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.
Hi. This is my first post on the board and I felt compelled to defend BSN programs. We get as much clinical time, if not more, than other programs because my school is at a large teaching hospital. BSN programs prepare you to move on further in your education, something you cannot due in ADN programs without a bridge.
Also, I may be very fortunate but I have never met a teacher who wanted to weed anybody out. That process usually happens on its own, as others have said. In my experience, the teachers will bend over backwards to help anyone who needs it. They really stress that if you are falling behind to come and talk to them before you are too far gone. It is sad that all programs are not like that. Hopefully some of us will go on to be educators to correct this problem.
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Cheers to SmilingBlueEyes and Tweety...you guys are awesome! I can't tell you how much I, and I'm sure the rest of us, appreciate the encouragement, insight, and, yes, honesty that we always get from both of you.
Based on what I've seen and heard here and elsewhere from hard-working, dedicated students, it's obvious that some programs and instructors have an almost vicious weeding out process. I hope I don't run into those.
However, with that being said, I think that in SOME cases you have to consider the source. I have heard stories from people who don't go to class or go unprepared, don't study enough, or whatever, and then they want pity when they fail or get dropped from a program due to "weeding out". Yes, dear, you were weeded out, because you don't have what it takes. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), I never have the nerve to be that honest with them.
Thanks for the compliment. My wish for you and everyone is that you don't run into one of those programs.
It seems to run the gamut from total support, to pure viciousness, to an instructor understandedly trying to improve those who need a kick in the butt, or those that need a little extra help, to incompetent students who claim they are being picked on. This thread has been enlightening in that respect.
Good luck to those enduring those bad schools at the present time.
Still my inner voice, while understanding it's not a myth, still doesn't want to believe it's the norm and what students should expect when they go to nursing school. (Please don't read into this an a negation of those experiencing weeding out and viciousness from instructors. Those are very valid experiences.)
I will be a junior in the fall, and i certainly do think that the professors try to weed out the students who simply are just not puting in the time, and energy that needs to be put in to the program to suceed. There were 80 of us in the fall semester in sophmore year now theres 40. The NCLEX i'm sure is not an easy test, therefore the faculty are not going to make there tests easy. Theres no point of going through the whole program and not being able to pass the boards. Yes, we are in need of nurses, but were in need of good nurses who have put alot of time into their studies.
Why are you telling me this? I didn't say anything otherwise. I wish when people quote me and respond I could see what exactly what they're getting at.
Besides...I was referring to my part of the globe. Just my opinion about my school.
I find the ones who dont work weed themselves out and the proffs have little to do with it.
Well, by now we've established that the "weeding out" thing isn't a myth. :)
Let me share an interesting contrast that I encountered at my school, which, by the way, I now don't feel I can recommend safely to anyone whom I might think should go to nursing school. I mean, that if I know someone whom I think has the ability to do that program, I won't recommend it for fear they'll run up against a particular instructor the wrong way; I hate to see someone's potential screwed up due to another person's meanness.
I had an instructor who put me on probation in my first year. She sat me down, told me my strengths, then told me the problems. She asked me what I would do to correct them, and gave me an extra clinical day. I took it as an opportunity to show this instructor, who had so much faith in me, that I could do this job, and passed her clinical rotation. I told her after pinning, that hers was the most productive rotation in the entire program just for the reason of how she handled such things.
Next quarter, I had an instructor, oh let's call her Jane. I'm ambivalent about this person; as a lecturer and test writer she is top notch. I'd take any class that is solely lecture-based from her, in a heartbeat. As a nursing lecturer, she will tell you things about the practical environment that are absolutely correct and if you'll remember them, you'll find them useful.
However, I don't think this person should be let within a mile of a clinical setting. EVER. It's impossible to tell who she's gonna decide to target, but buddy when she does, it's a ride. She told a friend of mine that she views it as her job to weed out those whom she THINKS won't be a good nurse. That's her priority. She will go out of her way to find ways to intimidate people. For some of her targets, she'll follow them so closely that if they stopped suddenly, she'd run right over them.
When it came time to get an evaluation from this instructor, I got a personality analysis. On paper. I am an attention seeking personality, who doesn't fit in the role of student. Why thanks, I needed an analysis from a non-qualified individual, in my permanent record, about the same way I needed a hole in the head. I don't think such personal remarks should go there. Oh, yes, and I was told that if this particular instructor had read the evaluation I got from being on probation (the one where I improved so very much, and was very proud of it) PRIOR to my clinical rotation, she would have failed me outright.
That I had a problem with, and still do. AFTER reading that evaluation, and after my clinical rotation, she decided, according to her oh so perfect hindsight, that I had indeed had a problem with one of the items during her rotation. The item? Interrupting the teacher. Which would have been laughable, if it hadn't been my a$$ on the line, because she intimidated me nearly to the point of speechlessness most of the time. Hyper-awareness of that possibility, pretty much precluded the appearance of it during this rotation.
There were multiple other problems had by many other students of hers, and it would be much too long to go into here, but all of them point out her personal bias as a pattern of dealing with students. For that reason, I don't recommend my school to someone who actually has the ability to go through nursing school otherwise.
Why are you telling me this? I didn't say anything otherwise. I wish when people quote me and respond I could see what exactly what they're getting at.
Z
Sometimes people, esp. if they are new to the board, hit quote, when they really only want to make a post to the thread.
In September we started with 18 students. We now have 14. We almost lost another one because the teacher did not like one of hte comments that was directed to her on the floor. The student was told that the instructors are not there to be their friends. But we have students in our class who the teachers go to parties at their house and go out of their way for them when it comes to fun days like ER and OR. Will stuff like this ever stop?
I think that there is some weeding out, but I do not believe that it is like many say it is. Yes, the programs are tough. There aren't going to be some that suceed, and that is a reality - BUT I do think that if a nursing instructor finds a student that is exceptionally incompetent that they may tend to focus on them and then "weed" them out.
Hopefully, everyone realize life is not fair. Right? If not, some day you will.
Weeding in colleges and universities occurs whether it is obvious to you or not. There are instructors who will just use the materials to be weed students out. Others will target students. It occurs in nursing and other curriculms.
At my freshman biology department orientation the students numbered more than 300 in the auditorium. Each of the professors got up to speak. The one I remember was the one who stated "You all are here to get an education and then take my job. I am here to keep you from doing that!" I was mature enough to know life is not fair but this seemed outrageous.
In my medical surgical rotation there was an LVN in our group that was going for her BSN. I remember when the instructor mentioned it to the group her face changed very negatively. I had been a nurse aide and blood collector for 5 years already and was fairly comfortable in the hospital setting. This LVN kept coming to me and asking me questions. Once she asked me to help her. I did. We were in her patient's room when the instructor came in and starting fussing at me. After that I could do no right. No matter what I turned in she would find nursing diagnoses I had not included. Then when I started including everything I could think of and the reports were thick she would say it was too much! Thankfully, I survived.
As a generic student I took one class that was an RN-BSN class. In this class preferential treatment was blatant. Personally, I thought the tests were easier than any I had as a generic student. At the time I was furious but over the years I have come to understand this professor's position. These students were already nurses and would not be taking the nursing boards. Also, it furthers nursing as a profession the more nurses who get advanced degrees. Please, do not take this as a focus point to drum up the age old argument between the different levels of education in nursing. Those who want advanced degrees should get them and those who don't should not.
My suggestion to students is to watch what others are getting in trouble for and don't do it. If you are a middle child you know what I am talking about. In addition, keep your mouth shut unless called on and do not gossip any where in clinical or school because this can be overheard and shared with your instructor.
If you are the one under fire, your best weapon is to KNOW YOUR STUFF forwards and backwards!
Best of luck to all students!
joy
In September we started with 18 students. We now have 14. We almost lost another one because the teacher did not like one of hte comments that was directed to her on the floor. The student was told that the instructors are not there to be their friends. But we have students in our class who the teachers go to parties at their house and go out of their way for them when it comes to fun days like ER and OR. Will stuff like this ever stop?
I noticecd that the ones in my class that whined that the instructors were out to get them or weed them out, were also the ones asking for a copy of people's notes, answers to assignments, didn't do all of the assignment, IF they even started on it.
I feel that the weeding out is somewhat of a myth.
I noticecd that the ones in my class that whined that the instructors were out to get them or weed them out, were also the ones asking for a copy of people's notes, answers to assignments, didn't do all of the assignment, IF they even started on it.
I feel that the weeding out is somewhat of a myth.
That's how I feel too. The weeding out occurs when the students can't keep up with the others.
No traps...no tricks......just those who can't keep up or don't want to for whatever reason.
So.......they weed themselves out. And I can't say it's a bad thing.
z's playa
2,056 Posts
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Z