Help!!! Caught btw rock and hard place--Instructor sending students home early...

[meatballgirl]

Hi Everyone:

I need some savvy advice from some smart seasoned nurses. I'm in nursing school and a terrible situation has developed....

We are suppose to have clinicals from 3pm-midnight. Our instructor lets us out at 7pm, and we spend about 2 and a half hours total on the floor. The rest we are sitting and chatting about nursing stuff. But we get let out 5 hours early, every day. Today, she cancelled the whole day all together. We lost 9 hours.

Now I know some students are happy to play hookie and to get out early, I feel like I'm getting ripped off. I'm seriously not learning anything at all. And all the other students are not saying anything. We are pressured by the instructor not to tell the Dean who is very strict, but it's getting ridiculous.

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

I want to squeal.

Don't get me wrong, if we can't do anything on the floor from 7pm on, then I don't want to just sit there for 5 hours. I want to learn something, to do something.

But I feel like I can't say anything. The whole class will kill me. And I still have 9 months to go with this group. And the instructor will give me hell if she finds out it was me.

So what do I do, wise nurses?

Leave an anonymous note in the Dean's box? Any ideas that will not get me hanged by the class?

Thanks!

[chevyv, BSN, RN]

Oh heck, I still have nightmares over one particular clinical instructor. I would have loved to be sent home after only a couple of hours in that class! I would have spoken to her directly and requested we use our time to the fullest for the remainder of the clinical experience.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

I hate to say this, i think the most logical move would have been to withdraw and then report.

[PrayeRNurse, ASN, RN]

This happened at a LPN school I went to ( the cohort before mine) during my last block the board of nursing found out and all the students that had graduated and passed boards had to make up the entire semester of clinical before theycould practice as a LPN. If you look at your state board you will see a list ofthings you must report as a nurse. One is academic dishonesty. Nurses need to lead from where they stand. You are standing in the middle of muck. Don't sitin it. Stand up and lead the others to do the right thing. If you really fear retaliation by the instructor call an educational lawyer. Advocate for yourself and for your future patients. If you tell put it in a professional written letter. Send a copy to the dean and to the ombudsman of the school and one to the state board o fnursing. You will be ok really. You will gain experience as a leader.

[BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN]

Nobody can play judge jury and executioner here based off the limited pieces of information we have.

I think it is naive to think that there is not an unfair burden of penalty placed on someone who reports against an institution for wrongdoing.

In fact, it is such a well known phenomenon that we have a term for it.

Whistleblowing. Then there are laws that protect Whistleblowers.....we all know how we'll those can work.

In this case, the student is trying to report a large issue against the organization with no laws protecting her, although potentially facing the same consequences or ruined career, ostracization, ruined reputation.

This is not black and white, and surely the people who have offered suggestions and support are not the unethical and substandard nurses that some are trying to imply

This is what you don't get: it absolutely is black and white. Absolutely. The fact that this is not crystal clear is simply astounding to me.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Here's some concentrated sugars for ya. Eat it anytime, even if nobody tries to make you hypoglycemic. Cake is good for ya. Good job.

:WHCk:

[DaneluvinLPN]

As someone who recently went back and got my RN I can appreciate the ocasional getting out a little early but what you describe is rediculous. Many others have pointed out that you aren't getting the education you should be which is true. But if that doesnt bother you maybe this will.

Each state requires that each nursing student meet a minimum number of clinical hours before they can sit for licensure. Having said that imagine that you say nothing, life goes,you graduate and get your license and the same thing happens to the next class and the next etc.

Then several years go by and finally someone comes along and does blow the whistle and then possibly the state board finds out. Next thing you know, you and anyone she taught has their license revoked because they didn't have enough clinical hours for licensure and you now have to go back to school.

Not to mention all the nurses that graduated from the same program don't have the knowledge they need to properly care for their pts and one of them ends up caring for one of your family members. How do you feel about the situation now ?

Also, as a nurse YOU are supposed to be the #1 advocate for your pt. That means you have to be willing to stand up to ANYONE, regardless of how anyone feels about it. That means other nurses, your boss, doctors, administration, family etc. Those situations are not private or secretive and can't be done by slipping a note under someones door. So if you can't stand up for yourself then how will you be able to stand up for your pts.

Finally, your fellow students aren't paying your tuition and won't be sitting for licensure for you, and your instructor obviously doesn't care about you or your eduation so why in the world are you worried so much about them ? I understand you don't want to have to learn in a hostile environment, and if you can fic the situation with a simple note or email anonymously then fine, but if not you have to worry about YOUR future and your future pts. .............Hope this helps and that things work out for you :)

[DaneluvinLPN]

This happened at a LPN school I went to ( the cohort before mine) during my last block the board of nursing found out and all the students that had graduated and passed boards had to make up the entire semester of clinical before theycould practice as a LPN. If you look at your state board you will see a list ofthings you must report as a nurse. One is academic dishonesty. Nurses need to lead from where they stand. You are standing in the middle of muck. Don't sitin it. Stand up and lead the others to do the right thing. If you really fear retaliation by the instructor call an educational lawyer. Advocate for yourself and for your future patients. If you tell put it in a professional written letter. Send a copy to the dean and to the ombudsman of the school and one to the state board o fnursing. You will be ok really. You will gain experience as a leader.

oops didnt see this before I posted

[NurseCard, ADN]

This is not quite a Rosa Parks moment folks. It is not that difficult to simply speak up and tell the truth in this instance. And I don't think it is being too curmudgeonly to insist that we uphold nursing students to some minimal standards, say like actually attending nursing school. I understand wanting to "support" the OP, but she has been complicit in academic dishonesty for one-half of a semester. Do you all really think that is acceptable because she was too "scared" of her classmates to stand up and just go tell someone? We all know she wasn't really going to be assaulted. Come now. She might have been ostracized. Who cares? Is that too high a price to pay? It ought to have happened the first or second week of September and everyone on this thread knows it. There is no excuse for placating anyone involved in the fraud/deception. I find the jokes about the situation extremely distasteful.

Were the Dean, the instructor would be fired and reported to the BON, and hopefully lose her license. All of the students would be expelled from the program. If I got the tip anonymously, that would have to include the tipster. If the OP spoke up in the record she wouldn't get any credit for this semester since she hasn't put any actual time in the unit to speak of, but she would be allowed to start again next year. And that is the price you pay for being a liar and cheat in my world.

I know "a little" cheating is ok and apparently even funny to a lot of other people. I'll let you have the rest of the thread to roll your eyes and tell me how old fashioned and out of touch I am. I've made my opinion clear. Good luck if you ever find yourself working for me. I will report violations of this nature to the BON and strive to have your license pulled. You may get it, but you won't keep it long if these are the values you practice under.

If this is "between a rock and a hard place," it makes me worry about what one would do in a genuine ethical conflict.No wonder nursing is such a mess. No standards.

You know, I almost had to personally ask you to change your avatar... no one as uptight as yourself deserves to have such an avatar. It's blasphemy.

BUT... the more I think about it, I truly do agree with you. This situation should have been reported a long time ago, and the OP, knowing long ago that it was very wrong for the CI to be cutting 5 hours off of clinical time... should have been the one to do it. Anonymously or not.

Having said THAT.... OP, I'm not judging you. Sometimes it IS difficult to be the one to speak up and you DO fear retaliation, I understand that. Kudos to you for finally speaking up, but I do fear that BlueDevil may be correct; your whole class could all be expelled when it's revealed that you all went on with this for a good chunk of the semester. I hope that doesn't happen.

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

We were the opposite! We loved clinical time and almost always ran over to the point that we missed post-conferencing (which we had to make up anyway). You are cheating yourself out of an education. Clinical time is invaluable.

[BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN]

You know, I almost had to personally ask you to change your avatar... no one as uptight as yourself deserves to have such an avatar. It's blasphemy.

BUT... the more I think about it, I truly do agree with you. This situation should have been reported a long time ago, and the OP, knowing long ago that it was very wrong for the CI to be cutting 5 hours off of clinical time... should have been the one to do it. Anonymously or not.

Having said THAT.... OP, I'm not judging you. Sometimes it IS difficult to be the one to speak up and you DO fear retaliation, I understand that. Kudos to you for finally speaking up, but I do fear that BlueDevil may be correct; your whole class could all be expelled when it's revealed that you all went on with this for a good chunk of the semester. I hope that doesn't happen.

I can tell you this much, at Duke University (and I suspect at any other reputable school) the whole class would be expelled. And I am not the least bit uptight. I am a very laid back individual by all accounts, and I am having this conversation in a laid back fashion. After all, I earned my diplomas, each and every one of them. I have nothing to be ashamed of, so I don't have any reason to get hot under the collar, lol.

Anyone who knows me would be highly entertained by the characterization of me as "uptight." An interesting larger point: the notion that anyone might think that someone was uptight because they value integrity as a personal trait and would adhere to an honor code is really a sad state of affairs, don't you think?

FTR, I am responding, NurseCard, conversationally and completely without rancor. I see that you came to understand my point, and I understand yours.

It isn't self righteousness, it is simply what is right.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

This is not quite a Rosa Parks moment folks. It is not that difficult to simply speak up and tell the truth in this instance. And I don't think it is being too curmudgeonly to insist that we uphold nursing students to some minimal standards, say like actually attending nursing school. I understand wanting to "support" the OP, but she has been complicit in academic dishonesty for one-half of a semester. Do you all really think that is acceptable because she was too "scared" of her classmates to stand up and just go tell someone? We all know she wasn't really going to be assaulted. Come now. She might have been ostracized. Who cares? Is that too high a price to pay? It ought to have happened the first or second week of September and everyone on this thread knows it. There is no excuse for placating anyone involved in the fraud/deception. I find the jokes about the situation extremely distasteful.

Were the Dean, the instructor would be fired and reported to the BON, and hopefully lose her license. All of the students would be expelled from the program. If I got the tip anonymously, that would have to include the tipster. If the OP spoke up in the record she wouldn't get any credit for this semester since she hasn't put any actual time in the unit to speak of, but she would be allowed to start again next year. And that is the price you pay for being a liar and cheat in my world.

I know "a little" cheating is ok and apparently even funny to a lot of other people. I'll let you have the rest of the thread to roll your eyes and tell me how old fashioned and out of touch I am. I've made my opinion clear. Good luck if you ever find yourself working for me. I will report violations of this nature to the BON and strive to have your license pulled. You may get it, but you won't keep it long if these are the values you practice under.

If this is "between a rock and a hard place," it makes me worry about what one would do in a genuine ethical conflict.No wonder nursing is such a mess. No standards.

The thing is, she actually IS reporting this. Maybe she should have done it sooner, but once it became a pattern, she did so. Perhaps she needed some encouragement, but SHE DID REPORT IT. I would save the judgment for those that haven't had the guts to report it at all. And the clinical instructor.

You've just proven her point, she IS between a rock and a hard place. Not only did she risk grief from students and CI that wanted to keep the status quo, she's even got people continuing to judge her when she DID do the right thing.

Imagine it was someone wondering if they should report an employer discriminating against pregnant women. Is that as black and white of an issue?

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Okay, people. I grew a pair. And reported everything.

....Thanks. Will keep you all posted on outcome.

Thanks to our members for their sage advice. Deliberately and repeatedly short changing students on clinical hours is grounds for instructor termination in most nursing programs. As a paying customer why would you go along with getting less of an education? The experience of standing up for yourself as a student will serve you well when you have to stand up as patient advocate.

Best wishes for a quick resolution.