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

Torchwood · Feb 18, 2009

I remember an instructor telling one of my fellow students they would never pass the Nclex, or be a good nurse. Of course they let her make it till near the end of school before bothering to tell her this. She had a disablity, but was making the grades just like everyone else. It happens. There are bad students, bad instructors, there is bad in everything. For the most part, there is much much more good then bad.

Psychtrish39, BSN, RN · Feb 18, 2009

Ruby,

I agree when I was a student I had one cinical instructor that had issues with my performance and she wanted to have me come to the ER one weekend and do IVs with her and all for extra practice. I did and it stung the constructive criticism but she did it out of wanting me to be a good nurse when I got out. She was one of the instructors hugging me the hardest at graduation and the pinning ceremony.

I have never forgot it and it prepared me for what is to come and the stress . I am dealing with a unit manager that is giving me crap because I am new staff but I will stick around and she will quit. Its Nursing and it can be cruel at times. Sometimes hard to deal with .

Wishinonastar, BSN · Feb 18, 2009

If the instructor truly feels that the student is not nursing material as part of a clinical evaluation then she has every right to gently tell the student this and why. If it is because the instructor has a predjudice against the student because of any issue- weight, age, skin color, sexual orientation, etc. , then it is wrong. Her weight is her personal concern, not the instructor's. Maybe when she has a decent career and medical insurance she can get some help for her weight. Who cares? It is her business and it should have nothing to do with getting an education.

ToxicShock · Feb 18, 2009

I didn't read all the posts so forgive me if this has already been said, but...

I think it's important for an instructor (in any academic area) to tell a student that they are doing poorly if they are. However, I also think it's all in the delivery. There is a big difference between saying, "hey, you're not cut out for this. Drop out, you moron" and "hey, I've noticed that you're struggling because of this and this. Stay after class for a bit with me so I can help you out."

Too many people today are worried about being directly honest and offending everyone's delicate sensibilities, when they don't realize that you CAN be honest without being a jerk.

And besides, what's the point of having a teacher who isn't going to teach? Isn't that what we're all in school for? If I'm not doing so well in a class or a program, I WANT my teacher to tell me that I'm not doing well, so I can turn things around and come out on top. If, however, this teacher is being a jerk based on this student's appearance, than that is definitely unacceptable and should be addressed in some manner - providing there's enough proof to do something about it.

shah · Feb 18, 2009

We had one of those. This nursing instructor said derogatory things about foreigners in a very diverse school, over and over again. Things like in such and such country, they sell their children for sex. She insulted every foreign student for their pronunciation and if they ever did not understand a certain word of English.

We sucked it up till the end, then gave her horrid reviews at the end of course. She was put on probation.

Yes, your instructors do give you your recommendations, but there is not just one. You could get one from a nice instructor.

The student should not take to heart what the instructor has said. She should keep doing the best she can. I would flat out ask her very nicely, the next time she makes a comment like that: "I would really appreciate if you could tell me what I have done wrong, so I could avoid that mistake again." Or, "If you could please tell me the basis of your assessment, I could try and improve myself."

This is a very inoffensive way of drawing out the real reason and giving yourself a chance to improve.

likatutata · Feb 18, 2009

absolutely not! if her heart is in it and she studies, she could be a great nurse. that instructor needs to get bent!

Chaya, ASN, RN · Feb 18, 2009

It is inappropriate for one instructor to make the sweeping generalization that a student is not nursing material and especially in any setting where this can be observed or overheard by fellow classmates (or patients the student is working with, for that matter). Ideally, a student should be evaluated for his/ her suitability for the profession prior to admission by a committee designated for this purpose. If one instructor observes specific behavior (cheating, diversion, deliberate unsafe practice) that WOULD make the student truly unsuitable for a future in nursing, this decision needs to be reached by a consensus of the students instructors and by due process. If there is merely a technique or behavior that needs to be corrected the instructor should do this in private or in post-clinical conference, in a professional and constructive manner which addresses the specific error.

ScrappyED, BSN, RN · Feb 19, 2009

We have a nursing progam in TN that will not admit anyone who is overweight. It also said in my nursing school handbook that you must be able to function within the tight spaces common in hospital rooms in order to fulfill graduation requirements. I often wondered how they got around someone filing a discrimination lawsuit.

While I feel for your friend, when we have a patient crashing there are 10-20 people in that one room trying to save that patient--it is very hard for even the skinny nurses to perform their tasks and we have a few really big ER rooms). I am somewhat overweight but nowhere near 450 lbs and have a hard time getting around in some rooms even when it's just me and the pt and family! I would wonder if your friend will be able to efficiently do her job? I hope so for her sake!

Of course she doesn't have to work in a hospital :-)

Tell her that if she wants it bad enough to stick with it and don't let one instructor determine her life's course.

Good luck!

FATKAT · Feb 19, 2009

Re: news flash

That is exactly why it is a huge problem if your instructor tells you to quit because you are "not nursing material"!

FATKAT · Feb 19, 2009

Re: should a nursing instructor tell a student they are not nursing material

Absolutely not! I had this happen to me, instead of believing in me and encouraging me through constructive criticism, my instructor told me point blank that I should quit, that I wasn't good enough to be a nurse. Horrendous, but it just made me work harder at my goal to become an RN (from and LPN) so I could prove her wrong. I have never had any other problems since my instructor and I parted ways and I'm a great nurse! Perseverence and determination all the way and I am now only 6 courses away from my goal! Those kinds of instructors need to remember that they were once new and inexperienced too. :grad:

saltlakenurse · Feb 19, 2009

I have an instuctor right now who last semester in community nursing told me that I was not nursing material. She shredded my papers (still does, I have her for Leadership/Capstone right now) and told me my teachiing in an elementary school was subpar and that this was not up my ally. I actually thought the teaching was my best part as I have done a lot of teaching. I am an older returning student. I do not do well in her classes and she is killing my GPA. She and I just do not mesh in any, way, shape or form. My final is on Fri. and I hope I can make it until then and pass her class!!

I think we all get one of these teachers in our time spent in school somewhere along the line.

Saltlakenurse

merrywhiterose · Feb 19, 2009

That is sooooo wrong. The nursing instructor is very UNprofessional. Her job is to HELP people get through the nursing program, not criticize.