Intimidation Tactics as Teaching Tools?

Question · Oct 15, 2005

Yelling? no. Degradation? no. Making you feel stupid? Well, remember no one can make you feel stupid unless you let them. Your emotions are under no one's control but your own. But it makes you work harder, doesn't it? Or makes you quit. Separates the "men from the boys" so to speak. i think that's the purpose. May not be necessary for everyone, but it is necessary for some. It's still sink-or-swim out there. And yeah the students do work under the instructors' licenses so there's a lot at stake there. And if too many students flunk boards, the school loses its accreditation. So they only want to graduate students who will pass the boards and they will push the students to see what they're made of. Either they rise to the challenge or they quit. But it is as one instructor said once..."when I send you on your way, it means that I believe that you are safe enough to take care of my mother."
And from what I hear, the schools here are about to lose their accreditation because of the kinds of nurses they're turning out. So see...its NOT just me.

Maybe you all have not experienced hazing but putting unnecessary stress on someone, assigning difficult tasks just to watch them suffer through it and degrading someone in front of people and patients, is what I understand to be considered hazing.

"Hazing" refers to any activity expected of someone joining a group (or to maintain full status in a group) that humiliates, degrades or risks emotional and/or physical harm, regardless of the person's willingness to participate.

The euphemism in nursing is "eating their young".

Well, if have or have not been involved in hazing the article below is a good one to read. I would also suggest that all nurses, students, and pre-nursing students get involved in nursing associations and get involved on a national level to help stop this behavior. Bring awareness to the profession and if they do not want to change it, then bring awareness outside the profession.

http://nursing.advanceweb.com/common/editorial/editorial.aspx?CC=17342

Again, THANK YOU to the ones that do not show or condone this type of behavior, which I assume most do not.

Maisie · Oct 17, 2005

They do it because they can. Nursing instructors are hard to find. These instructors are quite aware of that fact. They know they can do whatever they please, and unless it endangers someone or the school, nothing will happen. They simply will not be fired for giving a student a hard time.

All other teachers are easily replaceable in the schools mind.

Another possibility: they are preparing us for the real world, were doctors, patients, and family members will scream at a nurse, or even get physically violent.

Just try to hang in there if you really want it. I almost quit after the first week, but then I was undecided on my true career objectives.

truern · Oct 18, 2005

as far as incompetent nursing- maybe there need to be changes made to the nclex exams since passing it does indeed certify that you are a competent nurse.

Actually, passing the NCLEX means that you meet the minimum standards of proficiency as a new nurse....not necessarily a reflection of competence.

I have to say in many respects I agree with Babs. I was in my ADN program in 1987 and dropped for personal reasons. I reentered the program and will graduate next May, and I've seen *many* changes, not all of them good. It *was* much stricter in the 80s...much more rigorous, but dangit you KNEW what you needed to know to be a great nurse.

ICRN2008, BSN, RN · Oct 18, 2005

Some of my 'meanest' instructors helped me the most..although @ the time grrrrrrrr I wanted to choke them..lol...the boot camp type of teaching ,crazy as it may sound, prepared me for the reality of all the mean, nasty, back biting,arrogant attitudes of the MDs,staff, and pts I deal with now.

Unfortunately this is true, but there has to be a better way!

ICRN2008, BSN, RN · Oct 18, 2005

No, you're not expected to know everything by osmosis but you are expected to study your syllabus and your lessons (I remember counting some 20 chapters of reading per exam and we had 2-3 exams per week, you could NOT work outside of nursing school...it wasn't possible if you were to pass) and utilize resources available to you, even if it meant using other textbooks not on your syllabus. It's making you think. That's what your career will entail too if you are to be a good and strong and solid and SAFE nurse.

As far as reading 60 chapters per week of material, I sincerely doubt this is true. Either the chapters were extremely short, or the material was not covered in any appreciable depth. We have about 10 chapters of material per exam and 1-2 exams per week, and even this pace is difficult to keep up with.

As far as not working outside of nursing school, some of us do not have the luxury of being able to quit our jobs. Tuition rates are outrageous nowadays, and most of us do not have parents or spouses who can completely support us for two years.

Most of the nursing students I know take their education very seriously, and they are very aware of the potentially fatal consequences of their mistakes. That being said, I know of two classmates who have gone on medication due to panic attacks brought on by nursing instructors. They had no problems of this nature before nursing school. IMO intimidating the students like this is not effective and is damaging to the profession as a whole.

Babs_rn: IMO you do not seem to have much respect for your students, and I think it has a lot to do with how poorly you were treated yourself in nursing school. Studies have shown that abused children are more prone to become abusive parents someday, and I contend that the same is true of bullied nursing students who become bullying nursing instructors.

sarita279 · Oct 18, 2005

Babs_rn: IMO you do not seem to have much respect for your students, and I think it has a lot to do with how poorly you were treated yourself in nursing school. Studies have shown that abused children are more prone to become abusive parents someday, and I contend that the same is true of bullied nursing students who become bullying nursing instructors.

Interesting...and this falls in line with the initiation and hazing discussion. I remember my high school had initiation rights....and why did the seniors torture the freshman so? Because: A) they could and B) they were tortured themselves as freshman. Payback time!

I'm glad I found this thread because its good to know I'm not the only one with these feelings! Some people need to understand that we are not living in the past. The students in my program come from much life experience and education, so why should they tolerate the disrepect of some instructors? The difference between these instructors and the students is not a difference of intelligence but of experience. Sometimes they just don't seem to get that point.

SoulShine75 · Oct 19, 2005

Why do some nursing instructors resort to intimidation and humiliation when teaching? I have been taking college classes for years and have never before had an instructor purposefully go out of his way to make you feel like an idiot when you're learning something new. Why nursing? And why is it that they drill into you that as a nurse you are supposed to respect the psycho-social needs of your client and then they do the exact opposite... they are NURSING EDUCATORS, aren't we after all... their clients??
And hurt feelings aside, what about the patient safety issue? How likely am I to ask a question of an instructor that goes out of his way to humiliate me for not already being born complete with the entire scope of nursing knowledge?
I keep repeating to myself... cooperate and graduate, cooperate and graduate but I just can't believe what we're being forced to endure here.

I understand what you're saying. I'm currently taking a CNA class and you have to have 75 hours (lecture) to take the state test. Occassionally students would miss class, but not much...maybe 2 people missed twice. Anyway, our instructor came in one day and said no one was allowed to miss class no matter what ever again. Even though it states on the syllabus that missed classes are to be made up on tuesdays and thursdays at x time. Her attitude was really hateful and it turned several people off. I mean here we are learning to care for others but are being told that if we're sick we needn't worry about ourselves. :uhoh3: Last week I began to feel really sick. Lower back pain, fever, chills etc...I fretted about missing that class because of the lecture she gave (even though I wasn't one who had missed any at all before). My husband took charge and called her and told her there was no way I was coming in. I went to the ER that night and they told me I had a kidney stone blocking my urine flow and admitted me for 4 days (long story). I only missed one class and when I went in there with my excuse she didn't say a word. Sometimes you have to take care of yourself or you won't be good for anyone or anything else!

Don't let anyone intimidate you, just do your very best.....for yourself! :)

SoulShine75 · Oct 19, 2005

For MarieDoreen:

:bow: :)

achot chavi · Oct 19, 2005

I think that teachers teach the way that they were taught. Their upbringing certainly influences their teaching style as well. Other influencing factors include: the state of their personal life, their monthly cycle, their mood at the moment, if they got their coffee just right that morning etc. etc.

Dont take it personally or your in the wrong field. If you think your instructors are bad, you are bound to stumble upon monster doctors, patients and their families and friends, Hospital Administrators,etc, etc.,

Let it drip off you like water off a ducks back, and learn to say "I was wrong and I will learn from if for the future"

Good luck:)