Left nursing school to pursue social work. Any other nursing instructor horror stories/advice?

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I completed first semester of nursing school. My instructor was a cocky, offensive bully. It started on day one of clinical, she joked around that her students don't like her and write bad reviews about her.

She even laughed about a sexual harassment claim against her, which I found tone-deaf and repulsive. The nursing program is in Florida, and she is from the Bronx. She would never stop complaining about how all Southerners are "soft", "care too much about grades", and "offended too easily".

She lead by fear, and she was on a full-blown power trip.

I'm more of a quiet individual, but I was great in the clinical aspect of the course. She decided she hated me. It started a couple of weeks in when she called me into her office with her preceptor and was going to write me up for "helping me lab partner too much". She told me to "stop being so nice, and tell her to come to me if she has questions". Hmm.. quite contradictory because she told us a couple of times a week to "reach out to our peers for any questions". Not to mention, she was a dictator, and all of her students were afraid of her.

Next, I sit down to demonstrate injections. Before I even get a minute to sit down, she's degrading me. She's saying I'm overweight, and how can I take care of patients if I don't even have my health in order (I weight 180pds and am 5'3", which I realize isn't thin but I'm not exactly obese either). Also, I was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, and have a year old baby, and I have had difficulty shedding the baby weight.

She preceded to tell me that I don't know anything because I'm too quiet during lecture, and that I "don't listen and do my own thing." This was the FARTHEST from the truth. I am an active listener, meaning I nod my head and keep eye contact - especially in the classroom.

I'm paying thousands of dollars to be in this class, you better believe that I was listening. Not to mention, anytime a student would try to answer her questions or respond to her lectures, she would look at that student with disgust and tell them "I don't understand why you would even want to know that, stick to the basics. Stop focusing on subjects outside of lecture.", or she would threaten to end lecture because she "didn't want students arguing with her."

The final straw happened with our last 2 exams. Students in first semester are enrolled in 2 classes (1020 and 1010). In 1020, I received an 82 on the final. A few hours after the test I noticed ALL of my classmates (we are in a group chat together) received 2 extra points on that final - and I mean every single other student except for me (there were only 12 students who took the test, and I was in contact with every one of them). Furthermore, one specific friend was granted an EXTRA 2 pts (4 pts total) on that exam just to ensure she would pass the class because she was failing and needed those points in order to pass and move onto second semester. But you know what, I didn't complain because I passed that exam and that class (1020).

Two days later is when we had the final exam for 1010, I missed the cut off grade by 2 pts (needed a 78 and I got a 76). That put me at a 77.5 average in the class, and I needed a 78 to pass (1010). I e-mailed her if there was anyway she could round-up my average to a 78 in order to pass the class because I was aware she gave a couple of students extra points on the previous final exam. She e-mailed back saying she "doesn't give extra points and that it's based on the statistics of a questions on whether the question gets thrown out or not". Well, found out yesterday that she gave ANOTHER student 4 extra points on that test in order to pass the class, when I just needed .5 point, or for her to simply just round-up (which most professors would in this case).

I know this is so much to read. This has been one of the most stressful experiences of my life. I've always been a target for bullies throughout my life, but I never thought it would be from my own professor. In conclusion, I was already doubting whether nursing was for me throughout the semester. I wasn't happy. I was nauseas everyday while putting my scrubs on. I wanted to work in mental health/psych/addiction, and I quickly found out that nurses don't work with their patients in that way. Nurses outsource their patients to specialists (ie social work, therapy). The nursing program was at my local community college, and I just enrolled for my BSW classes starting in Summer. I feel like I made the right choice because I'm more passionate about social work. I didn't want to be stuck in a field because I felt like I had to "push through". I would have been miserable as a nurse. Even the nurses I saw through my short lived nursing school education just seemed so stoic and cynical. Does anyone have similar nursing instructor horror stories? Has anyone left nursing school and realized it was the right decision? I feel discouraged. Thanks you guys.

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Specializes in Wiping tears.

Are you going to give up nursing school because of her, or you don't want to be a nurse?

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6 minutes ago, ThursdayNight said:

Are you going to give up nursing school because of her, or you don't want to be a nurse?

I was already not enjoying myself in the program. I couldn't picture myself being a nurse for the rest of my life. She really just pushed me to realize it even further.

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You can report her through your CC (Community College)- system, I read this and this is ABUSE that she put you through.

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I tried. I went through the proper channels. I know I told the back of my mind that nothing will be done. She has had multiple complaints against her, and nothing has been done. The head chair just listened and nodded, but I’m sure that file will be pushed into a drawer that’s labeled “never look at again”. Sadly, there’s more scenarios that I didn’t include in this excerpt. It seems like nurses can be such bullies, and I’ll never understand it. 

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I'm so sorry , I can say not the school but your college system the system over the school if possible. I never get it either , it's sad that people are suppose to help others but can be very cold. I wish you the best and hope you are happy on your new path.

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Specializes in Obstetrics.

bernadette3459- your experience pains me as it happens even in my college. I am a community college instructor. Nursing school is hard enough, you should not have had this bully. Unfortunately, bullies exist everywhere. If the chair did not help, climb the food chain (go above the chair) all the way to the top if need be. It won't help you since you have a new view, but it could help others coming through nursing school. Instructors need to respect the students for without students there would be on need for faculty. Hope you will have a better experience in your new field.

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Specializes in Wiping tears.

Don't understand why some people are what you have described. They're probably in a lot of pain themselves, or they're happy to do something to hurt others. If that's what makes them happy, I can't imagine having them as family member.

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