I am a full time level II (RN) student with 3 classes and 1 clinical left in this program. I believe the nursing program is biased towards men and just not sure what, if anything I should do.
Last semester the males had some unfair biases placed on them in my opinion. One student had a critical incident report written up on him in clinical. He left the clinical site on time, before the instructor could serve him the papers. Then she investigated the incident, and found it to be false. She had told him, that had she found him, she would have suspended him. That night after talking to the witnesses, she found it to be false.
Another incident involves a husband and wife. We had to do Medspub on line. We were graded on participation and not our score. The husband and wife took this program at the same time, side by side, yet the wife received a higher score for doing the same work.
Another male student was singled out on his last clinical week, and was the only student that had to turn in work. He also received a critical incident report for not knowing the mechanism of action for a drug, yet the other 9 people in his clinical group could not answer the question. He was singled out.
Another male student placed a post on our on line page, stating his displeasure with our class. He was venting, as others had posted before him. I replied to his post in agreement. A female also replied to this post. All our post were removed. When I placed another post in this forum asking who violated our student rights and constitutional rights. The instructor removed the forum completely. Later placing it back up, minus our posts. She admitted removing the posts. The next class day I was removed from class by this instructor, and received a verbal reprimand from the instructor. The other male student, was sent to the nursing office. The female was never talked to. In our student handbook it states students have the right to free speech, etc.
The above is just a sample of what is going on. There is a lot more. What do I do if anything. I have been told that 2 former male students from last year have filed a lawsuit.
Since the school does not employ male nursing instructors, I have thought of contacting the president of the college. I am seriously thinking of leaving this program.
I am placing this here first to get your view on this. We as nurses are asked to be patient advocates. But who looks after us? It is my opinion that I need to bring this to the schools attention. If they will not listen, then where do I go?
It is not my intention to defame or slander this school, only to right the wrongs that have been placed on us.
After a year, .5 of this I think I'v recognized a part of our problem. We as men think and act different than women, the instructors working with us already have us singled out as physicaly diff. but don't continue with the mental part? I also believe theres a "expecting more out of us" part to it. I know for a fact that I act and think diff. than the rest of my class(better or worse I don't know:D)
Interesting thread, since I'm a guy starting a nursing program in the fall. To bridge my THREE YEARS on the waiting list, I decided to take a one-year certificate Medical Assistant program at the onset of the waiting period. I'm doing a mid-life career change and I thought the waiting time could be better spent getting some basic medical experience than treading water in my former dead-end career.
I experienced double-barreled discrimination from the program director. 1) She was biased against students who had plans to eventually go on to a nursing career. She apparently thinks everyone who completes the program should have to want to be a career medical assistant, and 2) I was made aware that the only other males who had entered the program never made it all the way through. The seahag of a director wasn't very subtle, lol!
I nipped it in the bud very early on, in the first week of class. When she learned of my plans to go into nursing, she called me out in front of the whole class...gave me the "this is not a stepping stone to nursing" speech, that if I didn't want to make a career of being a medical assistant I had no right to be taking a seat in the program, etc...
I replied, in an equally public manner in front of the class that after having a successful 16 year professional career I was in no need of career advice, and that my tuition dollars were being spent to pay her salary to teach me to be the best medical assistant, PERIOD. I said that since I hadn't had to sign a sacred oath to only ever be a medical assistant for the rest of my life, her job was to educate me and leave the career planning to me.
Miracles of miracles, she never mentioned it again. Oh, I could tell it was bubbling just below the surface, along with her obvious contempt for me as a male in "her program." To her surprise, I had the highest grade in our class of 20, and I scored in the 98th percentile on the CMA exam.
My take is that people feel free to treat others this way because nobody ever challenges them on it. I say BS! It's one thing if I have done something wrong, something stupid...cuss me out and call me stupid. But don't EVER treat me like a piece of garbage just because it makes you feel good for some perverse reason, and you think you can get away with it. If I'm in situations where I feel I'm being discriminated against in this fashion I document, document, document and have the facts on my side before I open my mouth, but I've rarely had my rebuttals to such boorish behavior challenged.
Nursing school should be interesting if this stuff abounds!
This is great - this is really what a person should do - just nip these things in the bud directly. I'll have to admit that so far I haven't been that way myself - I'm more of a "don't make waves, fly below the radar, and just make sure you get thru this" type of guy. But there *are* times when you cannot do this. Like if someone directly calls you out in front of everyone (unfairly or for no other reason than it's you) you almost have to respond, or you may appear guilty, or others will start to think less of you ("she's laying into this guy, there *must* be a reason"). I've gotten a little foreshadowing of this sort of thing where I'm going to school now, but nothing to really complain about in a big way - I just shrug it off and keep moving forward. I really hope I don't run into what you are describing when I finally show up at nursing school, but I have this feeling in my gut that I eventually will..... so I thank you for your posting - I will definitely keep it all in mind, and in actual practice, if I am ever forced to deal with something like this.
LatinDolphin
23 Posts
wow...sounds really bad. I hope I don't go through all that drama of discrimination when I enter the program.