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I think the professors at my school got together and discussed who were the weakest students in their class.

Therefore, in class I'm usually picked on the most, and get treated differently compared to the other students.

ex) We were doing IM shots and one of the nurses didn't show me how to do the injection. She demonstrated the technique to the other students, and I was left to the professor's demise.

ex) One of my lab instructors keeps calling my name and asks me if I'm ok. If I needed her help, I would freakin ask her!!!!

ex) I asked the prof to demonstrate the BP technique, and she stated that she already taught the class how to do it. Wow, that was nice of her to say. She's getting paid to sit on her ass all day; I expect her to teach.

I don't think nursing school is a nurturing learning environment....(period)

It's like a freakin bootcamp !!!

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I understand your frustration however, nursing school is very SELF directed, it is up to YOU to make the most out of your education. YOU need to get in there and make things happen, it shows you are interested and want to learn how to be a good nurse.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

It sounds like they feel you are not doing your part, not that they are "picking on you". And yes, they talk to one another. If there is a weakness in one area, they may compare to see if you are weak all over, not just with them. And if so, they are going to start watching you like a hawk and pushing you to step it up. It sounds from the examples you gave they feel you are not paying attention when you should be and probably not practicing your skills enough. If you aren't performing on par with the other students then yes, you are probably going to get treated differently. If everyone else in the class has enough instruction to perform and somehow you do not, there's a problem.

Best suggestion is to find out what they want from you and then give it to them. Its going to be hard no matter what, so may as well be hard in a way that makes you feel more in control and builds your sense of self worth rather than makes you feel "picked on". Step up your game and I bet you see this situation change.

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You're right. It's often NOT nurturing and it *IS* like a bootcamp at times. I'm thinking of those weight loss bootcamps... someone uses all their willpower to successfully snack on natural foods and avoid things like ice cream and cookies, and then the coach yells at them for eating too many carrots instead of celery.

I don't like this approach myself but it doesn't seem uncommon in nursing school. So make the best of it possible. Find a way to make it motivating to you.

You can take it as a challenge. They think you're not up-to-snuff? Well you'll prove your worth by always being two steps ahead! If they don't seem to want to teach you, then do whatever you can to teach yourself and find others to teach you (classmates can help each other since each have different strengths and weaknesses). You will run across a lot of unsupportive people in your life as a nurse and in general, so might as well start now not letting anyone else determine your worthiness. Even failing a class, or being told "I don't think you're cut out for this" doesn't mean you can't be a great nurse. That's up to you. If you really want it, you'll make it happen eventually. And if you don't want it that bad, that's okay too. Just don't blame it all on bad instructors (even if they actually are poor instructors).

You can take it as a compliment. Though it may feel unfair and like you're not getting as much support from the instructors, they are in fact noticing you and giving you a chance to show and practice your fortitude, perserverance, problem-solving skills, humility etc. The goal isn't to get everything right, be complimented, and avoid being criticized; the goal is to adapt and learn from even difficult, uncomfortable, discouraging situations. Again, it may be like a coach who taunts the training athlete "that's the best you can do, huh? I thought you were better than that!" Some students have felt threatened with failure right up until graduation, and then surprisingly find their previously discouraging instructors telling them "You did it! You'll be a great nurse!"

Personally, I don't like this approach and wouldn't choose a mentor or coach who worked that way, but we may not have much choice in our instructors / preceptors / colleagues. Thinking of what feels like unsupportive criticism as at best well-intentioned harshness or at worst, practice dealing with a difficult person, makes me a bit more tolerant of it and able to work with it a bit. I still don't have to like it, though!

Best wishes!

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Call them out. You're there customer. They're there to teach YOU. If that doesn't work go to the supervisor.

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You saw it once you should know how to do it PERFECTLY!!!

Sounds like my school was...

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I agree with the post above...I'd go and speak to my nursing advisor about how I feel. If you really feel this way, you should show your concern and interest and ask them what you can do to improve...I'm lucky because I feel behind other students, but I don't feel like my teachers pick on me because of it, they are very caring and understanding.

HOWEVER, I feel like some of their test questions are unfair. We got our 2nd exam back and I found FIVE questions that I challenged. I only got the points for one of the questions. My advisor literally told me the book was wrong and that I need to think about what they are looking for rather than what I learned in the book...WELL that should be easy...ya know mind reading! Geez...it's frustrating

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I agree with the post above...I'd go and speak to my nursing advisor about how I feel. If you really feel this way, you should show your concern and interest and ask them what you can do to improve...I'm lucky because I feel behind other students, but I don't feel like my teachers pick on me because of it, they are very caring and understanding.

HOWEVER, I feel like some of their test questions are unfair. We got our 2nd exam back and I found FIVE questions that I challenged. I only got the points for one of the questions. My advisor literally told me the book was wrong and that I need to think about what they are looking for rather than what I learned in the book...WELL that should be easy...ya know mind reading! Geez...it's frustrating

This exact same thing happened to my class on the last exam. It was a question regarding debridement of wounds and it was in the book about 3 times. The instructor said the book was wrong. The book is our sole learning source. The instructors don't lecture at all. We occasionally have BS sessions where they basically sit around and chit chat with us but there is no lecture. So, if we are to learn from reading the book and the book is wrong, what are we to do?

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.
It sounds like they feel you are not doing your part, not that they are "picking on you". And yes, they talk to one another. If there is a weakness in one area, they may compare to see if you are weak all over, not just with them. And if so, they are going to start watching you like a hawk and pushing you to step it up. It sounds from the examples you gave they feel you are not paying attention when you should be and probably not practicing your skills enough. If you aren't performing on par with the other students then yes, you are probably going to get treated differently. If everyone else in the class has enough instruction to perform and somehow you do not, there's a problem.

Best suggestion is to find out what they want from you and then give it to them. Its going to be hard no matter what, so may as well be hard in a way that makes you feel more in control and builds your sense of self worth rather than makes you feel "picked on". Step up your game and I bet you see this situation change.

Im glad someone took this approach. I hate reading all these threads how "the instructors are out to get me" when sometimes the student needs to look back and say, wow I may have done something wrong or I am not putting 100% forward or paying attention.

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Im glad someone took this approach. I hate reading all these threads how "the instructors are out to get me" when sometimes the student needs to look back and say, wow I may have done something wrong or I am not putting 100% forward or paying attention.

I wish I could put 100 % effort but Ive exhausted my limits. Everyone in my clincal class sees that I'm trying. It's unfortunate that the instructor doesn't see that.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

The unfortunate truth is that not everyone is cut out to be a nurse. I am not implying YOU aren't...I do think if you tell yourself you are doing absolutely everything you can, you are in essence telling YOURSELF you aren't cut out to be a nurse. It is those who don't find a way to step it up who wind up getting cut a lot of the time. Are there classmates who you know are doing well who you can emulate or work with to find out how they are managing to do better?

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Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Flight.

were not in bootcamp?:confused:

lol.

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