Teacher falsley accused me

[tallystudentnurse]

I am in my second semester of nursing school and am over 40 white female. I have 2 instructors this semester, one for maternity and one for basic med surg. All of my instructors up to this point have praised me and gave me good grades for clinicals. My maternity instructor said I am going to be a great nurse and I currently have an A in her class. My basic med surg instructor is another story. She is a black female and we are about the same age. Up until recently, she has treated me fairly well in class although she makes it obvious that she has favorites. There are 2 black females in the class who can do no wrong in her eyes even when they blatantly ignore policy. There is also a hispanic male who gets a way with murder, so to speak. Tuesday I was 7 min. late to clinicals at the hospital so she told me I had to go to the campus for the day. I have never been later for clinicals before. I had no idea what I was supposed to do at school so I went to the library and caught up on all my work. Yesterday at clinicals she was almost spitting venom at me and I could do nothing right. The hispanic male was absent from clinicals on Tuesday also and didn't even call in. The policy is no show no call are grounds for dismissal from the program. At clinicals yesterday she told him everything was fine with his absence and not to worry. She almost doted on him during the day.

Sorry this is so long but I am so distraught. We had maternity class today and my med surg teacher came in and said she needed to see me after class. I went to her office and she said follow me and took me to the nursing director's office. They had paperwork in their hands so I knew this wasn't going to be good. She started out by stating that I had missed clinicals and was told to go to the school and didn't show up. I explained that I most certainly had been at the school and I had been in the library. They said no one saw me so I rattled off a list of names. Then the director asked me why I had gone to the library and I told her I just assumed that was where I was supposed to go. She then said didn't you think to come and ask one of us. Well no because they weren't my teachers. Then my teacher went on to say I am defiant in the clinical setting and don't listen to her. That couldn't be farther from the truth. I try very hard and always say yes maam to her. She stated that she told me I couldn't do anything with out her but that I tried to do things without her anyway. This was all lies and I don't understand why I have been singled out. I was made to write a paragraph in front of them explaining in my own words my understanding of what they were saying and that I would respect her authority and do what I was told from now on. When I got to my car, I broke down and cried. I have never been accused of anything like this before and just don't know what to do.

[Guest 360983]

Suck it up, kiss her ass and keep your head down until you graduate. If she's out to get you and the director agrees with her, there's not much else you can do.

[tallystudentnurse]

I kind of figured that is what I would have to do but she just scares me!

[caliotter3]

Suck it up, kiss her ass and keep your head down until you graduate. If she's out to get you and the director agrees with her, there's not much else you can do.

You are her token white woman this semester and there is nothing you can do as long as the director agrees with her.

[tallystudentnurse]

I wasn't given the opportunity to present my side to the director. I considered going in and talking with her privately tomorrow but I'm afraid of what might teacher might do.

[Guest 360983]

I wasn't given the opportunity to present my side to the director. I considered going in and talking with her privately tomorrow but I'm afraid of what might teacher might do.

This will give the director more ammo against you. You could be seen as unable to take constructive criticism, or someone who gets over emotional and reacts poorly.

I'm serious about being quiet and playing their games. Let it go, act like nothing happened, and cover your ass--be early, have everything done ahead of time, do everything asked of you, etc. If you try to fight back, I see them kicking you out. You might feel like you get a minor victory when you speak up, but it will just come back to bite you.

I've had vindictive bosses. Playing along with the game is really the only thing you can do to save yourself.

[sharpeimom]

the hispanic student may have called her later and told her he had had an emergent situation or that someone within his family had died. you know no more about his life than he does about yours. i'm sorry

if that sounds harsh, but you seem to be so preoccupied with race in your op.

you come across, in your post, as having a very defensive attitude. try not to be concerned about the other students because they are the faculty and director's problems. if they turn out to be "getting away with something," i promise you they will be found out and dealt with.

you can count on it.

[caliotter3]

This will give the director more ammo against you. You could be seen as unable to take constructive criticism, or someone who gets over emotional and reacts poorly.

I'm serious about being quiet and playing their games. Let it go, act like nothing happened, and cover your ass--be early, have everything done ahead of time, do everything asked of you, etc. If you try to fight back, I see them kicking you out. You might feel like you get a minor victory when you speak up, but it will just come back to bite you.

I've had vindictive bosses. Playing along with the game is really the only thing you can do to save yourself.

Totally agree with this advice. It is your only hope of surviving this. Fight back and become a real problem to her power trip and you will surely contribute to your leaving the program.

[locolorenzo22, BSN, RN]

play the game, graduate, and be a kick butt nurse! That'll show em!

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Dont be late to clinical. Problem solved

[2bnurseofchrist]

I have heard that a specific teacher at my school plays favorites, so when I am in her class this fall, I plan/hope to keep a low profile and do my best JUST in case.....

I too agree with some of the other posts that you need to keep your head down and do the best you can. Put your "feelings/ego" aside and Just like in life, things are not always going to be fair. The difference is that this Professor has the power to end your dream of becoming a Nurse and get you kicked out. Instead of pulling you aside and talking to you, she chose a different route which I think sucks but then again so does life sometimes.

I have a small note I wrote to myself about Failing,Insecurity and other issues I have (too many to mention). Whenever something happens that envokes those feelings, I go into the bathroom or somewhere quite and read my note 3-4 times and then go back to what I was doing. I helps me put things in perspective and doesn't let me sweat the small stuff that life seems to throw at us everyday.

Soooo, it's up to you to control the situation from this point forward. Either feed into her favoritism & drama or ignore it and focus on the BIG picture: Graduation, passing the NCLEX and becoming a NURSE :)

Good Luck!

[Angel@MyTable, RN]

I agree with the other poster's who say to just kiss her orifice, and get through the clinical.

I can say this easily now, but I have been in your shoes: my first semester clinical's (Geriatrics). My instructor WAS AWFUL! She once berated me in front of my fellow NS and it was actually the fault of another NS (she didn't even ask who did it, just assumed it was me)! I sucked it up, got through the semester and NEVER had another bad clinical experience again, the rest of my intructor's were fabulous!

I am not trying to make light, but you will survive, and most importantly graduate, pass the NCLEX and become a nurse! Don't let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch!