Should I be upset? Or am I making a big deal out of nothing?

[redhead09]

I'm sorry if I sound like a complainer but I'm so fed up!

Why is it that so many nursing instructors treat their students as if they are children? I will be graduating in spring 09 and I'm almost done with school but I am just so fed up. Here's why:

Today in class we broke up into groups and the teacher individually asked us questions. (This is a college class) When someone would answer a question incorrectly, the teacher would actually LAUGH at them and make snide comments that indicated that they were stupid! I was so mad at her by the end of the class. (She didn't direct the laughter at me, but I'm mad out of principle.) Does that really promote learning?? I don't think so. I want to write her a letter telling her how unprofessional her actions were but we have a test coming up so I may wait till after the test.

It is a second year nursing class so its obvious that no one made it that far by being stupid. In college for teaching, do they teach them to be dictators? Or to treat their students like children, regardless of their age?

Am I just making a big deal out of nothing? I'm just so fed up with the way the 2nd year staff has done things and this I think was the last straw.

Should I just shut up and suck it up and go on?

I really do try not to have a bad attitude because I really do like nursing and I am having a great time in clinical. But this is just bugging me....

[time4meRN]

Hang in there, smile, go on with what you need to do to graduate. Remember, that once you have been working for a while ... you will be able to walk circles around most instructors you had in nursing school. Try to remember your experience so when you are teaching a new nurse, they may not have your experience and wisdom, but they have value too. Sum it all up as an experience. Yes , most nursing instructors will find a way to flunk you if pushed. It's kinda like the military. Sucks, but sometimes you have to say Thank you ma'am , May I have another mand go on about your way.

[Scrubby]

I hate to be saying this but I agree with other posters who've said keep your head down, don't say anything, be meek and mild until your graduation.

After you get your licence though that's a different matter entirely. I would send my letter in then and maybe even get some signatures from other graduates as well.

[VivaRN]

Is there an instructor you can talk with whom you trust? Does your school do semester leads, or level coordinators - like a faculty member in charge of the group of faculty teaching the semester you are in? Usually these lead faculty are a bit more mature and better teachers. That is where I would start.

After some experiences with a difficult clinical instructor, first I spoke with an instructor I trusted. She suggested I write a letter to the lead faculty in charge of that semester (prior to speaking with her I didn't know these faculty members existed). The lead faculty came to our clinical site and started asking other students about their experiences. Everything came out and the instructor was let go. Another resource is the Dean of Students.

Every system is different. Find someone who can help you access it in a way that addresses your concerns without putting you at risk. It's not your role to tell her how to teach, someone higher up should discipline and give her better tools if she needs them. It is your job to discretely inform that person of your complaint if the instructor is not approachable (which from your post it seems she is not).

Good luck and be assertive.

[Vito Andolini]

Several thoughts -

You could make an appointment with her privately and tell her how you feel. Don't put it in writing. Don't express it as blaming or criticizing her. Say "I feel ___ when you ___." type statements. Ask her to at least consider taking a different approach and give an example or 2.

Put it in perspective. That is, boot camp is like this. Law professors are notorious for being this way, for teaching this way. Let it make you a stronger person.

Accept that it is temporary, understand that she might be trying to push your buttons (everyone's buttons) to see who can't take the stress and then use that as the basis for further testing/probing of weaknesses and then find a way to flunk whoever she thinks should be flunked.

She might be a nut case, in need of psych meds. She might be a very miserable, unhappy individual who has need of belittling and humiliating, and intimidating others who are comparatively powerless.

Eat chocolate, enjoy Autumn, and pray for her and your relationship with her.

BTW, you are not powerless. You can talk to her now and, if she retaliates, go over her head. Bullies like her survive because people don't do anything about them. I recommend that you say nothing but you'll have to speak up if she bothers you sufficiently.

Good luck deciding.

Oh, and don't think you can't fail just because your Instructor is only an adjunct prof. She can write you up and get a full timer to do the deed, , if nothing else.

[sicushells, RN]

Some (not all, by far, but SOME) nursing instructors seem only to be teaching as a way of building their own ego. Nothing you can do to her as a student (especially HER student) will change her actions or attitude in a positive way. Let it go, get through school, and when you working as a nurse and you have a scared nursing student learning with you remember how that instructor acted, and be nice to the student.

I will say that I've had new nursing precept with me, and if I ask them a question and they answer it incorrectly I have laughed, but in a 'think through it. If you try to insert an enema that way you'll end up with poopy water everywhere.' way. That's privately, one-on-one, defiantely NOT in front of the patient or other nurses. Bottom line... maybe she's Trying to use humor as a teaching tool, but failing miserably.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

thats kind of what I figured what I would have to do... I'd rather stand up and rock the boat...heck, flip the boat over!

but how can she flunk me? Especially if i keep my grades up?

They FIND reasons. As mentioned, it can be to flunk in clinical, where the actions and tasks performed can be subjective to the clinical instructor observing you, it may be to stress you out so bad that you may become unprofessional and confrontational, misplace papers, shall I go on?

I know that your grades are good, but there is no guarentee that they will remain good (not trying to challenge your intelligence). I'd rather stay under the radar and maybe have the empathy of the professor to sort of give that 1/2 point needed to pass than to confront and then, lose out on all of the time, energy and effort given to graduate from the nursing program. Unfortunately, these sorts of professors know this, and use this to wield power over their students. May they rot in Hades.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

Another thing I would like to advise is not to discuss this with too many students. I have noticed that when other students have issues with professors like this, they have a tendency to bring others into it, even innocent ones, when their own butts are on the line. You'd be surprised how grown people act when they are under the gun. Think about it...most people put their entire lives on hold to gain entrance into and complete nursing programs. The last thing you need is the aggrevation of someone dragging you in the mud when you were minding your business.

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

Good point Pagandeva. Don't get caught up other people's melodramas, either now or later in the workplace. I've learned the hard way on that one. No crusades for justice and human rights while in nursing school!!!

[the six of us]

Every year that I have been in college, I have been able to evaluate my instructors in the last week of class. That is where I voice any concerns if I had any. I would be seriously mad if I were you. I have had teachers who acted this way and I personally think it represents their profession in a very bad way! I did have one professor recently who was horrible, the syllabus and all the work was not coinsiding. I sent out an annonomous email to the dean and things changed super fast. But still, no one knew it was me who had sent out the message. Just be careful of how you handle it...you would really not want to risk everything that you have learned and been through over one unprofessional teacher. Best of luck to you!!!!!!!!!