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 Perinatal, Education.

Sometimes, the instructor will come up with plans to help the student improve and will spend a lot of time with the student helping them to change behaviors and get their prioritizing and time management down. Some of those students will take this to heart and change what needs to be changed and improve dramatically. Others will continue doing what they did before and instead blame everyone but themselves for their failures. Is that nursing material? Do you want to work with or be cared for by that nurse? I agree with other posters that those students who cannot perform to standards even after constructive and time-consuming intervention by an instructor may not be nursing material and everyone saves a lot of time when that is addressed.

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Specializes in ED.

I think that judging someone based on weight is pure prejudice. My classmate whom I am referring to in this thread said that the instructor told her that patients would not take her seriously. Why, because she is overwieght? That doesnt make any sense to me.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
I think that judging someone based on weight is pure prejudice. My classmate whom I am referring to in this thread said that the instructor told her that patients would not take her seriously. Why, because she is overwieght? That doesnt make any sense to me.

Following that line of reasoning -- the instructor should be telling the students who smoke that they probably won't be taken seriously either. Must be difficult for smokers to convince a COPD'er to quit.

But I'll bet she hasn't even asked who smokes, has she.

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.
What were they refering to when they said questionable ethics?

Honestly, all it was was a difference of opinion over heated topics ( pts right to die and disaster nursing ) she went to the extreme and said I was in the wrong and should not be a nurse. Thats all it was. I always felt that with topics such as that it is better to talk about it to get an opinion from others perspective, not have an instructor come back at you and say you should leave nursing.

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Following that line of reasoning -- the instructor should be telling the students who smoke that they probably won't be taken seriously either. Must be difficult for smokers to convince a COPD'er to quit.

But I'll bet she hasn't even asked who smokes, has she.

A smoker nurse can get to that bed in time. A smoker nurse can lift, roll and do what is necessary for the pt. A smoker can reach across the bed. A smoker can get down to the floor and back up.

These are apples and oranges. CAN THAT 450 LB nurse stand on her feet for 12 hr shifts, ambulate and do EVERYTHING for the patient that EVERY OTHER NURSE can do? If NOT, the person has no business in nursing.

A smoker can function easily on the job. A smoker with emphysema, COPD, lung cancer could not and I would now consider that any nurse affected to such a degree that they be off the floor as well.

This is not a simple matter of discrimination. We are not talking about the overweight nurse or the obese nurse. My point for this ONE student is that the student is grossly morbidly obese and that level of obesity affects functioning. That is a legitimate issue, not discrimination.

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Specializes in acute rehab, med surg, LTC, peds, home c.

Janey, You put that so well! Thank You

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
A smoker nurse can get to that bed in time. A smoker nurse can lift, roll and do what is necessary for the pt. A smoker can reach across the bed. A smoker can get down to the floor and back up.

These are apples and oranges. CAN THAT 450 LB nurse stand on her feet for 12 hr shifts, ambulate and do EVERYTHING for the patient that EVERY OTHER NURSE can do? If NOT, the person has no business in nursing.

A smoker can function easily on the job. A smoker with emphysema, COPD, lung cancer could not and I would now consider that any nurse affected to such a degree that they be off the floor as well.

This is not a simple matter of discrimination. We are not talking about the overweight nurse or the obese nurse. My point for this ONE student is that the student is grossly morbidly obese and that level of obesity affects functioning. That is a legitimate issue, not discrimination.

I'm afraid we're getting sidetracked here. I suggested that the smoker nurse who had to give smoking cessation instruction to a patient would also have a serious issue with credibility.

Patient credibility is what the OP states that the instructor focused on. But that discussion is also beside the point, because the thread's stated question is not "is the obese student unable to perform clinically?" but "should a nursing instructot tell a student they are not nursing material."

You say that it's OK for the instructor to say that and gave your reasons. While I certainly see your point, I disagree for the reasons I stated. I stand my ground -- I'm seeing fat prejudice as the motivating force behind the instructor's comment. Whether the student makes it through nursing school or not, whether she passes NCLEX or not, is not the issue. The issue is whether or not the instructor ought to state her assumption, not whether or not she has her reservations.

We're just going to have to agree to disagree.

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Hey, while I certainly think that instructors should be evauating their students, I want to be clear that no one should ever be treated rudely or denigrated, and especially not publicly.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
Hey, while I certainly think that instructors should be evauating their students, I want to be clear that no one should ever be treated rudely or denigrated, and especially not publicly.

See, I'm thinking that the instructor did exactly that, or otherwise the OP would not know about the incident. But perhaps I presume wrongly about this situation and I'm only basing my opinion on the bullying behaviors of a couple of my old instructors. Saying something like that is quite unnecessary. A teacher should focus on teaching -- correcting deficiencies -- and to me, saying that a student is not performing up to standard and needs to improve is a whole world away from saying they'll never pass NCLEX or be a good nurse.

Once again, the question is not if the student can do the work, but if the instructor should tell the student that she is not nursing material. IMO, no one's qualified to make that much of a leap, except God.

Just my twenny-two cents. ;)

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
hey, while i certainly think that instructors should be evauating their students, i want to be clear that no one should ever be treated rudely or denigrated, and especially not publicly.

see, i'm thinking that the instructor did exactly that, or otherwise the op would not know about the incident. but perhaps i presume wrongly about this situation and i'm only basing my opinion on the bullying behaviors of a couple of my old instructors.

once again, the question is not if the student can do the work, but if the instructor should tell the student that she is not nursing material. imo, no one's qualified to make that much of a leap, except god.

just my twenny-two cents. ;)

and i've been assuming that the instructor took the student aside and spoke to her privately and the op knows about it from hearing the other student's side of the story. we've had a few issues where i work that are somewhat similar -- people not being promoted or being let go, and then telling "everyone" their side of the story. people who hear that person's side of the story think they know what's going on -- when in fact there's a lot going on behind the scenes that the person telling their side neglects to pass on because it casts them in a less flattering light.

i believe that a nursing instructor who realizes that a student just isn't getting it has an obligation to sit the student down and tell them so. if nursing is truly the student's dream, they then have the obligation to listen, to hear what's going on and to pull it together. passing along only part of the story to one's friends at school or work only gets other people worked up to no good end.

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And here I was not thinking about this story in particular at all, but who judges students.

Three sides to every story - yours, mine, and the truth. And never the triad shall meet!

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Specializes in psych. rehab nursing, float pool.
I'm afraid we're getting sidetracked here. I suggested that the smoker nurse who had to give smoking cessation instruction to a patient would also have a serious issue with credibility.

Patient creditbility is what the OP states that the instructor focused on. But that discussion is also beside the point, because the thread's stated question is not "is the obese student unable to perform clinically?" but "Should a nursing instructot tell a student they are not nursing material."

You say that it's OK for the instructor to say that and gave your reasons. While I certainly see your point, I disagree for the reasons I stated. I stand my ground -- I'm seeing fat prejudice as the motivating force behind the instructor's comment. Whether the student makes it through nursing school or not, whether she passes NCLEX or not, is not the issue. The issue is whether or not the instructor ought to state her assumption, not whether or not she has her reservations.

We're just going to have to agree to disagree.

Speaking as a smoker. I have often helped to educate patient's on smoke cessation. I have been honest with them in telling them of the times I have quit. I have honestly told them what seemed to work the best for me, what were my triggers and stinking thinking which got me back into smoking. They have appreciated my honesty. They have appreciated my being able to fully understand the process of addiction . They appreciate my being nonjudgemental with them.

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