Nursing insturctor terrifying students

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My daughter is a sophmore in high school. She is enrolled in the biomed. academy at her school and most of what she is learning is geared toward becoming a nurse. Her instructor is a retired nurse and takes great joy in making her students feel inadequate and afraid of becoming nurses. My daughter comes home from school several times a week upset to the point of wanting to drop out of this program. This week the instructor told her she is unteachable and that if she does manage to graduate nursing school and make it into the field, "We will weed you out!". This was while she was attempting to teach my daughters group to do blood pressures and my daughter couldn't hear the B/P. I showed her how to take a B/P and she has no problem with it now. I don't understand this womans way of thinking... Why would you attempt to frighten high school students out of entering a field that they want to be in. The kids in this program are coming out of Jr. High knowing what career they want to be in and working towards it all thru high school. When my daughter graduates from high school, she will have a AA in Science. These kids are ambitious and driven so why would a teacher try to derail them? Any suggestions on what I should say to this teacher/retired nurse when I speak to her?

Specializes in Cardiac care/Ortho/LTC/Education/Psych.

I am so sorry for this experience you are going through and your daughter. As a teacher, and an instructor and a nurse I can tell you that it is not right. I am not saying that I have never fail the student but there is nice way of doing it and wrong way of doing it . Even with the person that I really do not see surviving nursing I still encourage them to explore every option and get every help and stay on their dreams. The best is to go and talk with the instructor. Give your perspective especially because you are a nurse so it means you UNDERSTAND the deal and what it is entailed to be a nurse. Say that this time you are also speaking as a mother of someone who wants to be a nurse. Lucky you to tell you . I envy you . I am trying to paint nursing to my children as the most hard and most rewarding job but they are not buying it. Your kid did it now go and roar and protect your young. God bless you .

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i agree, that you need to speak w/the instructor...versus going over her head w/o hearing what she has to say.

i can tell you, i had a couple of miserable nsg instructors...one really, really bad.

our end-of-semester reviews entailed the instructor giving feedback to the student...

that was it.

one way, student just listens.

i decided to give a 'review' to this particular nsg instructor.

i was civil, calm, assertive, and articulate.

but she heard my message, loud and clear.

come graduation, she told me that this was some of the wisest advice she had ever received.

i don't remember every word she said, but she had changed her ways because of our talk.

so yeah, do get her side.

maybe she'll heed your advice, maybe not.

if she doesn't, then it's time to go the next step up.

fwiw, i think it's deplorable to mentally abuse a child/teen.

when it happened to me and others, at least we were adults and could fight for ourselves.

i'm very pleased she has you as her advocate.

let us know how it goes.

leslie

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Specializes in LTC.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I do intend to speak with this insturctor. My daughter has recently been on the fence about becoming a nurse and I fear that this instructor is going to push her over. I'd hate for her to make the decision not to go into nursing because of one bad high school instructor who has issues. I'd also hate for her to have wasted 2 years of high school working toward a career that she ends up not going into. She is a straight A student. Her only issue is weekly clinicals with this one instructor. I'm going to give her a call and make an appointment to speak with her. I'll update everyone after and let you know how it goes. Thanks again.

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Oh my goodness! What a terrible experience for your daughter :hug: I agree with what someone else had posted earlier that "nurses eat their young" As a new graduate, working for the first time, the generational gap between myself and the "younger" nurses vs. the older nursing staff is immeasurable! From my own experience, I have been "put in my place" many times in my short career thus far. I have also found that before I entered the nursing profession, that some nurses can be the worst advertisers for the profession! I think that a long and tiring career has led some nurses to be bitter and take it out on prospective nurses! Hence, I don't think that what one person says about your skills determines how you will be as a nurse. As someone else mentioned, advocate for your daughter, speak sternly and ask her about her teaching style? I don't think it would hurt to ask! :D good luck!

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma.

as NurseSuzann said, this is common. i'm a semester form graduating and although i've never received this treatment, several of my classmates have, with many being brought to tears on a regular basis. i absolutely do not agree with this at all, and it seems especially harsh to act this way toward teenagers. i think this instructor has her own personality defect and issues. my only concern is that if you complain, this instructor seems the type who would take it out on the students.

good luck, whatever the path may be...

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Oh, my goodness. Your daughter is not an adult and what she is going through is very common in Nursing school. My peers and I are average age of around 35+ and we feel the same way that your daughter does. It must be very hard for a young girl to cope with a stressfull learning situation like that. In my situation I cant say anything, i just need to put a smile on my face and tough it out.

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I wrote this here to get some insight from MY peers. I'm a nurse too. I'm not just some schmoe who jumped on allnurses to complain about my daughters NURSING instructor. I thought I might get some helpful replies as to why some nurses like to see their young fail.

B/c older nurse eat their young??? I had a nursing counselor tell me when it came time for me to apply to schools, when i told her my real passion was OB and i wished to be either a midwife or a Dr look at me and tell me "not with those grades" I'm a B+ student how much better do my grades need to be?? You know the best part?? Im getting ready for my direct entry Midwifery program (i have a BS in health and wellness, and Im studying to be a LPN so i have some clue when i go into the field). So she could kiss my fanny tell your daughter to just tell herself she's(the teacher) mad she's not going into the field now instead of retiring Best of luck

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

The teacher needs to be "weeded out". That kind of Cro-Magnon thinking has no place in high school education. Use your power as a parent to push for change.

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Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.

I agree with most of the posters on this thread. The instructor is more than likely old school, where "negative reinforcement" was King. Nowadays, we know that positive reinforcement garners better results. Sounds like this instructor needs to just retire already.

Kudos to your daughter for keeping her composure while in school. THANK HEAVENS she has you to rely on for positive feedback and clarification.

Couple of things:

1. When my Dad was going thru law school, he taught night classes so he could feed us. He was "old school" and ruled with an iron fist. When a parent called to talk about his treatment of their child, he was immediately on the defensive. Not a great way to communicate, I know. HOWEVER

2. If you have FACTUAL information that you can refer to and share with her, she will be much more apt to listen with an open mind. Then when the two of you can get onto some common ground, you may very well have a positive outcome from your talk.

All the best to you!

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
my daughter is a sophmore in high school. she is enrolled in the biomed. academy at her school and most of what she is learning is geared toward becoming a nurse. her instructor is a retired nurse and takes great joy in making her students feel inadequate and afraid of becoming nurses. my daughter comes home from school several times a week upset to the point of wanting to drop out of this program. this week the instructor told her she is unteachable and that if she does manage to graduate nursing school and make it into the field, "we will weed you out!". this was while she was attempting to teach my daughters group to do blood pressures and my daughter couldn't hear the b/p. i showed her how to take a b/p and she has no problem with it now. i don't understand this womans way of thinking... why would you attempt to frighten high school students out of entering a field that they want to be in. the kids in this program are coming out of jr. high knowing what career they want to be in and working towards it all thru high school. when my daughter graduates from high school, she will have a aa in science. these kids are ambitious and driven so why would a teacher try to derail them? any suggestions on what i should say to this teacher/retired nurse when i speak to her?

i'm not sure how you know that this instructor "takes great joy in making her students feel inadequate and afraid of becoming nurses." unless you've actually been in the class and witnessed the behavior and then discussed the instructor's motivation with her. perhaps she has a truly horrible teaching style. perhaps your daughter is taking things too personally?

i'll admit i don't have my own child, but i've watched my stepdaughter's mother time and time again go to the school and rip the teacher a new one each time the s/d has a problem at school. many times, the problems weren't the teacher's fault, but s/d's mother was what my friends who are in teaching call a "helicopter parent." she never let the child solve a problem on her own or take responsibility for her own failings. the s/d has turned out to be a child who cannot admit her own failings or solve her own problems. it's my fault -- i opted to back down because i wasn't the biological parent.

you know your child and the situation better than i do. but please check it out and talk to the instructor before you assume it's her fault.

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Specializes in MCH,NICU,NNsy,Educ,Village Nursing.

So sorry your daughter is having these problems. Unfortunately, sometimes people are just unkind. Who knows what motivates someone like this instructor. If this instructor has this pattern of behaviour though, I would go to the principal of the school and request a meeting. I hope your daughter doesn't let this discourage her & uses this instead as a growth experience. I do also understand a mother's heart. Tell you daughter to hang in there & one day she will have the privilege of proving this teacher wrong in a professional way.

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Specializes in LTC.

I'm not the kind of parent who jumps in and tries to solve all of my daughters problems. She's in 10th grade and this is the first time I have felt the need to speak with a teacher. If this was the first time my daughter complained about her and something she's said that ticked me off, I would let me daughter handle it on her own but this is her second year with this woman and things are getting worse. I've contacted my daughters guidance counsler and made an appointment to speak with her and the instructor together. I'll let ya know what happens.

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