Should a nursing instructor tell a student they are not nursing material.

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A nursing instructor told one of my classmates that she is not nursing material. I think that she was wrong. She based it on my classmates appearance Im sure, she about 450lbs and slow moving. Her spirit is sweet but the instructor, I feel, is wrong. What do you guys think? If academically she's on it how can she judge her.

Specializes in Critical Care.
How do you know for sure that the comment was made because of the student's weight?

Sometimes, students need to hear that their chances of success are slim. It is cruel for a school to take a student's money, pass them along until the last semester ... and then find a way to flunk them so that they won't bring the school's NCLEX pass rate down. I know schools that do such things. They would be doing some of their students a favor if they would simply either fail them in their first year before they had invested so much in the program ... or counseled them out of the program early on.

Yes ... if the comments were because of the student's weight, the instructor was terribly wrong. But how do you know for sure that they were made because of her weight? The OP didn't say.

This.

Not everybody's cut out for everything in life. Many people are unaware of their own limitations or shortcomings. In such situations we collectively have a choice to: a) ignore glaringly obvious shortcomings and allow poor-to-mediocre quality nurses to be produced by lowering the bar; or b) be the bearer of bad news.

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.

Nope...not their job. It's the job of the NCLEX and a future employer.

If the student is performing to standards in both clinical and classroom as fairly as other students, and the student makes the grade, then the instructor should keep personal opinions to themselves.

Every instructor is going to have a different opinion about different students. There are students at my school that some instructors love and those same students are clearly disliked by others.

None of us go to school for a popularity contest. We go for an education.

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news flash! your instructors are the ones who evaluate you and will provide your first employer with a recommendation as to whether or not you are able to do the work of the professional rn or lpn you are being hired for. i was a nursing manager for a huge teaching hospital that hired new grads. employment of new grads was based on receiving a written recommendation from nursing school instructors. why? because they are the only people who have ever observed you performing all the different functions of the role you are about to undertake. be very carefully what you say and do around them because they are constantly making judgments about you. your future depends on them.

right on.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

If the student is performing to standards in clinical...

Stop right there. That's probably the issue. In which case it is the instructor's job to inform the student.

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Stop right there. That's probably the issue. In which case it is the instructor's job to inform the student.

This is the crux of the situation.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
This is the crux of the situation.

Indeed it is. Without adequate details, we can only give the time-cherished nursing answer, "It depends".

There are scenarios where a nursing instructor should tell a student this. Is this one of them? Dunno.

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Specializes in Rehabilitation; LTC; Med-Surg.
Specifics of this case aside I wish more nursing instructors would tell some students that nursing may not be thier cup of tea. I think if an instructor sees signs that a student may not have the disposition, skills, or brains to be an effective nurse they have an professional obligation to tell the student just that. It's better that than wasting thousands of dollars and years of trying before you find our you aren't nursing material. The instructor could be wrong- but It's the student's choice to persevere and complete the program. The instructor is just offereing the guidance and feedback they were hired to provide- Bravo for them.

Yes, but there is a right way and wrong way to do that. Calling a student out in the middle of class with that type of comment is the WRONG way. Very unprofessional and speaks poorly for the instructor.

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Specializes in Rehabilitation; LTC; Med-Surg.
Nope...not their job. It's the job of the NCLEX and a future employer.

If the student is performing to standards in both clinical and classroom as fairly as other students, and the student makes the grade, then the instructor should keep personal opinions to themselves.

Every instructor is going to have a different opinion about different students. There are students at my school that some instructors love and those same students are clearly disliked by others.

None of us go to school for a popularity contest. We go for an education.

To be honest having good grades and fair practice at clinicals does not mean you will be a good nurse. Anyone can pass a multiple-choice test - the answers are right there to choose from, and if you use a common sense process of elimination and the nursing process coupled with Maslow and other theroists, passing a nursing test is simple; really says little about your ability as a nurse.

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Specializes in Rehabilitation; LTC; Med-Surg.
How sure are you?? Did you hear the instructor actually say that?!?

I have a friend that is a clinical instructor and one of her complaints about NS is that students are passed semester after semester until they get to her final semester obviously out of their league and not having a clue. Then it's up to her to hopefully remediate them, or flunk them.

I don't think NS does anybody a favor by passing them when they're obviously struggling.

Well, you know what they say: a nurse with a 76 average and a nurse with a 100 average has one thing in common: they are BOTH nurses.

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[Disclaimer: This is not an attack but a chance to objectively evaluate something.]

OP stated "she about 450lbs and slow moving".

So as nursing students and nurses....lets look at this. Unless she is 8' tall, she is grossly, morbidly obese. At this level of weight, it is a challenge to move, much less work in a physically demanding field. This woman's weight will put serious stress on her knees and her feet. I could only imagine whether or not she could even make it through a full shift. Also, how many nurses complain about having to prioritize because things move at such a fast pace.... and this woman could not ambulate in a manner to the level necessary. She will require assistance for tasks normally done by the staff nurse. (ie: move, roll, lift patient).

Nursing would take a huge toll on her body and on her health. She will be out more frequently than most nurses. She will be a greater risk to the hospital. She will also cost the hospital more in her own insurance/medical care.

This is NOT discrimination. It is reality and realistic. Unless this woman loses about 200 lbs, it would be my opinion that she is not nurse material either.

{Understand this....an ex-H of mine was an Air Traffic Controller. He developed late onset Type 1 diabetes. He could never work in ATC again. Not just for the safety of the passengers....ATC is SO stressful, it would bring out the complications of diabetes much earlier and in a much more severe condition. It is not discrimination....it is being reasonable, responsible and saving lives including his!}

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
i think it's dead wrong to tell someone they are not nursing material. just my humble opinion, but it may be much more productive to actually give the student something to work towards. if an instructor feels a student is not nursing material, they should step back and realize they are not gods. it is their opinion that a student is not proper material. their opinion is just that. it is what they feel.

the opinion of a nursing instructor is just that: it's an opinion. it is much more than "what they feel." it's what they think, and opinion they have formed based on interactions with that student and watching the student interact with others and measured against their experience of what constitutes a successful nursing student and later a competent nurse. the opinion of a nursing instructor should be taken seriously. i'm not saying that their opinions should be written in stone and taken as gospel, but the student involved would do well to really reflect upon the instructor's opinion of his or her work, aptitudes and abilities.

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Specializes in Acute Mental Health.

Ruby Vee, I do agree that an instructors thoughts should be taken seriously, but I stand strong on my opinion that it is not their place to tell a student they aren't nursing material. If they do tell a person that, then they should include a very detailed reason on why they feel they aren't nursing material (preferably in writing). Is it interaction, skills,.....is it really anything that can't be worked on by the student? I guess I just don't think an instructor should feel they have that kind of power over anyone. Especially with nursing. There is more than just bedside nursing and whatever this student lacks should be able to be worked on. I just don't think an instructor should bash someones dreams because the feel or think the student is not nursing material. That is such a broad statement to make to a student. We are here to learn and instructors are there to teach. If one instructor cannot teach a student, then perhaps a different instructor would be a better fit.

I'm sure that instructors see much more than I see as a student. I'm also sure they have an eye for the ones that will struggle. But, they don't walk on water and they shouldn't be telling students they aren't nursing material. The good ones will take the student aside and come up with a plan that they feel would best help the student. If that means a repeat, so be it same with more experience. The student who is not nursing material will not make it. If they do, they won't last. This is just my opinion of course, and I know that not everyone should agree with me.

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