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.
:argue: Our cohort has had similar issues, as well as having instructors teaching theory that obviously don't want to teach. We as a cohort went to the head of our department, who involved the head of the nursing department and organized a meeting. We had a spokes person communicate our concerns and complaints (private school $$$$) and then had open dialogue. The meeting went well; the cohorts behind us have and will continue to benefit. We can not bring back what we did not gain from the past, but can be thankful that our future is attended to and we attended to the future classes behind us. The situation is not perfect, but improving. Speak-Up:yeah:!
I am a new LPN student, and I too have come into this EXACT same situation. Our clinical instructor has some issues. One minute she is nice, then next a wreck. And no one in our class can understand why.
During my evualuation my instructor told me that I had all the confidence in the world to be a nurse, but that I had a low self esteem! All in one breath mind you! EXCUSE ME!! I am not low in the self esteem department! I am the one who rallies the troops when people are down, and I smile in the face of adversity! Yet our instructor thrives on insults and then when she brings you to the brink of tears, calls you honey and sends you on your way.
All I can say is that if you can't do anything about your situation, you just have to suck it up! I believe they do try to weed out the ones they feel may teeter and not be sure... When my instructor did this to me, yes it made me mad, almost to the point of crying, BUT I sucked it up and thought secretly I will show her. Just watch.
What I mean by that is, when someone says you can't be something or you can't do something, it gives you an instant power to show them that YES YOU CAN DO IT, AND YOU WILL DO IT WELL!!
Stay strong.. Vent here, and work hard.. Nothing like sucess in the face of adversaries that makes me smile! GO UNDERDOGS!! :-D
actually I was speaking more about the instructors who don't want to instruct and the amount of money we pay to have them teach. I have been a bit intimidated by a clinical instructor, but not demeaned. I was mortified once as I choked on a drug action that I should have known and trust me I will never put myself in that position again. they are here to teach us and you could be right; maybe they are weeding out the ones who can't take the heat.
Yes, they do get paid A LOT of money.. I too have choked on a drug action when called out, and believe me I NEVER let it happen again. I think at times though, my instructor just likes to act that way.
During our evaluation of her to our school, 4 out of 9 students collective wrote to our Director about her behavior. I do hope that it is brought to light so that other student do not have to go through it.
one good way i found out years ago when my son had problems with his teacher i sent him to school with a hidden tape recorder to record the whole class session. it worked. if you can just record whats going on with a digital camera with video or just a voice recorder because their small. now you evidence if you really need it. save it. if its come down to going to the dean or whoever you can back up what you say. hope this helps
The harsh reality is nursing instructors are hard to come by so the schools will usually protect the instructor. While there is a despirate need for teachers students come a dime a dozen so the odds are stacked against us. I learned that through personal experience. Some of my fellow students considered hiring lawyers when the dean didn't take their complaints about an instructor seriously.
There is a lesson in every experience if you look hard enough. I am much more sensitive to the feelings of others and I look forward to setting a better example.
I was in a similar situation with my clinical instructor for med surg. Every week at clinical it was always something I didn't do right. One day she told me to "leave her clinical and don't come back until further notice". Our classes are set up that each course has a lead instructor that a student can go to when they have problems. I went to the lead instructor and told her about the situation with this clinical instructor. The lead instructor told me she was going to talk with the CI and that I should return to clinical the next week. When I arrived at the clinical site the instructor told me that I needed to leave (again). She claimed she didn't get the message the lead instructor sent her.
The lead instructor told me once again to return to clinical the next week. She started investigating the situation after I told her how this clinical instructor belittled me every chance she got. It wasn't just me that thought so because the other students in the clinical even saw how she was treating me. The dean of the program actually got a call from the unit manager of the unit our clinical was on and she even told them how unprofessional this instructor was. To make a long story short the day I went back to clinical (again) the CI gave me this speech about things I need to change (this speech took about an hour). I also had a chance to talk about some of the problems I had with her. I think we both were dealing with each other at that point because it was only 2 weeks left in the semester. Despite all the drama I passed the class.
Specializes in Peds,, Home Health, some geriatrics.
I think 80% of instructors are nasty to be around. Can't figure out what made these people want to be nurses in the first place. I like the idea of students backing this student and seeing if the instructor gets it. If not, go through the chain of command. The dean got an instructor to back off of a foreign student. The instructor was as sweet as pie after a student went the dean about the student being picked on.
I had a similar clinical instructor. She singled me out to call "dumb"! She preferred to teach one or two young white females, and made everyone else do paperwork. Some "teacher"!
I was in a similiar situation with the skills exam. I was doing trach care and the instructor kept criticizing every move I made. It was hard to concentrate on the task at hand. I'm sure she was trying to help but maybe she should have left her avalanche of critism until the end. I think that would have been more constructive.
OP, that is just unfair and UNPROFFESIONAL of your instructor to single out this student. Sometimes I wonder where they find these instructors......
sunflower350
16 Posts
:argue: Our cohort has had similar issues, as well as having instructors teaching theory that obviously don't want to teach. We as a cohort went to the head of our department, who involved the head of the nursing department and organized a meeting. We had a spokes person communicate our concerns and complaints (private school $$$$) and then had open dialogue. The meeting went well; the cohorts behind us have and will continue to benefit. We can not bring back what we did not gain from the past, but can be thankful that our future is attended to and we attended to the future classes behind us. The situation is not perfect, but improving. Speak-Up:yeah:!