Do nursing instructors deliberately try to weed out students, by doing things like testing on material they haven't gone over yet, deliberately making it hard, picking on students?
My opinion was the "weeding out of students" was a myth.
The weeding out process seems to occur naturally, and the reason so many people don't make it through the program that started out, is that it's a tough, demanding, time consuming program, and whose eyes are on graduating top notch nurses who can pass NCLEX.
I do know teacher eyeball students they don't think are good clinicians and many of these cry "the teacher doesn't like me, and is out to get me". Or eyeball students that need a kick in the butt, or need a confidence boost and they feel picked on as well.
I don't think insturctors play games and try to weed students out.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
that whiners complainers, slackers who accuse instructors of picking on them and weeding them out are just as common as mean vindictive teachers who deliberately pick on students just to weed them out.[/i']
Considering there's on average one teacher per 275 students (class of...).....35 whiners and complainers per class......hard to believe that vindictive teachers are just as common. Perhaps it's just me and my school.
Teachers have way better things to do than focus on one student where I come from. Thats why if they are ...'mean'...they make up some pretty hard tests...then watch what happens. The s*** always floats to the top. :chuckle
Why get one when you can get many?
Z
Well, where I went to school with a class of only 36 in my year, and something like 30 in the one ahead of me, it was EASY to find a target or two and focus on them. "Why get one"? Because you can, that is why. Still, they "had" to graduate a few, I suppose, eh? We did, a "few"---only 16.
You are right about one thing; they should have better things to do. So much of that energy could be put into HELPING people succeed rather than seeing to their downfall. But apparently, in some places, they don't care to exercise this option. I don't know why, but I have some guesses.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
I wish that was true but it's not.
When the entire class failed the final exam, it was because 20 percent of the questions were on material the class was told would not be on the exam. The instructor refused to hear the student's complaints and remedy the situation.
The students had to take it all the way to the dean, who, after a review, agreed there were problems with 20 percent of the questions on the test.
Nevertheless, since the instructor had tenure, all the dean could do was "recommend" changes.
Even with all of this controversy, the instructor has only compromised a little bit. She finally agreed to allow two "right answers" on half of the contested test questions. This helped a few students a little bit, but not much since the questions on the material which the class was told not to study remain.
So no ... the wheels are not turning in students' favor in this situation.
ah see, now I am glad to find an instructor to at least admit it's not all a big fat whine on our parts. Yes there are whiners, losers and the like who enter nursing school. NO one disputes that. What seems to be up for debate is there are absolutely lousy instructors out there too, miserable people who take some sort of perverse pleasure in making others just as miserable as they seem to be.
You can find your school and check out what students have to say about the professors. I checked out some former teachers and the comments were pretty accurate from my viewpoint. Mind you, the whiners, complainers, and malcontents will bring down the overall average, so take it all with a grain of salt, but you might find it interesting reading. I know that a lot of times you don't have a choice when it comes to a professor, but perhaps knowing what you might be in for can help you prepare (or steel) yourself for the experience. :)
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
and the ones who ballyhoo and champion the same profs will bring it up for them, as well.
it goes both ways.
And most intelligent people can see what a gripey senseless whine is, versus a legitmate review. And as always, it's just an opinion, not hardline fact.
I was introduced to that site a couple years ago. It was indeed interesting to see the different ratings there. And my findings were like yours, pretty much accurate.
The best prof I had was my A/P instructor. She was amaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing, and a sort of "gatekeeper" if you will. If you could get through her A/P and micro courses, you would likely do well in nursing, too. I gave her a glowing review.
Yeah ... well. Easier said than done. When our class complained about the above mentioned problems, we were deemed "whiners."
Geez. Sorry that that happened to you. Some instructors are tough to crack, usually because they've been there a while and have heard scores of students complain about them. Heck, I've only been teaching one semester and I had some students on their evals say that they thought I was unapproachable and rude (when I always thought I was quite the softy!).
It still doesn't change my opinions, though. When I speak with my class, I tell them that it is entirely possible that they will absolutely hate me. They may think that I'm unfair. They may think I expect too much. With all due respect to them, too bad. I tell them to think of the class as a professional situation. You may hate your boss, but you learn to deal. You either rise above it or you don't. I also think that's important training for anyone to have, but you can apply it to nursing, as well. You may not like the patient who calls you to the room every 2 minutes for something benign, you may not like the doc that screams at you, you may think your charge nurse is a horrid person....but you still have to show up to work and do the best job you can.
I know you went through the proper channels to try and fix your situation and I sympathize that it didn't work out, but that doesn't mean that profs are out to get students. At the end of the day, the majority of us are there for the love of the students...because it sure ain't the money. :) I hope your situation doesn't keep you from talking to your other instructors. Most of us love all kinds of feedback, because it can only make us better at our job.
Sorry for the soapbox, but I feel like I need to stand up for the profs! I've had some bad ones, too, in my many years of college. Most of the time that happens because the school makes them teach, when they really just want to do research. My advice: study hard, pass that class, leave with a smile and the knowledge that they couldn't beat you down.
With bad profs, the best thing is to find out if they have kids. Assume they have kids who are younher than yourself, then bear down and study your head off and commit yourself to be a professor in the future in the hope you will teach your prof's kid one of these days :)
With bad profs, the best thing is to find out if they have kids. Assume they have kids who are younher than yourself, then bear down and study your head off and commit yourself to be a professor in the future in the hope you will teach your prof's kid one of these days :)
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
With bad profs, the best thing is to find out if they have kids. Assume they have kids who are younher than yourself, then bear down and study your head off and commit yourself to be a professor in the future in the hope you will teach your prof's kid one of these days :)
Well, where I went to school with a class of only 36 in my year, and something like 30 in the one ahead of me, it was EASY to find a target or two and focus on them. "Why get one"? Because you can, that is why. Still, they "had" to graduate a few, I suppose, eh? We did, a "few"---only 16.
You are right about one thing; they should have better things to do. So much of that energy could be put into HELPING people succeed rather than seeing to their downfall. But apparently, in some places, they don't care to exercise this option. I don't know why, but I have some guesses.
You sound like you had it rough Deb.
But hey. Now you're one of the best nurses in the bizz :)
Gawd you made me laugh when you called me on noticing you were up late. I was like " Hmmmm..I can't sleep..wait a minute....what the heck is Deb doing up at this hour?"
Delivering babies........should have known.
And BETWEEN c secs to boot !
Hilarious. Must get in that allnurses time eh? :rotfl:
Ok..wnet off on a tangent there. Back to regular discussion.
with this talk of the survival of the fittest or luckiest or whatever in nursing school, what are really the aptitudes and qualities that give you what it takes to do this job? Is it high IQ, tenacity, math skills or what not?
with this talk of the survival of the fittest or luckiest or whatever in nursing school, what are really the aptitudes and qualities that give you what it takes to do this job? Is it high IQ, tenacity, math skills or what not?
Are you talking about the job of getting through school or an actual nsg job?
In response to nsg school...well it is highly competitive to get in and it doesn't stop there. Like any reputable program...you need to stay on top of your game in order to stay. Do you need a high IQ? Define high.
Tenacity is VERY useful. Just ask all those who are still waiting to get their foot in the door and those who stay up all night studying.
Math? You need to be able to do basic math as well as algebra etc.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
You sound like you had it rough Deb.
But hey. Now you're one of the best nurses in the bizz :)
Gawd you made me laugh when you called me on noticing you were up late. I was like " Hmmmm..I can't sleep..wait a minute....what the heck is Deb doing up at this hour?"
Delivering babies........should have known.
And BETWEEN c secs to boot !
Hilarious. Must get in that allnurses time eh? :rotfl:
Ok..wnet off on a tangent there. Back to regular discussion.
Z
*grin* I had no patient assignment really that night. It was a crazy floor with a couple of high risk patients on it. I was called in to back up a newer nurse for one of the high risk labors and catch the baby. Once I was done I hung out til my relief showed up. I was being paid very handsomely (time and half/doubletime) for what was about 3 hours' hard work and 3 hours' mostly stocking shelves and then nothing, much like the Maytag Repair Man!!!! :rotfl: But, hey, the patient and her baby were fine and my paycheck will be handsome.
I've had some bad ones, too, in my many years of college. Most of the time that happens because the school makes them teach, when they really just want to do research. My advice: study hard, pass that class, leave with a smile and the knowledge that they couldn't beat you down.
I don't know why, but I have some guesses.
SmilingBluEyes
20,964 Posts
You are right about one thing; they should have better things to do. So much of that energy could be put into HELPING people succeed rather than seeing to their downfall. But apparently, in some places, they don't care to exercise this option.
I don't know why, but I have some guesses.