Nursing Instructors Would Rather see You Fail than Succeed

LoveER01 · Sep 11, 2015

I have had tough instructors and I have seen a few who clearly didn't like particular students... However, I have never felt like any of them wanted to see anyone fail. In my experience I have had a few go the extra mile to help me succeed when I was struggling. It actually made me cry to know they cared that much.

futurenaijaRN, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2015

I am blessed to be in my school. I'm privileged to be taught by DNPS and most importantly people that wants you to succeed. They will sacrifice their time just to make sure you understood the material. I am so blessed and lucky to have chosen Lynchburg college of Nursing to pursuit my education. I really appreciate all my nursing faculties, you all rock! I love the fact that we work hard for our grades.

jclark76 · Sep 12, 2015

Personally I think most instructors went through hell in school, so they just feel the need to perpetuate that atmosphere. Plus, if it were easy, everyone would do it

PositivelyPink · Sep 12, 2015

I have read this sort of thread many times. I can honestly say that I haven't seen any evidence of any instructors wanting me or anyone in my class not to succeed. The support in my school is outstanding and I'm really, really enjoying myself. Just my 0.02.

TriciaJ, RN · Sep 12, 2015

After I'd worked as a Registered Psychiatric Nurse for 3 years (separate qualification in western Canada at the time) I went back to my alma mater to pick up my RN. My first 2 clinical instructors were HORRIBLE. Not just to me, but to an older student who'd been a CNA for many years. Were they threatened because we'd already had some experience? I wondered if my personality rubbed them the wrong way, but the CNA-to-RN student was the nicest lady, really sharp, with a positive attitude and there was no reason anyone would take a dislike to her.

Their M.O. was to refuse to be available to offer any instruction or guidance, but lie in wait and hope to catch a mistake. When doing my end-of-rotation eval, one instructor carefully listed every mistake I'd made as evidence that my performance was poor. Then she'd verbally tell me "Of course you've since learned how to do it correctly, but there's no room to write everything". Well shouldn't the end of rotation eval reflect the end of rotation? Especially since my classmates made the same mistakes, and just as many.

I somehow toughed out those two horrible rotations. My subsequent instructors didn't seem to have a need to make me feel stupid. Some of them were very tough and exacting, and had no qualms calling anyone out. But they were fair. They gave the impression that they'd been competent nurses themselves and relished the teaching role. I had the normal anxiety of being a learner without the added anxiety that someone was lying in wait.

The second half of that year was much better, but the damage had been done. When I got through, I went back to psych for several years before I mustered the confidence to change specialties. Even with 3 decades of hindsight, those 2 instructors were rotten b****es. No excuse for their behaviour. But they were in the MINORITY. I also had some absolutely WONDERFUL instructors. I wish I had a way to thank them all these years later.

cmj806 · Sep 14, 2015

Isn't it their job to weed out the students that are just not cut out to be a nurse? Nursing and hospitals isn't for everyone.

cracklingkraken, ASN, RN · Sep 14, 2015

Isn't it their job to weed out the students that are just not cut out to be a nurse? Nursing and hospitals isn't for everyone.

Yes, it specifically says in their job description to target the entitled, unsuspecting young 'uns and eat them up.

Just kidding. I think the weeding out process happens when they are unable to pass the skills test or think critically for the exams. But I've never felt like any of my professors targeted anyone and tried to push them out of the program. I would think that falls under bullying.

BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN · Sep 14, 2015

I think poor students weed themselves out. Many will blame instructors for their failures, but unless 100% of a class fails the coursework, I think it comes back onto the student.

Isn't it their job to weed out the students that are just not cut out to be a nurse? Nursing and hospitals isn't for everyone.

cmj806 · Sep 14, 2015

Thats where I was going with that reply. Just didn't use the right words. If it was easy everyone would be nurses! :)

RedInScrubs, ASN, RN · Sep 14, 2015

I have experienced this with almost EVERY nursing instructor I had.
I can honestly say they would rather see you fail than succeed.
Has anyone else experienced this ?

When I was in school, I thought this.

Then when I started working as a nurse, I realized just what exactly they'd spent two years pounding into my brain, and why they did care.

It's a lot more clear when you gain their perspective.

vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN · Sep 24, 2015

I think poor students weed themselves out. Many will blame instructors for their failures, but unless 100% of a class fails the coursework, I think it comes back onto the student.

This is true only if the course work is graded subjectively...in my school lecture exams are by computer and unbiased.

Clinicals on the other hand....very subjective.

#ihadaverybadday