Can you sue your instructor?

Nursing Students General Students

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It is my understanding that anyone who has a license can be sued. Is this true, how hard or easy is it. Anyone have any experience with this?

What would be the point? All that time and energy spent for retribution when the energy could be spent studying and deciding if nursing is really for you. Not a harsh comment only the truth. It's a hard education but an even harder job. What happens if once you graduate someone offends or doesn't do something according to the book, should they be sued as well? What happens when a family hurts your feelings or a co-worker is mean and unwillingly to help? Do you sue them? Not trying to offend just offer an additional way of thinking. Take a deep breath and try to calm down.

If you knew that you were supposed to get a midterm eval and post eval but didn't why didn't you contact the instructor for it, or maybe you did and I missed that. But you would at least have a paper trail. I suggest getting all your evals together and see what the big gripe from the instructors was, if it were something simple, realize you may have a clash in attitudes. If you did something a little larger maybe you can try and improve. Remember nursing school is a bunch of hoops along with an education for a wonderful career. Head up!!

Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

Sue Coke for sticking your tongue in a bottle and getting it stuck? If every one sued for a class they failed colleges would go out of business. Some one could turn the tables...so the lottery system pulls names out of the hat. If some one fails mid-year they can not move on, nor can some on take their place. What would stop some one from suing you for "wasting a valuable seat"? Sorry, I do understand how you would be frustrated. Some times I think. "these teachers are working for me, and when they get their lectures from on-line and their test questions from a bank, and are never available, I want to 'fire them'" but that is just be being angry, not realistic.

Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

Your kidding right?

Yes, for emotional distress, for the loss of time taking the course also for misrepresenting their basis for failing me, for the cost of the course I take. As I said, as part of the course requirements I am supposed to receive an evaluation (written) at mid semester and at the end of clinical evaluation, I received neither. if it was so terrible, don't you think they would have documented it. On my job, if I am having a problem with a client, and you know they will complain about you to whoever, the Director, the counselor, I write a very thorough note in the chart, so that if there are any questions, anyone reading the chart will know exactly what was said and by whom. These instructors are arbitrary and subjective and just do whatever they want, it seems, i still cannot believe it, but it seems to be true. They have to be stopped.
Specializes in High Risk In Patient OB/GYN.

Sorry Philly, but you'd be laughed out of any lawyers office. Seriously.

Emotional distress? You were angry that you failed Peds a 2nd time.

Loss of time taking the course? You voluntarily signed up for that course. In fact, I'm sure you had to apply to get into the school (I'm sure you researched it well 1st and found it to your liking).

Did you stay for extra help? Attend EVERY class and clinical? Utilize tutoring services offered? Join study groups? Speak with your student advisor (counselor, whatever title they have at your school) when you 1st knew there was a problem? Because all of this would be questioned, and rightfully so.

And they'd ask you right off the bat if this happened to any other students in your class. No? It didn't? Hmm. Well, then, maybe that says something.

I can't say "good luck" persuing this, because I think it would be a horrendous waste of time, money and valuable resources. She did nothing wrong as an RN. Maybe she sucked as an instructor (and that's a possibility. Though then again, if you're the only one who had the problem....twice...), but that's not what the state licensed her for.

Sorry to sound harsh, but if a nurses license were on the line for failing a student, NO NURSE would ever become and instructor =OR= they would pass everyone, whether or not that person had the skills and knowledge necessary to practice as a nurse. This is rediculous, and would only serve to add to the nursing shortage and long waiting lists at colleges and universities.

I cannot support your decision, though I do understand your frustration.

Specializes in High Risk In Patient OB/GYN.

Yikes

Specializes in High Risk In Patient OB/GYN.

wow, triple post.

Sorry!

I dont mean to be harsh or mean either(I will say I had a good laugh after I read the post...I thought it was a joke:uhoh21: ) But when you sign up for classes or enter a nursing program there is no where that says that a instructor has to be nice or even friendly or even more so PASS YOU!

This really reminds me of something that happen at my school last week....In 2 of our classes we are required to have 80% in and also we are required to have 100% on our dosage cal test. Well many students failed the dosage test(we are able to retake it...were I passed) Well after the test many students started to be students and complain...which is normal. BUT a few students took it to the NEXT level and started saying it was WRONG and they were going to SUE the school because THEY failed!!!! Infact 2 students dropped that day instead of JUST retaking the test!!!! One of them PROCLAIMED they were just going to take the NCLEX and challenge the board so they could work!!!!

As student we all complain and whine(because we are students!) but what it comes down to is that there are STANDARDS and there is a VERY GOOD REASON why they are there! If it was sooo easy to pass and become a nurse then everyone and there mother would be a nurse!!

Pick yourself up, study, and MOVE on!

Think of it this way...."Every time you interact with a patient it is your final exam and if you FAIL then it could cost someone there LIFE!"

This is what one of my instructors says!

can you file a protest with the college?? i don't believe that sueing is a viable alternative..

if this is required for graduation maybe you can take somthing else next semester and then retake course when you are not so pushed

good luck

Specializes in High Risk In Patient OB/GYN.

I think once you fail two times, you're done. That's how it is at all the universities I know of (except in rare circumstances--ie my school let a mama take her Med Surg 2 clinical a 3rd time because she failed the second due to time missed for a late term miscarriage/stillbirth with resulting sepsis--beyond her control)

I think once you fail two times, you're done. That's how it is at all the universities I know of (except in rare circumstances--ie my school let a mama take her Med Surg 2 clinical a 3rd time because she failed the second due to time missed for a late term miscarriage/stillbirth with resulting sepsis--beyond her control)

I believe that is the policy at my school too. I have a friend back home that failed her med/surg clinical due to some tragic events and even then they were pretty hard on her and she had to come back and reapply...she did and is in her final strech of school know.

To the OP, im confused. Did you not receive ANY feedback on your performance?

We are evaluated each week with either a satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

I can see your point if you were receiving NO knowledge that you were failing and then BAM, you are failed.

Did you receive no warning at all?

Specializes in High Risk In Patient OB/GYN.

She was told she was not doing well, and was given a 2nd chance of sorts. Let me see if I can find the thread where she actually gives some info (although why there was no clarification posted here is beyond me).

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