I've Been Arbitrarily Dismissed By My Instructor From The Nursing Program...

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I am a fourth semester student set to graduate in May (2007). Just today, my instructor dismissed me from the program for what she claims was "unsatisfactory" performance in clinicals. I've had her for clinicals all semester. She has never reprimanded me during clinicals. She has never ordered me off the floor from clinicals. She has never ordered that I go to the "lab" to clarifiy my technique. She waited til the day before our final exam to tell me that I "will not be completing the course" and that I "don't have to take the test tomorrow."

I have never had an "unsatisfactory" clinical evaluation. Even on the "ONE" day she claims I was performing "unsatisfactorily", the nurse I worked with gave me a good, clean evaluation.

Are instructors allowed to do this? Please advise! I'm a very good student. I'm Vice-President of the class. I truly feel she is "picking on me". I know of incidences that have occurred with other students that have jeopardized a patient's life- and they have been allowed to continue with the program. I have never put a patient's life at risk. I have followed the rules and regulations. What should I do?? Please advise!!!

Specializes in Education, Administration, Magnet.

Keep us updated.

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
by the way, i do not know your pain but i know that there is hope! there are many many many threads on this board of people who have failed, tried to fight the system, and who are no longer nursing students (and have little hope of ever becoming nurses). on the other hand, there are people who accepted the failure, fixed his/her problems, and were able to return the following semester or year. today they are nurses or on his/her way like nursedaddy2006 who hangs out on the male nursing student forum. maybe you can pm him and show him this thread and get some advice from someone who has gone through what you are going through now! gl....

having served as a student representative on a school's committee for appeals, i whole-heartedly agree with you. if a student enters the discussion with the attitude that "you failed me for no reason," it is usually an indication that they did not understand the reasons and were unlikely to be able to view the situation (and their performance) objectively. if a student entered into discussions with an acknowledgement that there were some performance issues that needed to be addressed, the faculty was usually willing to give them a second chance.

if the dean won't speak with you , try speaking with the provost if your school has one. if not, go straight to the president. there should be some type of recourse for dismissing a student one month prior to graduation with no prior notice.

thanks for the replies! this particular instructor seems to have a history of this. what she has done to me is not unprecedented. i've gone to the director of nursing. she won't even look into it. i have to do something. i just don't know what. is anyone familiar with educational codes or an instructor? how is being arbitrary about this type of situation right? what types of questions should i be asking? please advise!!:o
I am a fourth semester student set to graduate in May (2007). Just today, my instructor dismissed me from the program for what she claims was "unsatisfactory" performance in clinicals. I've had her for clinicals all semester. She has never reprimanded me during clinicals. She has never ordered me off the floor from clinicals. She has never ordered that I go to the "lab" to clarifiy my technique. She waited til the day before our final exam to tell me that I "will not be completing the course" and that I "don't have to take the test tomorrow."

I have never had an "unsatisfactory" clinical evaluation. Even on the "ONE" day she claims I was performing "unsatisfactorily", the nurse I worked with gave me a good, clean evaluation.

Are instructors allowed to do this? Please advise! I'm a very good student. I'm Vice-President of the class. I truly feel she is "picking on me". I know of incidences that have occurred with other students that have jeopardized a patient's life- and they have been allowed to continue with the program. I have never put a patient's life at risk. I have followed the rules and regulations. What should I do?? Please advise!!!

So you really have NO history of problems and this happened anyway? This would be my worst nightmare. I can't imagine what you must be going through.

I don't have anything more to add to the advice you've been given thus far, I just hope you'll keep us updated on how it turns out. I hope you're able to get this worked out.

Specializes in ER, tele, vascular.

To the OP, where were you doing your clinicals? What school are you attending. Just curious.

Craig

Thanks again for all the advice and replies to this discussion. To address a few questions: First, I am a student at a California community college-ADN Program. I don't want to mention which one just yet, in case of actual legal proceedings. 2nd, I have gone to the ombudsperson at my school, and they have agreed to be with me at meetings with anybody from the Nursing department. Since yesterday, the President of the Health Sciences Division has contacted me. I can't go into detail until this is all over, but I WILL!

Again, thanks for the advice, please keep it coming in. You all have been right on so far.

Keep your head up and keep us posted!!

Ive read a few of these types of problems happening here on this board and I have to ask, do you not get hard copy evaluations weekly with a satisfactory or UNsatisfactory?

I can't imagine a school NOT doing this. If you do, were all of your evaluations satisfactory?

I can't imagine being dropped from clinical if you had this sort of paper trail and I can't imagine a school NOT doing this.

Specializes in Nephrology.

Its funny you think in a career where documentation is everything, that they would automatically give you a copy of your evaluations, but beleive it or not they dont. When I was in school after signing my evaluation the first time I asked for a copy for my records and was told that I could not get one until it was ok'd by the director of the program. After I stated that that #1 I paid for this evaluation and #2 if I agreed or disagreed and was mandated to sign it I was entitled to a copy. It took about 2wks of fighting with them to finally receive it, but I did and a copy of everyone there after. So I'm really not surprised with these schools not giving them out. My advice to anyone in school now is get a copy of everything!, you never know when you might need it for this particular reason or the simple fact that what if they lost the only copy of something then its he said, she said.:)

Thanks again for all the advice and replies to this discussion. To address a few questions: First, I am a student at a California community college-ADN Program. I don't want to mention which one just yet, in case of actual legal proceedings. 2nd, I have gone to the ombudsperson at my school, and they have agreed to be with me at meetings with anybody from the Nursing department. Since yesterday, the President of the Health Sciences Division has contacted me. I can't go into detail until this is all over, but I WILL!

Again, thanks for the advice, please keep it coming in. You all have been right on so far.

Good for you! Remeber...there is ALWAYS someone to appeal to.

Your instructor blew it by not informing you of any "poor" progress in your clinicals...to me, if your instructor didn't tell you, even once, that you needed to improve, then it is NOT your fault and she missed the boat on that one...and probably shouldn't even be a nursing instructor.

The fact that your Director of Nursing wouldn't even discuss it with you, to me, sounds like a conspiracy...not necesssarily to dismiss you, but to protect the instructor.

Instructors are not God's, and they do make major mistakes, and are held accountable, as I have learned first-hand this semester.

Good luck and I'll be praying for you every step of the way.

Your instructor gives good instructors, a bad name. In no way does anyone deserve to be treated as you have.

Man, I think that's insane. All of our weekly evaluations have carbon copies which we get back to us, weekly. ETA, what you say in your last sentence is another reason they give us the copy. What if something happens to the original and we can't prove we did our clinical time...that's why we have the back up as well as it just being a good idea to have a copy yourself.

Its funny you think in a career where documentation is everything, that they would automatically give you a copy of your evaluations, but beleive it or not they dont. When I was in school after signing my evaluation the first time I asked for a copy for my records and was told that I could not get one until it was ok'd by the director of the program. After I stated that that #1 I paid for this evaluation and #2 if I agreed or disagreed and was mandated to sign it I was entitled to a copy. It took about 2wks of fighting with them to finally receive it, but I did and a copy of everyone there after. So I'm really not surprised with these schools not giving them out. My advice to anyone in school now is get a copy of everything!, you never know when you might need it for this particular reason or the simple fact that what if they lost the only copy of something then its he said, she said.:)
Specializes in OBGYN, Neonatal.

Keep us updated, sounds like things are moving at least and that is good!

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