For the last two weeks, as I was walking to my office in the hospital, I've passed by a clinical instructor and her students from a local university nursing program. She gathers them in a hallway that serves as a seating area for visitors.
this woman has, every time I've seen her, been literally ranting and raving at her gaggle of students. I've heard her call them stupid, lazy, slow-witted. Heard her practically yelling that they will never survive as a nurse. Seen her literally rip their care plans to shreds and toss it on the floor.
it is all I can do to not stop and put her in her place, but I'm pretty new at this hospital and am not sure how that'd go over.
Should I confront her about this behavior? Would there be a contact at the hospital that would deal with the college staff? Should I just mind my business? ****** me off to see this reprobate treating students like this.
Everyone seems to saying the same thing " this doesn't look good for the hospital". REALLY?!!! Screw the hospital... How about she shouldn't be talking to any human being that way! We won't change the culture of nursing if we don't stand up for what we believe in. Personally I might walk over to her in front of the students and ask her to stop berating the students and tell her how unprofessional it is, or better yet pull out my phone and get in all on camera :). I feel very strongly about this, no one should be justifying this kind of behavior!!!! period.
This person is an emotional and verbal abuser/bully. She does not belong in the nursing profession. She needs to be reported to hospital administration. You can also take video of the childish and unprofessional antics and show it to someone. This is the right thing to do.
As a nurse who had a bully of an instructor, I'm begging you to say something to someone with power (school dean, site coordinator, etc). My 6 months with this instructor was torture. She frequently singled me out in class and clinicals with questions and scenarios that she knew I could not possibly answer and would laugh at my attempts to answer her questions. (One question: you have two patients choking and you are all by yourself, which one do you save. No further info. Not what do you do, just which one do you save and which one do you allow to die.)
Second suggestion: If you get to work with one of her students during their clinical time on your floor, if he/she does something well, praise them. Somedays the only positive thing I heard during clinicals was from the overworked nurse I was working with. My classmates and I made a point of banding together and cheering each other on when we were together. 30 people entered my nursing class and despite this nasty professor, 27 of us graduated. She was supposed to pin us at graduation, but my class refused to let her. We pinned each other.
I have to say I had a somewhat similar instructor many years ago. She dressed us down in private usually. Well, semi-private: an alcove where we drew up injectable meds under her supervision. I remember that every student was in tears when I saw them walking out of there. But there were a couple of students she really seemed to like and prefer (the very outgoing ones) and didn't give them any trouble. I remember even the kids (this was on a pediatric unit!) thought she was the b-word. She would stomp down the hall. (Guess ppl like her is why they made up the phrase "battle-axe" as applying to a woman.) She even told me I would never be a nurse and I almost quit school 3 weeks prior to graduation! I seriously felt I couldn't go on! She also used to name-drop and thought she was "all that". In contrast, as a nurse the instructors I've seen with students more recently are a million times kinder and more professional.
During my schooling, I had a clinical instructor that tended to bully her students. Mostly she tends to threaten every one of her students with failure... and at the end, she "relents" and "allows" them to pass. It's clear that once you're under her close scrutiny, you're effectively done. As much of a problem as she was and is, I also have to say that the experience with her did ultimately make the rest of the program very easy. She has very high standards and if she can figure out how to get the student to reach for and meet those standards without the bullying behaviors she employs, she could actually become a good instructor.
In her case, I quite suspect that she doesn't know how to teach and was never shown any other way. Teachers are specifically taught how to teach. Quite often, people with advanced degrees are expected to teach but never get formal education in how to do it. Pedagogy should be a required course for anyone interested in becoming an instructor.
Hello, I wanted to offer that pulling out your smartphone and making a video of her rants might be terribly helpful. You don't have to confront her. That video could be emailed straight to her Dean. If the nursing school is worth it's salt, she will be cautioned at work by the people she reports to. Having video evidence of her actions, insults, the tone and volume of her voice,.. it'll be worth a thousand of your words. I feel badly for her students. Nursing school is challenge enough without that nonsense.
I reported it to my direct supervisor, who immediately sent it to the nursing administration. They emailed me for more information, and assured me that the situation will be dealt with.
Thanks for all the support. This chick is pretty lucky this old cop wasn't a student under her heel...I bite. :)
Specializes in Care Coordination, MDS, med-surg, Peds.
Bortaz, please keep updating us to how administration is dealing with this situation. Too often that is admins facorite phrase that means, hummm... file 13 this one!(ignore)
exactly......bullying! And we see and hear PSA about school bullying needing to stop yet it is seen and experienced when we enter nursing school or med school. Bullying needs to stop. We are there to be taught not to be bullied. Teach us, but do not belittle us or our attempts at something we are trying to do as a passion. If you do not have the patience to teach the same course which is old news to you....then step aside so another professor with patience and dedication can teach us properly, respectfully and professionally. Fear will not teach me anything and screaming will only embarrass me in front of others and will make me wish for the earth to swallow me at the moment. The school PSA (public service announcements) tell us to stop and stand up for those who are bullied. I've come from an abusive background physically, mentally and emotionally - NO ONE DESERVES TO BE BULLIED OR TO HAVE FEAR OR TO BE ABUSED!
workinmomRN2012, BSN
212 Posts
Everyone seems to saying the same thing " this doesn't look good for the hospital". REALLY?!!! Screw the hospital... How about she shouldn't be talking to any human being that way! We won't change the culture of nursing if we don't stand up for what we believe in. Personally I might walk over to her in front of the students and ask her to stop berating the students and tell her how unprofessional it is, or better yet pull out my phone and get in all on camera :). I feel very strongly about this, no one should be justifying this kind of behavior!!!! period.