For all you instructors out there...

[chinacatSN]

I'm a nursing student in the last quarter of the LPN program. I begin the ADN program this June. My grades are excellent and I'm known as one of the more competent students when it comes to clinicals, nursing knowledge, and patient care. I've been a CNA for many years. I've never failed anything, I've never had any complaints against me, and I never harass my instructor.

That being said - do instructors want students to bring things to their attention - such as certain students violating policies, students who depend too much on other students, students who don't do their work, etc.? And how would a student go about bringing these situations to your attention in the correct manner?

There are certain students in my class who disregard the rules on a daily basis. There are students who have people they work with do their homework for them. There are students who have no idea how to properly care for a patient.

I used to assume that the instructors knew how awful these students are and were going to do something about it - maybe not the ones who have others do their homework, but the ones who violate policy and have no idea what's going on - I don't spend much time with these students myself and if it's that obvious to me, isn't it obvious to the instructor? But these students just keep doing what they're doing time and time again. A retired nursing instructor told me that she wishes she knew what certain students were doing when she was an instructor so she could have done something about it. But she couldn't tell me how to go about telling my instructor about it. You would think that a student having 3 med errors in one day would be a clue. Or another student who wears acrylic nails - granted, they're not super obvious because they're clear and not really long but come on. It just bothers me that people who don't follow policy and try to skirt the rules are at the same level I am - a student who does her best to follow policy, studies hard for everything, always shows up early, and has never had a med error. That should stand for something, but it doesn't seem to. Which makes me wonder if my instructor isn't totally oblivious...

What do you think? Sorry for rambling...1:30 am here, not usually up this late!

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Let me move this to the nurse educator form.

[orthonurse55]

I am not a nursing instructor but I am a CNA instructor so we have very similar rules. Yes, I encourage my students to come to me in private to tell me what is going on that I might not be aware of. Especially if it is happening in a room behind a closed door! Your instructor can't be everywhere and I would hope they would not look at it as though you are being a rat. Sometimes I have very shy students come to me and say things like "Maybe you should check out Brittany's nails today". My students know that anything they say will be confidential and I would never implicate them. I've gotten very good at "noticing" things myself after it has been pointed out to me.

Good luck in school. It sounds like you are on the right track and are a very serious student - your instructors should be thrilled to have you!

[organichombre, ADN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

As a clinical instructor for 4 years I feel that I am diligent in pursuing those who are not doing the work, to make them better. Students are not going to rat out other students unless they feel threatened by their activity and it negatively affects them. It is human nature to avoid conflict for the sake of conflict. I have the resolute backing of my institution when I confront those types of students, and that is where the problem lies I think. You've obviously done something right, align yourself with similar souls and be honest with instructors.

[justus501]

Hi...

Although unfortunate, it is just life. No matter what the profession, there are always those who are slackers. Nursing Education has changed since I was in school. I just completed my education... Master's Degree in Nursing Education. I too was surprised at the students we are passing. All I can say is....it will catch up with them. I think you should do this....keep your mouth SHUT!! My experience has been that those who try to do the right thing, and inform faculty as to what is REALLY going on, end up with problems. You seem to be a bright, motivated, and dedicated student. Don't mess up your education, please trust me. All you can do is be responsible for your own behavior. Trying to control others behaviors, or make them accountable for their behaviors will only frustrate you, and unfortunately, get you in trouble.

[jmqphd]

We had a situation like this, where a group of students were probably cheating. (I say probably because I was not around at the time.) There were schisms and cliques that ruptured the relationships between students. When they got passed along to me, I had problems with the whistle-blowers and the alleged cheaters. It was unpleasant all the way around.

My bottom line would be patient safety. There would NEVER be a reason to be reluctant to let an instructor know if the behavior of your fellow student placed a patient in immediate peril.

My job as an instructor is to weed out the ones who are inadequate. If the integrity-challenged students can slip past me, pass both theory and clinical... and if I've set the bar high enough... I cannot fail anyone on the word of a whistle-blower. If the tables were turned, and someone was telling tales on you, wouldn't you want the instructor to have a very high standard of proof that you had done something wrong?

Think before you "rat". Ask yourself who you are doing this for. Be very hard on yourself and examine your motives. Because believe me, the instructor and the school will be looking at your motives and will examine why you went out of your way to drop a dime on your classmates.

[concernedMD]

It appears some of the instructors have forgotten the legalities involved in taking heresay from students about other students - not to mention the flagrant violation of student privacy rights and the fact that instructors have no business discussing one student with another student. I suggest you ask for your attorney's input on such matters. You'll be lucky to keep your licenses if you keep up this behavior.

If you're worried about certain students, it is incumbent on YOU to be on top of things enough to see for yourself what is going on. It is absolutely NOT the business of other students.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

I don't think instructors assume what students say about each other is the absolute truth, but listening to a student's concerns can lead an instructor to watch a potential problem more closely.

I also don't think instructors discuss other students. It's been my experience they listen without commenting.

Yes, we must be on top of things to see what's going on, and it is impossible to be 10 places at one time...