Nursing Instructor Anger Management

neuron · Jan 20, 2018

I have a problem and I need some advice... I am a non traditional adult college student (I'm 39 years old). After raising my daughter, I felt it was time to go back to college and complete my nursing degree. Currently, I'm in the 4th semester of a ADN Nursing Program at a local community college. I'm supposed to graduate this coming May 2018 (only 3 or so months away).
The Spring 2018 Semester just began a couple weeks ago. Our instructors made it clear they didn't want to see anyone on their cell phones. If a student is caught on their cellphone in the middle of class, the student would be asked to leave. Today, I had our Pediatrics class, which is taught by my favorite instructor. Being the oldest student in the nursing class, I got a seat in the front row almost in front of the instructors desk. Before class was started, I turned my iPhone on silent and placed it in a pocket located on the bottom front of my shirt.
About 40 minutes or so into the class, I hear my phone alarming. I thought to myself, "Oh No! That's MY phone alarming! I know it was on silent, how can it still be alarming!?" I didn't know that, even if an iPhone is on silent, it will still alarm. So I grabbed my phone really quickly and pressed all the side buttons, praying one would shut off the alarm. As I pressing every single button on the sides of my phone, I glanced up and noticed my instructor giving me a look that, if looks could kill, I'd definitely not be breathing right now. My instructor put her hand out and I placed my phone in her hand. She uses my phone to point at me and say, "Next time I will ask you to leave!" I apologized and told her it wouldn't happen again. She walks over and places my phone on her desk. After a few minutes, it dawns on me that the alarm probably has "snooze" on so it was going to be alarming again soon.....and I was right! My phone did start to alarm again. I immediately attempted to explain to my instructor that, when my phone went off initially, it was an alarm and now it's alarming again due to snooze being on. I apologized to her again and told her she was more than welcomed to turn the entire phone off. Before I could finish my sentence, my instructor picked my phone up from her desk, grabbing it by a corner and threw my phone at me! Had I not caught it, it would've hit me pretty hard in my lower face and neck area. I was extremely surprised that the instructor had thrown something at me in anger. The entire class went very quiet. The instructor told us to take a short break.
I understand completely that I should've ensured that my phone was completely off. I wasn't texting or even looking at my phone. Had I been blantantly disrespecting my instructor, I could've somewhat justified what happened.
Now, I feel I will be targeted by this instructor. I have clinicals for 12 hours every Monday with the same instructor. I don't feel comfortable having clinicals with this particular instructor. She has failed students on the spot during her clinicals and I feel I will more than likely be one of the students she will fail this semester.
Does anyone have any suggestions??

Nursing school gets more ridiculous every semester. Angry about a 'cell phone' really? There are patients that she so called teaches about that are DYING and she's angry about a cell phone. These instructors just get me.

Is there any way you can switch instructors, or ask this instructor about why she threw your phone at you. Give her a chance to justify her behavior. Ask her, 'Is there any reason you threw my cell phone at me? I wasn't aware of any bad feelings between us.'

I had an instructor that I was on bad terms with in my first semester, but she reached out to me (she stepped up and resolved it). ended up having her for clinical. After we became close but she still made 'side' comments. I could have asked her, but I chose not to as I enjoyed my relationship with her beside the fact she made remarks. Just trying to 'win' type of issue. But reinforce that the phone going off is not a reflection of your performance as you are in your final semester.

She dug the hole, but is there any way you could go and resolve this? If she isn't completely nasty, she may be relieved that you came to her. If not I'd head to the dean.

CareBear2 · Jan 20, 2018

Do not go to the Dean of Nursing Students. Do not go to her supervisors. They will all stick up for each other. And they will justify her behavior. You need to contact a third party that deals with harrassment in schools. They are not affiliated with the school but are hired to conduct independent investigations free from the university's interests. She may or may not mark you down based on her subjective feelings towards you and anytime you make a small mistake she may magnify it and when asked if she is picking on you or purposfully grading you down she will point out your mistakes. Don't try and reason with people like this, go to that third party and get help. I saw with my own eyes what some of these nurses are capable of-a friend of mine was being gas lit by a teacher and she could not do much because she would only cause herself trouble by telling on this teacher.

Mavrick, BSN, RN · Jan 20, 2018

I don't see the situation as who was in the right or wrong. It doesn't matter if OP is in the wrong for not having her phone silenced. It's not a debate about who is to blame. The point is, is that her MENTOR lost her temper over a ringing phone and threw it at her own student.
Yes, the instructor was in the right to be angry at the ringing phone (I'm sure that gets annoying for them) but throwing an object in anger at her own student is in a completely different realm. The phone ringing becomes irrelevant. All that matters is that she assaulted her student.

My response was to the question regarding targeting.

If the OP wants to pursue this as an assault then by all means be a shoot-disturber and light up the target on your back in neon magenta. However, be prepared for the consequences from being a mere distraction to dismissal from your program in the last week.

My agreement with de-escalating a conflict and keeping it local ain't bad career advice either. You will face many a flyin'phone and how you choose to handle it will impact your overall happiness.

opalbee · Jan 20, 2018

My response was to the question regarding targeting.
If the OP wants to pursue this as an assault then by all means be a shoot-disturber and light up the target on your back in neon magenta. However, be prepared for the consequences from being a mere distraction to dismissal from your program in the last week.
My agreement with de-escalating a conflict and keeping it local ain't bad career advice either. You will face many a flyin'phone and how you choose to handle it will impact your overall happiness.

Would the school not get in trouble for keeping an instructor who attacks her students when their phone rings in class?

Mavrick, BSN, RN · Jan 20, 2018

Would the school not get in trouble for keeping an instructor who attacks her students when their phone rings in class?

Well, you weren't there now were you? Could very well be a case of the instructor simply tossing a student's phone a short distance back to her. Student caught it. No way of knowing how much damage it "might" have caused. Could annoyance be the accompanying emotion rather than anger? You're the one calling this an "attack".

Set up a tribunal. Have other students testify whether it was a fireable offense for an instructor to maintain some semblance of discipline over a reasonable request "our instructors made it clear they didn't want to see anyone on their cell phones". The offending student admitted she violated that request but wasn't asked to leave the class. She got off easy and the rest of the class may have learned something.

neuron · Jan 20, 2018

Well, you weren't there now were you? Could very well be a case of the instructor simply tossing a student's phone a short distance back to her. Student caught it. No way of knowing how much damage it "might" have caused. Could annoyance be the accompanying emotion rather than anger? You're the one calling this an "attack".
Set up a tribunal. Have other students testify whether it was a fireable offense for an instructor to maintain some semblance of discipline over a reasonable request "our instructors made it clear they didn't want to see anyone on their cell phones". The offending student admitted she violated that request but wasn't asked to leave the class. She got off easy and the rest of the class may have learned something.

'Got off easy' for a cell phone? This wasn't a medication error. My take on it is that if she is in her final semester, she is not one to have her cell phone going off every 5 minutes.

caliotter3 · Jan 20, 2018

You take a risk no matter what course of action you take. As a minimum though, I would ensure to keep my phone off while in class, even if it means leaving the phone in the car. All of this commotion is the price to pay because people want their phones on their person at all times. Just think how bad it was for those of us who went to school before the era of cell phones?

opalbee · Jan 20, 2018

Well, you weren't there now were you? Could very well be a case of the instructor simply tossing a student's phone a short distance back to her. Student caught it. No way of knowing how much damage it "might" have caused. Could annoyance be the accompanying emotion rather than anger? You're the one calling this an "attack".
Set up a tribunal. Have other students testify whether it was a fireable offense for an instructor to maintain some semblance of discipline over a reasonable request "our instructors made it clear they didn't want to see anyone on their cell phones". The offending student admitted she violated that request but wasn't asked to leave the class. She got off easy and the rest of the class may have learned something.

You weren't there, either. I'm calling it an "attack" because OP said it could have hurt her had she not caught it, and because there were multiple other students who witnessed it who apparently came up to her after class expressing their shock at the situation, and some who also thought that OP should report the situation- not to just the dean, but some even suggested an attorney, which seems like that could be a good indicator that it was simply more than "tossing". My comments were based off of how OP described the situation- not of a "well maybe it wasn't that bad" kind of view.

Mavrick, BSN, RN · Jan 20, 2018

You weren't there, either. I'm calling it an "attack" because OP said it could have hurt her had she not caught it, and because there were multiple other students who witnessed it who apparently came up to her after class expressing their shock at the situation, and some who also thought that OP should report the situation- not to just the dean, but some even suggested an attorney, which seems like that could be a good indicator that it was simply more than "tossing". My comments were based off of how OP described the situation- not of a "well maybe it wasn't that bad" kind of view.

"Others are advising me to keep my head down and graduate in 3 months."

It's easy to advise, with righteous indignation, make a big stink, go to the Dean of Nursing, Hell go to the Dean of the College, get a lawyer, bla, bla, bla. All talk.

These are very high risk maneuvers with little pay-off. No harm was done to the student let alone try to prove it was the Instructor's fault. The school has much more invested in the Instructor than any one student.

Go to the bar have your drink, crab about it with the other students who will do exactly nothing and at the end of the day ....

"keep [your] head down and graduate in 3 months."

Wuzzie · Jan 20, 2018

"Others are advising me to keep my head down and graduate in 3 months."
It's easy to advise, with righteous indignation, make a big stink, go to the Dean of Nursing, Hell go to the Dean of the College, get a lawyer, bla, bla, bla. All talk.
These are very high risk maneuvers with little pay-off. No harm was done to the student let alone try to prove it was the Instructor's fault. The school has much more invested in the Instructor than any one student.
Go to the bar have your drink, crab about it with the other students who will do exactly nothing and at the end of the day ....
"keep [your] head down and graduate in 3 months."

This, in spades. If you haven't been to nursing school I can't blame you for not understanding how it works but Maverick speaks the truth. The OP is three months away from graduating. As wrong as the instructor might have been that is only the beginning of the poo-storm that will happen if she makes a stink about it. Better she graduates, passes NCLEX and gets a job then and only then should she say something.

And I absolutely guarantee every single one of the students who professed "shock" at the incident will suddenly develop amnesia for that entire day in order to protect their own hides.

Hospcorp, RN, EMT-B · Jan 20, 2018

You take a risk no matter what course of action you take. As a minimum though, I would ensure to keep my phone off while in class, even if it means leaving the phone in the car. All of this commotion is the price to pay because people want their phones on their person at all times. Just think how bad it was for those of us who went to school before the era of cell phones?

hmmm..Sometimes I feel like people on this forum do not realize that every student isn't 18 or 19 years old.(Not that there's anything wrong with that either) Many have have significant experience in healthcare, the military, and just life in general, so they know what it's like without a phone. The OP did the right thing and turned off her phone...unfortunately, the alarm was still on. Stuff happens! I do agree with leaving your phone in the car when possible. I also understand why you would want to just get through these 3 months and move on..I might be tempted to do that too. I am surprised at how many people are excusing this, and saying she got off easy. It is never to throw something at other person. Ever. And, no..it's not acceptable discipline either. They talk about lateral violence in the workplace...you shouldn't have to put up with that at work or school. IDK..I'm torn and I feel for the OP. As a classmate, I don't think I could ever stand by and not say something if that happened. If I was the victim, I would be tempted to get through the next 3 months and get out! I worry people would tolerate this behavior in a workplace. It's not okay, and it's not normal and just accepting it is why there is an uptick in healthcare violence. Whatever you choose, I'm sorry this happened to you.

neuron · Jan 21, 2018

"Others are advising me to keep my head down and graduate in 3 months."
It's easy to advise, with righteous indignation, make a big stink, go to the Dean of Nursing, Hell go to the Dean of the College, get a lawyer, bla, bla, bla. All talk.
These are very high risk maneuvers with little pay-off. No harm was done to the student let alone try to prove it was the Instructor's fault. The school has much more invested in the Instructor than any one student.
Go to the bar have your drink, crab about it with the other students who will do exactly nothing and at the end of the day ....
"keep [your] head down and graduate in 3 months."

I don't think anyone is advising against this. It is the fact that this woman might fail her in clinical, and she is known to fail students on the spot. This is a hostile environment that students just don't have to tolerate. I 'highly doubt' that this instructor has a lot invested in them at the expense of a harassment suit.