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.”
Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.
She sounds absolutely awful.
I think your best shot is for the students to get together and make a complaint.
So very sorry you are going through this. As for whether or not you will see this in the workplace, you may. Nursing is notorious for this kind of toxicity. But if you do see it in the workplace you need to escalate it to your superiors and to HR if necessary, because although it’s common, it’s also unacceptable.
So your administrator’s answer on that is BS and she is poorly modeling.
Many tenured nurses that may have been bullied themselves likely turn into a bully. This does not make their behavior OK. Im a nursing student and was recently told by a senior instructor that she felt sick every day she attended nursing school, and the question is WHY??
My instructor is sexist, he make rude derogatory remarks about women all the time in class, and I am NOT OK with this. As a survivor of rape and domestic violence, I am deeply offended by his remarks and have PTSD. I am about to quit the program because of his behavior. Many of my colleagues and I are skipping class because we don't feel psychologically safe with this instructor.
Another instructor pushes her body into me, pushes me up against a wall, puts her arm above my head on the wall leans into me (CREEPY) please back the (F) off, I am thinking! Her tactic is to intimidate me. She wins, I score low her in online exam.
YESS! Ask her to meet with you asap. Describe the behaviors ( hers). Tell her if the abuse does not stop immediately , you will go up the chain of command. And mention that she better not fail you. Because she had no cause. STAND YOUR GROUND. STAND YOUR GROUND. DREAMS ARE WORTH IT.
Many of my colleagues and I are skipping class because we don't feel psychologically safe with this instructor.
Will this hurt him or you?
On 6/19/2022 at 9:08 PM, leadershipnurse said:
As a survivor of rape and domestic violence, I am deeply offended by his remarks and have PTSD.
May be as a survivor of rape and domestic violence, nursing is not for you.. Nursing involves close touching, exploring another's feelings (not your own) and an ability to care for many people who have had a rough go in life.
I am a survivor of near death. Someone broke into my dorm room and told me they would kill me (1973). PTSD was not even listed in the DSM IV then. There was a trial and as he was a juvenile he was released in a year. I never knew there was a PTSD status. I stayed in the same city and even put my first and last name in the phone book. I refused to be victimized, Nowadays everyone seems to have PTSD. Having someone's hands around your neck is terrifying, while they are telling you they are going to kill you.(I can still hear that tape in my head....(I will kill you, I really will). . Yep, I pulled myself together and learned that you have to go on.. stop depending on labels like PTSD...bullying etc. If you want to be a nurse...do the work and achieve it.
Skipping class because You are not "psychologically safe" with this instructor ....is totally unbelievable. What do you think is going to happen in the classroom? and Frankly I gotta wonder if you have any kind of personality strength to go through nursing school and hold a job. Get a grip on YOUR feelings now.
Listen to your gut! There's definitely something wrong with the professor. The professor have access to your personal information( phone number and address). My professor sent stuff to my house from their personal address and their reasoning was.... covid lockdown,campus is closed.
Gather as many witnesses and evidence as you possibly can. The school would most likely downplay or conceal the situation.
Late to this post, but I hope you reported this. It is absolutely unprofessional. The fact that the instructor discussed you to another student is ridiculous. She does not need to be an instructor. As a nursing instructor, I find this very embarrassing. I am so sorry that you experienced this. I would love to know a follow-up with this if you reported it.
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.
@londonflo There are some times in life where you have to put your health and self preservation ahead of your goals. I think you're in one of these times. Why would you want to be trained by people with this type of approach to nursing and life in general? YOU DESERVE BETTER. There is no price you can put on an environment that harnesses your genius, guides you and builds you beyond what you even know to be your potential. It sounds like where you are is poison. My advice? Get out of this abusive environment and grow elsewhere. YOU ARE WORTH that sacrifice.
FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN
2,337 Posts
She sounds absolutely awful.
I think your best shot is for the students to get together and make a complaint.
So very sorry you are going through this. As for whether or not you will see this in the workplace, you may. Nursing is notorious for this kind of toxicity. But if you do see it in the workplace you need to escalate it to your superiors and to HR if necessary, because although it’s common, it’s also unacceptable.
So your administrator’s answer on that is BS and she is poorly modeling.