Failing Clinical... What is a friend to do?

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Specializes in Home Health.

Okay, so here's my situation--

Just finished up term 3 of 5 (LPN). One of my closest friends in the class was failed in clinical by our 3rd term instructor. She (the friend) feels unfairly targeted by this instructor, and wants myself and some other people to vouch this for her.

Now here's the rub-- without getting into all kinds of detail, our environment at school is definitely turning hostile. I don't have anything concrete that I can add in for my friend's appeal, and I am fairly sure that I will have the clinical instructor in question for 4th term clinicals. I want to be available for my friend, and help out if possible... but I also have to be in the program with this instructor for the next 6 months :o

Have any of you been stuck in this situation, and how did you handle it?

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this same thing happened to be a good friend of mine last quarter. i feel she was unfairly targeted.

refer her to the class president/student advocate. there's nothing much you can do and you don't want to make the instructor mad at you. unless you witnessed something unfair, you wouldn't be able to contribute anything. your friend should have the don nursing present at the meeting.

good luck. my suggestion may not be the best, but it's my opinion. nursing school is a definitely a different beast.

take good care,

dani.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I agree since you don't have any objective proof I'd avoid it like the plague. Sadly I can almost promise you that she will not be reinstated and you definitely don't want to put a target on your behind.

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Something similar happened in our clinical group. The student that failed clinical felt as though he was singled out, the truth of the matter is, that this student wasn't safe. There's usually a good reason why an instructor would fail a student. If you're going to have this clinical instructor next semester, I would advise you not to get involved. You don't want this instructor consatantly watching your every move next semester. I know this sounds harsh, but that's what I would do.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.
One of my closest friends in the class was failed in clinical by our 3rd term instructor. She (the friend) feels unfairly targeted by this instructor, and wants myself and some other people to vouch this for her. ...

I don't have anything concrete that I can add in for my friend's appeal,

If you don't have anything concrete, you need to be up front and tell her so. If you saw something unethical going on, I would encourage you to speak up; but you've already said you didn't. Most clinical instructors do not want to fail anyone, we are there to teach and mentor becuase we want to be there (it certainly isn't for the money!) You don't know what went on behind closed doors, what the instructor saw or heard that made her fail your friend. The best thing you can do for yourself and her, is to offer support as a friend but let her know there isn't much you can do in a review board.

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Something similar happened in our clinical group. The student that failed clinical felt as though he was singled out, the truth of the matter is, that this student wasn't safe. There's usually a good reason why an instructor would fail a student. If you're going to have this clinical instructor next semester, I would advise you not to get involved. You don't want this instructor consatantly watching your every move next semester. I know this sounds harsh, but that's what I would do.

Good luck!

You are wrong..A nursing instructor is not above anyone..The reason I belive this is because a clinical instructor failed me before..After I failied I went to another school...Now, I am a nurse and have been working for a year..What do I think about the clinical instructor who failed me? Well they are like a bad boss..

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You are wrong..A nursing instructor is not above anyone..The reason I belive this is because a clinical instructor failed me before..After I failied I went to another school...Now, I am a nurse and have been working for a year..What do I think about the clinical instructor who failed me? Well they are like a bad boss..

I think we can agree to disagree on this one... I definately think a clinical instructor can make your life miserable, put you on the spot in post conference, or while on the floor. The same clinical instructor a lot of times are the same who lecture us, I've chosen to stay out of situations like this one.

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I agree that unless you have some proof or facts to support your friend, you will do no good in this case and may be targeted if you have her again. Vouching for her is really not going to be helpful in her case. What can you say other than she is a great person and friend? Do you actually know why they failed her and do you think it was fair?

We had a wacked out instructor the 2nd part of LPN school. She knew her stuff, so I just dealt with it. Others (about 24) decided to fight back and wrote a letter complaining. I was asked to sign it and refuse. 90% of those people on that letter were gone by the time we graduated. So there is no safety in numbers either.

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I think we can agree to disagree on this one... I definately think a clinical instructor can make your life miserable, put you on the spot in post conference, or while on the floor. The same clinical instructor a lot of times are the same who lecture us, I've chosen to stay out of situations like this one.

You are saying that the clincal instructors are always right in failing a student.And sometimes that is not true..An instructor can have personality conflicts with a student..An instructor can favor some students than other students..That is just human nature..I remember when I failed my clincal..I did well in the classroom theory part..My clincal instructor was laughing his head off when he failed me..Really professional dont you think?

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You are saying that the clincal instructors are always right in failing a student.And sometimes that is not true..An instructor can have personality conflicts with a student..An instructor can favor some students than other students..That is just human nature..I remember when I failed my clincal..I did well in the classroom theory part..My clincal instructor was laughing his head off when he failed me..Really professional dont you think?

My reply to the original posts were not meant to argue....I'm just giving my opinion on what I would do...My personal opinion on what I've observed and just like the last post stated (from a different person) one can really get picked on, so why call attention onto yourself, to me that's unnecessary, nursing school is hard enough. And I'm not saying tha "all" instructors are correct by failing a student, but there has to be enough documentation in order to do that, or at least I would hope, otherwise, if I was in that situation I would meet with the dean.

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I would say try to be supportive as possible as a friend, but above all else take care of number one (YOURSELF) first. Don't ruin your career for the benefit of someone else.

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You are saying that the clincal instructors are always right in failing a student.And sometimes that is not true..An instructor can have personality conflicts with a student..An instructor can favor some students than other students..That is just human nature..I remember when I failed my clincal..I did well in the classroom theory part..My clincal instructor was laughing his head off when he failed me..Really professional dont you think?

She didn't say that, you are putting words in her mouth. Surely there are people that get failed who deserved it, just as there are instructors that aren't fair. You can do well in theory and stink at clinical applications, or do well in clinical and stink at theory. You need to do well in both to become a nurse.

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