Recent nurse graduate here...but my question today is being presented on behalf of the students in the cohort behind me who have been backed into a corner and are now “afraid” to speak up and are afraid to take action.
Last week, two professors posted a class recorded lecture onto the classroom portal, D2L, not realizing the recording included a “private conversation” between the two of them after the entire class had logged off.
This recording was viewed by many of the students and included details pointing out and making mockery of students with “accents”, remarks toward how they (the two professors) prefer to have a say in the number of minorities allowed into the program, “hoping” that some of these students fail, included names of students (who actually watched the recording themselves and heard their names being said), and the list goes on.
None of the students recorded the recording and only have information of what they recall/wrote down from this recording.
Shortly after, the two instructors sent out a mass email stating that details of the conversation needs to remain private and respected.
As professional nurses, is this something you feel these students need to remain quiet about? Or should they band together and go to the Dean (who is new) about it and call for yet another investigation?
Note: One of the instructors has already been sued in the past by a student based on similar allegations.
I can't help thinking about the students - how sad and discouraging to hear this kind of talk from people you had hoped to learn from. The professors' disrespect and lack of support for their students is so hurtful and harmful.
I was an older student coming from a creative field who was disliked by the more conservative, similarly aged nursing instructors.
In fact, I had never met a more miserable, vengeful bunch of psychos in any field, in any city I had lived in!
I completely threw myself into nursing school as a survival tool. I had just suffered the loss of my only child and as an adult, I was an extremely diligent student. I hadn't been in college in years and totally blew off the science courses in high school, but once I decided on this course of action, I took Micro with a lab, A& P 1 with lab, algebra and Chemistry and got a 97% that semester, so I figured I could handle a "self directed" nursing program where you had to basically teach yourself the assigned book and take 5 tests per course per semester in each of 5 classes you had to take every semester.
My last semester, one instructor literally physically attacked me, grabbing my by the shoulders and pushing me three feet into a wall at the hospital while screaming in my face. She then tried to get me kicked out of the program with a complete BS accusation, as I had covered my buttocks and wrote the chairmen of the dept that very night, writing down everything that had happened in detail.
So it was her word against mine and they ALWAYS sided with the instructors. I had the highest ATI scores by far (They made us pay 800 bucks for the program which consisted of weekly homework and three proctored tests: one before the semester started, one halfway through, and one a month before graduation. This was fall 2018 so I don't know how common the program was before or after, but it was graded where basically a 50 meant you had 50% chance of passing the NCLEX and a 70 put you at 98% of passing. My three scores were 82, 86, and 89.) So the chairman was well aware of who I was, but we had never spoken, as I had kept my head down and just plugged away, passing the tests in the library and moving on.
Now, last semester, top scores, deeply in debt, this jealous psycho instructor was going to get me kicked out...!
Except....remember the last semester or so when they start teaching you "Legal Nursing" ? Another $200 text book you'll likely never look at again? Welp, when I called to "introduce" myself to the chairman the morning I received the email telling me I had failed her "distributive" and would either be expelled or have to repeat the whole semester, it was time to use some of that overpriced knowledge ? !
I explained to the chairmen that I had learned in that class, that what her instructor had done to me was technically "battery" and if she felt she had to expell me, well, then I felt like *I* should press charges!
....guess who graduated on time? Magna Cum Laude? Those wenches LOL!
I swear, nursing school was the most sadistic, gaslighting experience I EVER had!
You know what they say about "Documenting" in nursing??? Well, it may be the one thing that lets you sit for the NCLEX and become an RN to begin with!
These classmates behind you had better do something NOW, because next time they make the slightest mistake, the "Zoom Ladies" may very well find another reason, or "just cause" to get them out of the program!
Specializes in Education, Informatics, Patient Safety.
As the chair of the diversity, equity and civility council at my SON, I want to suggest that you recommend the students go to the dean. This is unacceptable behavior on the part of the two instructors and they need to be counseled and/or encouraged to find other employment. I am so sorry that this happened to you/OP and the students - nursing school is stressful enough without having to deal with racist instructors. We are allowed to have our own opinions, but they must be kept private. If a nursing student can be ejected from a program for an inappropriate FB post, then the same standards should apply to instructors, regardless of intent.
This behavior is completely unacceptable and unprofessional. The students should contact the dean, ethics committee, and other resources available to them within the school. Hopefully, the school will take corrective action against the instructors and also review their past actions to see if any potential harm to grades/ students was ever done.
Recent nurse graduate here...but my question today is being presented on behalf of the students in the cohort behind me who have been backed into a corner and are now “afraid” to speak up and are afraid to take action.
Last week, two professors posted a class recorded lecture onto the classroom portal, D2L, not realizing the recording included a “private conversation” between the two of them after the entire class had logged off.
This recording was viewed by many of the students and included details pointing out and making mockery of students with “accents”, remarks toward how they (the two professors) prefer to have a say in the number of minorities allowed into the program, “hoping” that some of these students fail, included names of students (who actually watched the recording themselves and heard their names being said), and the list goes on.
None of the students recorded the recording and only have information of what they recall/wrote down from this recording.
Shortly after, the two instructors sent out a mass email stating that details of the conversation needs to remain private and respected.
As professional nurses, is this something you feel these students need to remain quiet about? Or should they band together and go to the Dean (who is new) about it and call for yet another investigation?
Note: One of the instructors has already been sued in the past by a student based on similar allegations.
Wondering what your thoughts are?
Report it. Their email compelling you to be silent, all of you as eyewitnesses (or ear witnesses) plus her past history is all you need. Your evidence is strong. We don’t need people like that teaching our future nurses. Don’t be afraid. You are in the right. Stand strong and speak out about this behavior.
Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.
Your post exemplifies the types of situations I believe I observed in RN school. I couldn’t prove it, but you can due to the recording.
I think you should report it to the nursing school dean and if s/he does not seem to appreciate the gravity of the situation, report it to the dean over all of the health profession programs.
That’s what I did. I didn’t have to take it to the dean of health professions but that was my next plan of action.
Recent nurse graduate here...but my question today is being presented on behalf of the students in the cohort behind me who have been backed into a corner and are now “afraid” to speak up and are afraid to take action.
Last week, two professors posted a class recorded lecture onto the classroom portal, D2L, not realizing the recording included a “private conversation” between the two of them after the entire class had logged off.
This recording was viewed by many of the students and included details pointing out and making mockery of students with “accents”, remarks toward how they (the two professors) prefer to have a say in the number of minorities allowed into the program, “hoping” that some of these students fail, included names of students (who actually watched the recording themselves and heard their names being said), and the list goes on.
None of the students recorded the recording and only have information of what they recall/wrote down from this recording.
Shortly after, the two instructors sent out a mass email stating that details of the conversation needs to remain private and respected.
As professional nurses, is this something you feel these students need to remain quiet about? Or should they band together and go to the Dean (who is new) about it and call for yet another investigation?
Note: One of the instructors has already been sued in the past by a student based on similar allegations.
Wondering what your thoughts are?
This is horrifying and should be reported immediately! Racist remarks have no place in today's society and these instructors need to be fired! The instructors are the ones that are not professional. My BP is off the charts reading this! The students should recognize that this is something that they would report if it had happened in their workplace and this is no different. The fact that these instructors would try to manipulate these students is unbelievable! I have to say I am a bit shocked that the students would even hesitate to report it. Nurses have to be bold enough to stand up for their patients and themselves.
jeanbeth, MSN, DNP, RN
69 Posts
I can't help thinking about the students - how sad and discouraging to hear this kind of talk from people you had hoped to learn from. The professors' disrespect and lack of support for their students is so hurtful and harmful.