Instructor violated my privacy...

Why in the world didn't you keep your meds on you? There was no reason to give the med to a nurse for safekeeping.

You are entitled to your privacy but that only goes so far as you not providing them with the information.

1.First of all, your question is a legal one ... not a nursing one. So, take everything that any says here about the legal issues involved with a grain of salt. We are not qualified to give legal advice. For that, you will need to speak with an attorney.

2. From my point of view as someone who works with students in hospital settings ... I believe your instructor has not only a right, but an obligation to do a little investigating once she becomes aware that you are taking drugs in the clinical setting. Once she found out that you were taking medication, she needed to be sure that it wasn't something that would impair your performance. It sounds however, that she handled that investigation in a way that might not have been appropriate.

3. Did you get approval from some appropriate person before bringing that drug with you to the hospital? If so, you could have told her about that approval immediately when first questioned and minimized the incident. If you had no approval, then I believe you need to bear some of the responsibility for the ugly situation that developed. It's not reasonable for you to expect the staff to see you "taking drugs" during your shift and NOT mention it to your instructor. And it is not reasaonble for your instructor to ignore it once the staff asked her about it. You should have been prepared for the quetions that were bound to be asked.

So ... it looks to me like it was a situation in which there may have been multiple mistakes. You should have been prepared for the questions and gotten the appropriate approvals ahead of tiem -- and she should have investigated in a way that was less traumatic for you.

3. As for your grades, they are a totally different matter. The OP did not say what faults were found with your performance and/or paperwork. Just because you did well in a previous course does not mean you deserve a good grade in this one. You'll need to address the rationales for the grades specifically. You can't just assume you were discriminated against just because you are unhappy with the way she handled the medication investigation. Does your school have a procedure in place to handle student appeals regarding grades?

I recommend you review all of your school's policies on grading, appeals, and also on the use of medications in clinical settings. Based on that review, speak with the appropriate people about an appeal if that seems warrented -- and talk with an attorney if you want to go that route. But as for the medication thing, keep in mind that it is reasonable for the staff to say something to the instructor about the medication and it is reasonable for the instructor to follow up on the staff's questions by asking you. You can argue that she didn't handle it well ... but at that point, she needed to know that what you were taking was OK to take -- or your whole school may have been kicked out of the hospital.

Since it appears you did not get prior approval and present that to the instructor, she had an obligation to conduct the investigation. If this condition and the meds had been disclosed on your physical exam for school you should have pointed that information out to her. And yes, you should have just kept the meds on your person and gone into the ladies room. You basically walked into this one. You have to be wary of everything and anything while you are on the floor. You can not expect protection from the personnel who work there or the patients if they observe something or your fellow students. All of your behavior is being watched and evaluated while there. It is not a place to let your guard down. Take the advice given and seek the advice of an attorney and use the student grievance procedure if talking to your school administration does not result in a satisfactory resolution.