Nursing Instructors Pet Peeves

Specialties Educators

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Specializes in Telemetry.

I'm a lurking 3rd semester RN student and came across the thread about students pet peeves- which got me wondering- what are the instructors pet peeves about students?

I'm sure there are more than just a few students who lurk these boards, and I bet it would be helpful to hear the tips and comments from all of you!:)

Here are things that drive me nuts that other students do:

Have private conversations during lecture or classroom discussion (I can't hear the instructor!)

Complain about how its the instructor's fault they are failing. (Its usually untrue and they should take responsibility for their own learning)

Attack the instructor when challenging a test question. This drives me nuts. Part of being a nurse is communicating effectively. We can all be respectful of each other.

Students that take the attitude of the instructor being the enemy. I don't think that they want to fail us. I don't think you teachers sit at home and wickedly laugh while you grade tests and students fail. I don't think you plot together to see how you can "trick" us, or make our lives miserable!

My father was a community college teacher and is now in administration and I can remember as a kid him truly being disappointed when students didn't do well, especially when he knew they could do better. Secondly I also know that the more work you all give us, the more work you have to do. ( I remember all his late nights grading papers and homework) So its ridiculous to think you all just give us busy work for no good reason.

Anyway I thought it would be interesting and helpful to hear your thoughts!

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Specializes in critical care, management, med surg, edu.

I think you've included them all.

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BeachBum3 I agree with you ,as an instructor I have heard all of these and more!!

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Beachbum, I had to laugh when reading your list. A few of them are soooo true.

I presonally don't mind the attack on test questions. My theory is, if you can defend why your answer is right (when it is wrong), then I will listen. I love to see the wheels turning in the heads of my students. Nothing thrills my more than when they think. But when you really have no good reason, and you just babble that you don't think that is the right answer (with no supporting data) then I really don't want to hear about it. These are usually the students that are just passing, and are depending on us throwing out that question so they will pass.

I love when they come back after class and apologize, I think it is cute. I usually just chuckle and say 'it's all good'.

Students that take the attitude of the instructor being the enemy. I don't think that they want to fail us. I don't think you teachers sit at home and wickedly laugh while you grade tests and students fail. I don't think you plot together to see how you can "trick" us, or make our lives miserable!

Oh, I LOVE this one!! I joke around with my students and will do the occasional 'muwahahahaha' and rub my hands together. Most of them get the joke. Believe me, finals week is no picnic for us. After we get word that students fail, and see them before they find out...not fun at all.

One of my biggest pet peeves is LISTENING!! Having to repeat myself, which usually goes along witht he sidebars that are going on in the classroom. Read the powerpoint in front of you (and the PP handout on your desk...it's usually right there!!) And having to spell words: it obiviously means you never heard the word before, which obviously means you didn't do the reading. So you go home, figure it out when you get home.

Asking me to define things during the lecture. If I didn't define it myself, thaat means you shold know it already, or you didn't do the reading. I never would have done that as a student, because then it would have been obvious that I wasn't prepared for the lecture.

Another one: interrupting!! In clinical, it amazes me how I can be in the middle of talking to a student, and another one just comes along as if I was standing there waiting for them. This is obviously not a student-specific behavior, rather people in general. Yes, I am there to teach you, but I am also there to teach the rest of the students too.

I think that's it, for now :)

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

What bugged me was a student asking for an exception to a rule, such as when something was to be turned in. I understand that things happen in life, and once in a while it just isn't feasible to meet my deadlines. But when I grant the exception, and you STILL don't follow through.... man it makes me unhappy. Makes me all the less likely to grant an exception for the next person coming along, who might really need it.

I have deadlines to turn in stuff too!

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

1. Students who can't follow basic directions. For example:

A. Leaving out whole sections of a paper (or other assignment) -- when the requirements for the paper are clearly listed in the assignment. Some of my students this semester left out whole sections, then got mad when I deducted points for that -- even though the syllabus clearly listed how many points each section was worth.

B. Repeatedly handing assignments in late and then having to ask me why I deducted points on their score -- when the number of points to be deducted for lateness is clearly listed in the instructions. If they choose to hand their work in late, that's their business -- but don't keep bothering me with questions about they did not get 100% on the score.

2. Students who don't study the reading material. They believe that if I didn't say it in class, it's unfair for it to be on the test. That's ridiculous. This isn't grade school! If you can't handle the workload, take fewer classes at one time ... or don't try to work full time ... etc. I'm not going to "dummy down" the course because you don't have the time to do everything you want to do this month. Life involves setting priorities and making choices. Sometimes, we can't do everything we would like to do at the same time. We have to make some compromises.

3. Students who feel it is my responsibility to see to it that they maintain a certain grade point average. I teach a course. I set expectations, teach the course, grade the assignments, etc. I actually care about my students and will do my best to be fair and to help my students understand the material. But it is up to the students to do the work and earn the grades.

4. Students who feel that they can "pull the wool over my eyes" and trick me into something or plagarize, etc. That's just insulting. I try to be honest with my class and treat my students with courtesy and respect. When they don't treat me the same way ... well ... let's just say they lose my respect and support.

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My pet peeves as an instructor:

* students who don't come to class or clinical prepared - haven't read the chapters, haven't done the homework, haven't completed the clinical paperwork - and then expect to pass the test.

* students who cheat, copy off a neighbor, buy a paper off the net or copy-paste another's work directly without proper citation.

* students who fall asleep in class especially when the lights are ON and there is no PowerPoint to mesmerize them - I can't defend teachers who PowerPoint endlessly in the dark...even I fall asleep in those lectures:zzzzz.

* students who habitually come late to class with a fresh latte in their hands and tell me there was a traffic jam - take a different route and leave earlier if you want your latte

* students who argue the rationale for a question and end by saying "I just don't agree". Well, you can "not agree" with the NCLEX as well, but you will still fail it if you haven't learned how to rationalize for the correct answer.

* students who claim their life situation is tough, so I should let their shoddy work slip by. It's not that I don't think their life is tough - I believe I am a compassionate person - it's that EVERYBODY's life is tough. We all have a burden to carry:cry:. Lighten your load by sharing someone else's burden. Would you like to talk about it?

* students who participate in team or group work but don't share the load yet expect full credit. This burns bridges with your classmates pretty fast, then nobody wants to work with you and they come to me and want you out of their group

* students who misspell drug names (actually this goes for all nurses). I don't want you to be my nurse and make a drug error on me because you couldn't spell the name of the drug.

* students who can't do medical math and say to me "why do I have to know how to do this? - it's the pharmacist's job!" QUICK - ordered: 1 g Tylenol PO. on hand: 500 mg tabs. How many tabs will you give? Hint: the answer is NOT 1/2 a tab. (wouldn't say it if I hadn't seen it.)

* students who blame me for APA format. I didn't invent it, but I know how to implement it and grade it

* students who forgot to wear scrubs on lab day then scream and cry and rant and rave in the hallway when I won't let them into the lab. We discussed this on the first day and you signed a paper saying you understood the policy. Meanwhile all the students who DID wear scrubs are in lab shaking their heads. I promise that I will remember this incident when the hospital recruiter for your first job asks me to rate your professionalism.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Wow. Can't say I disagree with any of those :uhoh21:

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
I promise that I will remember this incident when the hospital recruiter for your first job asks me to rate your professionalism.

Good point.

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Specializes in ER/SICU/Med-Surg/Ortho/Trauma/Flight.

I agree with the rest of you, on all these. Today was my first day teaching in an LPN program, I love it, and my students are all so great, and I think and hope all of them are going to make it. But my problem today for petes sake on the first day of class and some of them didnt come prepared, which is funny seeing as how they met me in oriebtation and I gave them a lecture on being prepared, gave them the Syllabus, and I even told them if they couldnt afford some supplies to let me know and I would help them. And what was so funny is 3 yes 3 out of my 19 students didnt come prepared, which yeah we had fun, but I lectured also. I also told them to bring there nurse pacs and stethoscopes as we would be getting familiar with that stuff, take a tour of the skills lab, and fool around practicing each others vital signs, well guess what I got to share my stethoscope which is ok but I really dont like letting others to use my 200.00 littman, so I went out to my car and I had 2 cheapo 6.00 stethoscopes out there and they got to use those lol.

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Specializes in PCCU, ER.

I'm a clinical teacher so these are mine!

1. Showing up late!

2. Dressing unprofessionally

3. Acting like you know more than I do. (You might but I have license with nursing experience and you don't!)

4. Cheating

5. Not asking questions

6. Not turning in assignments

7. Being rude

8. Complaining

9. Making excuses (just do it, I don't care what the excuse is)

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Specializes in cardiac, psychiatric emergency, rehab.

Re: having a 'rough' life or a 'rough' time of it

I always say, go to nursing school and watch your entire family act up! :)

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