nursing instructors

[prettylittlenurse2b]

I really feel my nursing instructor is too involved in students lives. She ask very personal information, shares personal information, want's to know life stories, and all of this makes me very uneasy. I already have a bachelors of science from a very large university, and decided to do nursing instead, now I am in an ADN program at a small school. I never had these types of relationships with instructors before, not even the one's I worked for. I just find that instructors trying to be such close friends with students is inappropriate, what should I do?

[Riseupandnurse]

You're right; it is very inappropriate. Tell her in private how uncomfortable it makes you. If it persists, go to the head of the program.

[racing-mom4, BSN, RN]

Wow---I just started a post similar to this in the 1st year nursing section. I too had an instructor that shared way too much information, she would tell us in our class who was failing (apparently the lecture instructor emailed the clinical instructor the most recent test grades) she would point to a staff nurse and tell us "she didn't pass her boards 1st time" she would gossip about "Dianes" divorce and "Diane" was in our clinical group!!!

I told her during mid term evals that I didnt think the gossiping was appropriate and my knowing what students were failing added nothing to my life.

Did I ever pay the price!!! She soon began assigning home work for clinical, case studies. She would give every one their own separate study to do. Mine were 10x harder than anyone else's. And the few people in our clinical group, the ones who chose to gossip with her would forget to turn those in, and would say they would just email them to her later. Yet if mine was not turned in, I was told it was a requirement to pass. I had to have my husband fax me one that I left at home,. Then I got written up for using the hospitals fax machine even though the unit secretary told me the number and told me she would watch for it. I showed the case studies to my lecture instructor and she informed me it was in the clinical instructors right to assign them, and that we were in fact required to complete the assigned work.

So my advice to you. Smile and be nice. If she asks personal questions give vague responses then smile again. Also, I was never a meticulous keeper of old papers, but I learned too. As more than once this instructor told me she didnt have my med list from "3 weeks" ago checked off. So I kept every bit of paper.

The kicker was during my final eval she wrote that I changed patient assignment with out informing her. The reason I changed patient assignment? The patient Died in the night. I had done my prep work on patient A,B and C only to show up the next day and patient B had died, so I took on patient D. FYI I did in fact tell her patient B had died, so I was going to pick a new patient. Yet I didn't have the prep paper work turned in for patient D because well I didn't do it the night before.

And just because I graduated and passed my boards...well I still see her, she is now an instructor at the hospital I took a job at. Lord knows what she is telling the current students about ME!!!!!

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

She ask very personal information, shares personal information, want's to know life stories, and all of this makes me very uneasy.

Although this instructor is asking for very personal information and wants to know peoples' life stories, you are not compelled to share anything with her that does not pertain to school.

Since nursing school can become a very political place for students who "go against the grain," I would simply keep my mouth shut, attempt to blend into the background, avoid making waves, and count my days until graduation. If you are uncomfortable with the exchange of personal information, just don't exchange it.

[prettylittlenurse2b]

well today just topped it, I was called into the office to discuss my attitude changes over the past couple of weeks. Maybe my attitude has changed because I am stressed out, and it seems as if the instructor doesn't have a clue what it going on. I really think my instructor doesn't know how to be an instructor. When things started getting personal like always I just kept my mouth as closed as I could. I can't wait to be done, my life is personal and really is of no concern to the instructors, i'm passing, turn in all my work, and always show up for class, leave me alone.

[santhony44, MSN, RN, NP]

Since she's an instructor and you are a student, you are unfortunately in a vulnerable position.

I'd practice being vague and changing the subject. Does she have a subject that you can divert her to?

For example:

Instructor: Well, pretty, what are you doing this weekend?

You: Oh, nothing much really. Say, didn't you say you have your Pomeranian groomed every week? A friend of mine just recently bought a little dog, he's just too cute, and she's wondering where to have him groomed. Do you recommend your groomer?

With any luck, she'll be off and running, and you just smile and nod and look interested. She may even forget that she asked you a question you didn't really answer.

If you can't tell that she's interested in anything besides gossip, then ask a question about clinicals, a test, a diagnosis, etc, or about the NCLEX, just anything at all to get her talking and not asking questions.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

I would think this behavior is contrary to the school's bylaws and would need to be brought to the Dean's attention. Confidentiality is a HIPAA violation and we are not talking about patients but it is a good thing to practice so students are prepared when in clinicals and at work.

[puggymae]

It is illegal to disclose information such as who is passing/failing to other people (even a students parent).