In my nursing lab we have an instructor who does not teach us details (such as giving us different scenarios) on handling patients. She's impatient and is not very professional by the verbal and nonverbal actions she makes towards students(ie. negative comments and making faces of disgust. Lately, everyone has noticed she has been singling out one specific student. She constantly picks on her when we practice our skills. She has trouble making a bed perfectly and every week she makes sure to yell out to her to work on one, even if she is performing other skills such as vital signs, etc. She will say something like, "why aren't you doing the bed like I told you to." Mind you, this is a BSN program. She will make remarks about her to other students like," can you help her, she still is not getting it." Everyone in class has noticed how the instructor is focusing on her, it's become pretty obvious. I think the breaking point is when we had a skills exam and she was grading her very harsh, had her repeat it and still told her she needs to go back another day. Part of the skill was something the instructor did not really practice with us.(actually there was some things she told us we had to do the day we had our exam,wth right? so many people were deducted points for that. Anyway, instructor told her during her skills exam," why do you want to be a nurse?" in a disgusted face when she was nervous performing the task. Throughout the exam, the instructor would tell her everything is wrong. Who wouldn't get nervous if the instructor is being extremely negative? How can anyone learn through embarrassment and harsh criticism? The girl cried as she left the classroom after her exam with the instructor. I think if the instructor feels a student needs more improvement, she should talk to them personally and not do it in front of others. With the stress put on her by her very own instructor, how can anyone function? It's a freaking beginning nursing class!
What would you guys suggest? Emailing the professor about the situation. Email her higher superior. Or, talk to the dean? Or, email the professor and bcc the superior and dean to let them be aware of the situation? Nursing school is expensive, I am shocked an instructor would treat anyone this way..esp if the person is very smart, kind and courteous.
Just because once in your life you had paid a huge amount of tuition to write your PhD dissertation/thesis doesn't give you a right to look down on your students. You are a regular person without that. Attitude is what that instructor has. Because Doctors, real MDs I know, do NOT behave as if all the people are below them. Someone will NOT be someone without other people. It's a shame someone is a nurse, obliged to care for others, when all that person does is bash in something you have achieved in two years once in your life. That won't be forever.
In nursing school, there was an instructor who was reputed to embarrass and humiliate students. She went out of her way to be especially wicked to one of my classmates. This instructor would have an encounter group during the rotation. It was cruel pseudo psychology of the time. An encounter group meant that you were going to encounter every negative aspect of your personality and then some. It was used as a venue to destroy self-esteem, perfect place for a bully.
When I heard that this was happening to other students, I reported it to the school administrator. This was a small nursing school, and the administrator was very active in the day to day running of classes. The administrator was a very nice person and a friend to the nursing students.
She told me to come get her when it was time for my group’s encounter session. She stood just outside the door and listened for several minutes. Then she walked in and sat down. When she came in the room, I told the instructor that I had asked the Administrator to monitor this class. My memory sometimes forgets things, but I think that I told the instructor that I thought that there was no benefit to this type of ‘teaching.’
Many people who bully others have woefully inadequate personalities. They seek to exert power because they feel helpless to control some aspect of their lives. Confrontation is a tool to redirect the relationship.
This was in the late 1970's, but the basics have not changed. What goes around comes around. This instructor subsequently had a terrific personal tragedy that occurred because of her need to exert her will over others.
I REALLY REALLY just doN'T understand why Nursing Instructors previously described above have to be mean and wicked to their Nursing Students. The world needs future nurses. They should just help nursing students instead in order to help make the world a better place to live in. That's all. I rest my case.
To Old ICU Nurse: My point is, I would call anybody--anybody a Doctor! MD or PhD holders alike. It's just this one Instructor I had I had issues/troubles calling her that! After how she maltreated me, is all!
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
OK guys we seem to be going a bit off topic here and discussing other things.
Unfortunately throughout school and beyond you will always come across someone who does things differently or 'picks' on certain people including yourself. Don't lower yourself to their level but arise from it and use the experience as a learning curve. Sometimes it may mean moving on and looking for another job but that may mean a move to a better job or better experience. There may be ways to deal with it within the workplace/school and check out the route of command and see what procedures are in place so make sure you check all avenues on what to do.
Going to reopen this thread but if it deteriorates again it will be closed permanently which would be a shame. So can I remind everyone to respect what each of you write and try to keep this to a friendly debate
OK-Reloeh4, please understand whay I am saying about the nursing instructors and their credentials. This is totally away from the original thread about what to do with maniac instructors. The answer to that dilemma is to be professional about it--talk to the student, gather support, be calm and talk with the dean for resolution.
BUT--Back to the PhD thing--to get a PhD in nursing is not "just a couple of more years writing a dissertation. It really includes 4 years = BSN, 2+ years = MSN, THEN 2+ = years doctoral work. (which equals EIGHT YEARS OF SCHOOLING--no small thing on time, cost, or effort). So, my feeling is--instead of feeling awkward addressing someone PROPERLY as "Dr. XYZ" in a clinical setting, you should recognize that person for their accomplishments by the simple addition of title. Nurses do a hell of a lot in hospitals and with higher education and research at the post-graduate level. Most beginners have no idea where all of there "evidence based practice" comes from--it does not come from the textbook editors--it come from the hard work of nurses CRITICALLY thinking about processes and patient outcomes. As cheesy as that sounds--the good care that you give patients is based on the nursing that has been done for decades before us and improvements made along the way--on a daily basis! Nurses should recognize each other for the roles that they have chosen and not be awkward or ashamed. Plus, who is actually going to be the one that is so "confused" calling your instructor (professor) "Doctor"--the other doctors? patients? visitors? other staff? If that is the case, THEY need to be educated that nurses have higher levels of learning and that any role that involves nursing education or management will REQUIRE a master's degree in the next few years. And that yes, there are "doctor nurses." Sorry for the rant--but if our profession is to ever be taken as seriously as medicine or law, we (unfortunately) must fight to get recognition which starts with US. All nurses should take pride in the accomplishment of even becoming a nurse--which is difficult in itself.
OP, I have thought of a few other things you might consider if talking it to the lead lab instructor or the Dean is not effective:
1. look in your student handbook to find out what the appeals process is for your school. It should have one in place. It may be the Dean of the Health Sciences or the Dean of the College depending on how big your school is and how it's organized. This might be a good avenue.
2. If all else fails, consider reporting to the accrediting agency for your school. This would be a last resort, but can be effective.
3. Also, consider putting this on evaluations with those who have witnessed the treatment of the student, or mentioning it in an exit interview, if your school offers them.
4. Some larger schools also have an ombudsman or student liaison to handle problems of this nature. This also might offer some more options.
Of course, no one really knows what that student's level of performance is or isn't. The student may or may not be contributing to the situation....BUT the instructor should offer all critiques in private, and balance it with what the student is doing well.
I do think it is brave of you to try to help in a professional manner.
I was that young nursing student being singled out. I finished a semester late because the situation went too far. I got the "you aren't making the bed correctly" and "you aren't pouring the liquid medication correctly". Let me just tell ya, I became a fine nurse despite this old tenured instructor! Guess what I don't have to make beds and rarely have to pour meds. Knowing my normal serum lab levels, reading a fetal monitor strip and performing a head to toe assessment of a OB patient is what I do on a regular basis. Now I agree with everyone elses posts that we got to protect our own, going up the chain of command and this is rediculous. I want to inform you that this will not stop in nursing school; it continues in the workforce. We all have experienced this. Nurses, you have to attack this professionally, go up the chain of command and make someone listen. This poor student will likely have anxiety about being around authority and working with strong personalities. Show this student your support by drafting a letter to the dean, showing solidarity through standing up for her during clinical instruction and letting this student know that she is valued. My mother finally had to come up to the school and complain. I ended up having to take the theory class (without testing) and repeating the clinical course. Really ****** me off!!! Took more of my money and more of my time. And people wonder why I don't celebrate my alma mater. Hey, I will say this: I was well prepared for the same occurence when it did happen during my career. I wrote letters to my manager, director, VP of Patient Care services and Director of Physicians. Let me just tell ya, that MD walks on eggshells around me now! Good luck to you! Becoming a nurse to do something you love is worth it! Hang in there babe!
I think this Nursing student that cares about her friend Nursing Student should share this web site with this student and Try to understand Horizontal Hostility and look it up on her PC.
What's getting to me are the posters saying in nursing school you just "take it to get through".
I'd say taking it to get through is what breeds the problem and only encourages continued unprofessionalism.
Nursing school is where you learn how to be a professional - and "taking it" is unprofessional. Dealing with it correctly is professional.
When and if you do approach this (and OH MY GOD should someone approach this) - have concrete incidents, don't just go in making what could be interpreted as wild accusations. Have documentation, specific occurrences - dates and times if you can get them. The more specific you are, the more professional you come across, than if you're going in with "well, there was this one time when..."
I suggest that the affected student and those of you who have witnessed this behavior document this and take it to the administration. If that does not work, most schools have some kind of student advocate that can go to bat for you. This needs to be addressed. This is abuse. If a student cannot perform a task appropriately, the professional thing for an instructor to do is to take the student aside and talk things over. A good instructor will offer interventions for remediation and be available to help. This instructor you are talking about needs to be retired. Apparently, she or he is just marking time to get the paycheck.
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luvlyf
15 Posts
Just because once in your life you had paid a huge amount of tuition to write your PhD dissertation/thesis doesn't give you a right to look down on your students. You are a regular person without that. Attitude is what that instructor has. Because Doctors, real MDs I know, do NOT behave as if all the people are below them. Someone will NOT be someone without other people. It's a shame someone is a nurse, obliged to care for others, when all that person does is bash in something you have achieved in two years once in your life. That won't be forever.