own but I was only asking about uncaring professors, meaning they don't like me since I spoke up about their ineffective teaching methods.
OK ... so you had a professor that was not to your liking. Get over it and move on. Life will throw you many curve balls. Learn how to hit them.
... and what's the big deal about the Peanuts cartoon? It sound to me like you are blowing that WAY out of proportion.
I wish the best of luck in your nursing career. Really, I do. I'm sure it is difficult for you to handle the stress of school along with your obligations as a mother.... but it is not going to get any easier.
Specializes in ER/ MEDICAL ICU / CCU/OB-GYN /CORRECTION.
I think you are in need of an attitude adjustment and finally have met a professor who is not going to cave in and spoon feed you. I see a presentation that is the self righteous regardless if your right or wrong.
If how you responded to my post and others in this manner is an example of how you strategize and present yourself you may not make it around these persons that you have challenged that are your professors.
You are the student and if I were you I would tread lightly with such an attitude. To refer to me as a dude when if you would read my entire post thru open eyes you would see that I was cheering you on.
I think in your further post the real issues of humility(or lack of it ) your non willingness to be teachable and self promotion is the crux of what your professors are seeing.
Regard to this term DUDE .... I am offended and yet hope you are able to get over yourself or all of your gas money and time you have invested will be for naught.
Keep looking at the vision but take off the goggles
Hey there....i know how you feel exactly, because I AM in your position as of right now. I'm also enrolled into a nursing program myself in which the teachers can't teach. On top of that, my teacher told me that no one in the program likes me because im' a "re-run" (meaning that i had to repeat a course because of 1 silly med error that I made in the past). Regarding this med error is a long story, which i strongly feel that i was not given justice as compared to fellow classmates. Anyhow, i have many time wanted to quit nursing and feel like i hated it!! But you know what, i think i'm getting over it and chosen to face all the **** that anyone can throw at me because i know that no matter where you're at...S*** happens...rite? So cheer up and take it one at a time cuz very soon, you can rule over them through your higher learning.
NiceNurse19 - I hope you take the advice so graciously provided. You did come here asking how to deal with uncaring professors. Once we understood what you meant, we provided a varied selection of responses.
ADarnGoodNurse - I am appalled at what you view as a "silly med error." If you so trivialize ANY medication error, you are not ready to have the responsibility that goes with being an RN. Please reconsider your career choice.
"As for uncaring I mean giving us 'blueprints' before an exam and telling us to study "abc" and our exam was over "xyz". Yes our entire class spoke up and I even wrote a letter which reached the dean. She said she would 'handle it' and I now stand in the hands of the Student Affairs Committee to get reinstated since I made 2 grades of 71. (Passing for them is 75) "
I just graduated from nursing school less than a month ago, so let me tell you how I feel from a recent student perspective.
I've had the same type of instructors. However, I don't believe they were setting me up for failure, but rather attempting to teach responsibility. Just because they said "ABC" would be on the tests, doesn't mean that you shouldn't also study for "XYZ". You are responsible for learning the material, regardless of whether or not you are tested on it.
I'm not trying to be judgemental of you, I understand that sometimes things may not seem fair. But, fair or not, if this is something that you want badly enough, you will find a way to succeed and let nothing stand in your way. Quit blaming others and take responsibility for your own actions, failures and successes. I can promise you, you aren't the first and won't be the last to deem a professor (s) as unfair. However, that doesn't mean that you have to fail. I'm sure others have passed these professors' classes, and there is no reason for you to not, as well.
Hey there....i know how you feel exactly, because I AM in your position as of right now. I'm also enrolled into a nursing program myself in which the teachers can't teach. On top of that, my teacher told me that no one in the program likes me because im' a "re-run" (meaning that i had to repeat a course because of 1 silly med error that I made in the past). Regarding this med error is a long story, which i strongly feel that i was not given justice as compared to fellow classmates. Anyhow, i have many time wanted to quit nursing and feel like i hated it!! But you know what, i think i'm getting over it and chosen to face all the **** that anyone can throw at me because i know that no matter where you're at...S*** happens...rite? So cheer up and take it one at a time cuz very soon, you can rule over them through your higher learning.
You do know that "1 silly med error" is all it takes to kill a pt, right?
As for uncaring I mean giving us 'blueprints' before an exam and telling us to study "abc" and our exam was over "xyz". Yes our entire class spoke up and I even wrote a letter which reached the dean. She said she would 'handle it' and I now stand in the hands of the Student Affairs Committee to get reinstated since I made 2 grades of 71. (Passing for them is 75)
They would post Peanuts comics often- and one great one the week before finals ---of all times---which read Linus and the girl with dark hair playing tennis: "Awe you can't blame everything on the racquet" "Did you ever consider it may be the man BEHIND the racquet?" "Stop thinking of so many excuses!" Linus responded... "I still think it's the racquet." Subliminal messages which were for me to quit blaming them. Believe me they did not teach anything. Whatever info I got this semester it was because of ME not them... I proved them wrong in their offices twice by the book; because they didn't go by it. After a while I just gave up and accepted the BS grade they 'claimed I earned'. I wish you could see these tests because I laughed at the 'correct answers'.
Let's see.
When I was in Nursing School, I was not given a test Blueprint, I was expected to study all of the information presented or assigned.
I was expected to have 80% not 75%. And they did not round up - 79.999999 would have been failing.
I must have had really horribly "uncaring" nursing instructors. They were more "caring" of patient safety than of my feelings.
"They did not teach anything. Whatever info I got this semester it was because of ME not them"....perhaps you should have tried to more to learn from THEM, because, what you got was obviously not adequate, given the grade issues.
It does not matter how "smart" you are or how popular, there will be instructors that you do not agree with or that are not as kind to your feelings as you would wish. This is because in life, there will be lots of patients/MDs/DONs/managers that do not care how smart or popular that you are and will not be kind even though you work hard.
Deal with it, adapt to it and excell despite of it. Life is not fair and neither is nursing school.
I'm going to agree with everyone else. I had a rough clinical rotation this time around because I screwed up on the third day of clinical and overslept and so was 5-10 minutes later than she wanted us to get there and left 2 assignments in my car because I had been hurrying so much. She pretty much had me marked as a screw up at that point.
I was very upset and frustrated at first, because I'm not typically a screw up, and yet, I had for her so I just worked doubly hard (and I do mean doubly, or triply) to do everything to her liking. I didn't always succeed, and of course I made mistakes along the way, but my level of effort and preparedness was never in question and so when it came to evaluation time, she had no choice but to give me a reasonably good eval, even though personally we didn't mesh. But it was my fault that I originally screwed up and so I knew I had to make the effort to right things with her and prove myself.
I also have had a professor who would test over material not lectured over. Some classmates were upset at this, but you have to just assume, if it's on the syallabus as you having to know it, then you can potentially have questions about it on the test.
After it happened once, you could have learned that the teacher does not follow the test maps and studied more thoroughly, but you didn't and failed again. You have to take charge of your own education. There are some crappy teachers out there, but you can't let them get in the way of your goals.
I just finished my 1st semester with an "uncaring professor". The students from the previous semesters had "warned" us about this particular instructor who tried to purposely fail students. The students who believed all the hype and gossip did not do well the first semester. I'm not saying they didn't get good grades, but they were argumentative complainers who got branded as troublemakers from the very beginning. When they argued, they would get written up and then whine to chair of the department about how unfair it all was. One girl was talking about getting a lawyer due to the "unfairness".
I had to go talk to this "uncaring" instructor because I had to take a few days off due to my son having surgery. She was very caring and easy to talk to.
I guess what I'm saying is that when you treat the instructors and faculty with respect, they tend to do the same to you. If you are argumentative and hard to get along with, they will try to break you because you will not last very long with "attitude" when you get out of school.
And as far as test questions being comical, welcome to the club. ridiculus isn't even the word to describe some of the tests i've taken. But you have to do them and move on because complaining about this stuff will probably not change anything and only make your life harder.
I think you are in need of an attitude adjustment and finally have met a professor who is not going to cave in and spoon feed you. I see a presentation that is the self righteous regardless if your right or wrong.
If how you responded to my post and others in this manner is an example of how you strategize and present yourself you may not make it around these persons that you have challenged that are your professors.
You are the student and if I were you I would tread lightly with such an attitude. To refer to me as a dude when if you would read my entire post thru open eyes you would see that I was cheering you on.
I think in your further post the real issues of humility(or lack of it ) your non willingness to be teachable and self promotion is the crux of what your professors are seeing.
My interpretation as well, especially after the "duh" post.
llg, PhD, RN
13,469 Posts
Well said, Marc!
llg