Is my nursing instructor bullying me?

Nursing Students General Students

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I am in an RN-BSN program and am having difficulties with an instructor. My instructor makes rude comments to me and talks about me to other students when I am out of the room.

I overheard her telling the other students that I do not know what I am doing and that I need lots of help. In the post conference she told me, “I get to decide if you graduate, and I probably won’t let you because you will likely kill someone just like one of your former instructors almost did.”

She has a medical condition that causes her to be in a bathroom for hours, so most of the time she is not available for assistance on the floor or we are late giving medication because of it. When she is around, she refuses to answer any of my questions saying that I should already know the answer since I am a senior.

In the hospital, she goes into patient rooms just to look for mistakes that other nurses and doctors made. When she finds a mistake, she makes a student go to correct the nurse or doctor and when they refuse she says that they are unsafe to practice or says things like “what is wrong with you? You can’t do anything right.” 

When she gives instructor feedback, it’s often untrue or rude. For example, she said that I didn’t complete my assessment. When I told her I did complete it she said I probably did it wrong. She told another instructor that I don’t do any patient care unless I am asked to, which is untrue.

She tells me at least a couple times each clinical day, loud enough for others to hear, that “all you do is pass the blame.” After berating me in front of everyone one day, I began to cry and then she proceeded to call me weak and went and told other students. She always criticizes me and one of the other students, meanwhile I feel like she never even helps us. She’s usually either in the bathroom or in the conference room on the telephone handling personal business.

Anytime I try to talk to her about the comments she makes, she tells me “you better be glad that I am on my medication” or she says “are you trying to blame me for your failures.”

2 Votes

Uhhhh yeah, she is bullying you. I would report her ASAP. Especially her leaving you guys alone on the floor for hours…that can’t be school policy!

11 Votes

Report this ASAP. She is being abusive and demeaning. 

3 Votes
Specializes in oncology.

I am so sorry to hear this. Nursing education should never, ever involve bullying. Will you have a different instructor in January? What a poor soul to treat you like this.  (Can you get a small voice recorder to put in your uniform pocket? I know it is against the law to record someone with out their consent but this certainly requires this, 

1 Votes

londonflo,
I am only allowed to fail one class, and right know my score is a “17” out of 500 points, so I will fail. On most clinical days I am getting grades of like 1 or 2 points out of 50, which is ridiculous. I ended up reporting her to administration and the director told me that she couldn’t switch me to another instructor because that would be showing favoritism. When I reported the comments to her, she told me that there would be situations like this in the workplace and that I better get used to it. So in January, I will be forced to find another school if I want to continue my education.

1 Votes
Specializes in CNA.
1 hour ago, lexieanders said:

londonflo,
I am only allowed to fail one class, and right know my score is a “17” out of 500 points, so I will fail. On most clinical days I am getting grades of like 1 or 2 points out of 50, which is ridiculous. I ended up reporting her to administration and the director told me that she couldn’t switch me to another instructor because that would be showing favoritism. When I reported the comments to her, she told me that there would be situations like this in the workplace and that I better get used to it. So in January, I will be forced to find another school if I want to continue my education.

Can u escalate this ? This sounds horrible, is she a racist or what ?

1 Votes
10 hours ago, lexieanders said:

londonflo,
I am only allowed to fail one class, and right know my score is a “17” out of 500 points, so I will fail. On most clinical days I am getting grades of like 1 or 2 points out of 50, which is ridiculous. I ended up reporting her to administration and the director told me that she couldn’t switch me to another instructor because that would be showing favoritism. When I reported the comments to her, she told me that there would be situations like this in the workplace and that I better get used to it. So in January, I will be forced to find another school if I want to continue my education.

Administration is FAILING in this situation. If you are a one-party consent state (meaning you don't need the other person's permission to record them) I might record her on my phone being awful to me (in a way that doesn't violate HIPAA). I believe 38 states are one-party consent so I'd look up if yours is too. For them to basically say "get use to it, this is nursing" when they could be doing something ABOUT the abuse is wronggg and gaslighting. If a kid was in a family of 7 and was being abused in their home and someone removed the kid who was the primary target of the abuse, would that be "favoritism?" I think we all know the answer. OR, if she is as abusive as this to several students, they need to relive her of her duties and send her packing altogether - then no need to protect one student when they could protect ALL of them. I would demand something change or I would take my money elsewhere and find a way to make this woman pay, and pay she would. I would have her recorded if at all possible, when I was in the room and also when she was crap talking me behind my back like a total unprofessional. 

2 Votes

oldie,

Based on the comments that she has made about others, she seems to target anyone who she thinks is weak  or unpopular.

On 12/14/2021 at 9:45 PM, lexieanders said:

londonflo,
I am only allowed to fail one class, and right know my score is a “17” out of 500 points, so I will fail. On most clinical days I am getting grades of like 1 or 2 points out of 50, which is ridiculous. I ended up reporting her to administration and the director told me that she couldn’t switch me to another instructor because that would be showing favoritism. When I reported the comments to her, she told me that there would be situations like this in the workplace and that I better get used to it. So in January, I will be forced to find another school if I want to continue my education.

I don't say this flippantly--you may not have much potential for legal remedy here (I don't know), but I would like to think there's at least the possibility. Given the circumstances I absolutely would see what a lawyer has to say about it.

Specializes in oncology.
On 12/14/2021 at 8:45 PM, lexieanders said:

I am only allowed to fail one class, and right know my score is a “17” out of 500 points, so I will fail. On most clinical days I am getting grades of like 1 or 2 points out of 50, which is ridiculous.

You are in an RN to BSN course?

I have never heard of an RN to BSN course that had many clinical days. If you are getting "grades of like 1 or 2 points out of 50" I gotta ask are you being cited for unsafe practice? And if you are only allowed to "fail one class" have you failed a previous one so you know you will need to find another program. as you said earlier on this thread? 

One another thread you were asking about giving pantoprazole (reconstituted in 10 ml) as an IVPB or IVP? 

 

On 12/11/2021 at 9:54 AM, lexieanders said:

She has a medical condition that causes her to be in a bathroom for hours, so most of the time she is not available for assistance on the floor or we are late giving medication because of it. When she is around, she refuses to answer any of my questions saying that I should already know the answer since I am a senior.

Since you are already an RN why do you need her assistance to give medications if you are already an RN?  You are a 'senior' in a RN to BSN program? 

Specializes in CNA.
14 hours ago, londonflo said:

You are in an RN to BSN course?

I have never heard of an RN to BSN course that had many clinical days. If you are getting "grades of like 1 or 2 points out of 50" I gotta ask are you being cited for unsafe practice? And if you are only allowed to "fail one class" have you failed a previous one so you know you will need to find another program. as you said earlier on this thread? 

One another thread you were asking about giving pantoprazole (reconstituted in 10 ml) as an IVPB or IVP? 

 

Since you are already an RN why do you need her assistance to give medications if you are already an RN?  You are a 'senior' in a RN to BSN program? 

I’m not op but in my school they won’t let you give meds without an instructor present regardless of your already a nurse or not just to save their ***, because years  ago a deadly mistake was made by a student 

1 Votes
On 12/14/2021 at 5:37 PM, K. Everly said:

Report this ASAP. She is being abusive and demeaning. 

It sounds like he/she got a bad apple. Def record, get ratings off RMP or somewhere and start legal or administrative process. If this instructor  is not new, it probably has happened before and they know about it. 

1 Votes
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